Lesson 13: "The Fruit of the Spirit is Love," part 7

Think of the Church at large. What divisions! Think of the different bodies. Take the question of holiness, take the question of the cleansing blood, take the question of the baptism of the Spirit—what differences are caused among dear believers by such questions! That there should be DIFFERENCES OF OPINION does not trouble me. We have not all got the same constitution and temperament and mind. But how often hate, bitterness, contempt, separation, unlovingness are caused by the holiest truths of God's Word! Our doctrines, our creeds have been more important than love. We often think we are valiant for the truth, and we forget God's command to speak the truth in love. It was so in the time of the Reformation between the Lutheran and Calvinistic churches. What bitterness there was then regarding the Holy Supper, which was meant to be the bond of union between all believers! Down through the ages, the very dearest truths of God have become mountains that have separated us.

If we want to pray in power, and if we want to expect the Holy Spirit to come down in power, and if we want indeed that God shall pour out His Spirit, we must enter into a covenant with God that we love one another with a heavenly love.

Are you ready for that? True love is only that which is large enough to take in all God's children, the most unloving and unlovable, and unworthy, and unbearable, and trying. If my vow—absolute surrender to God—was true, then it must mean absolute surrender to the divine love to fill me; to be a servant of love to love every child of God around me. "The fruit of the Spirit is love."


God did something wonderful when He gave Christ, at His right hand, the Holy Spirit to come down out of the heart of the Father and His everlasting love. How we have degraded the Holy Spirit into a mere power by which we have to do our work! God forgive us. Oh that the Holy Spirit might be held in honor as a power to fill us with the very life and nature of God and of Christ!

"The fruit of the Spirit is love." I ask once again, “Why is it so?” And the answer comes: That is the only power in which Christians really can do their work.
 
Yes, it is that we need. We want not only love that is to bind us to each other, but we want a divine love in our work for the lost around us. Do we not often undertake a great deal of work just as men undertake work of philanthropy, from a natural spirit of compassion for our fellow-men? Do we not often undertake Christian work because our minister or friend calls to it? Do we not often perform Christian work with a certain zeal but without having had a baptism of love?