Abide in Love

“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:33-39.

This is a full-blooded testimony from a full-blooded dis­ciple. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Be­loved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:10-11. Here we can see something of God’s love in Christ Jesus and how it is manifested.

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matt. 5:44-48.

Being perfect is the same as having victory—in other words, abiding in love in all the circumstances of life. If you do not consider yourself a sacrifice, things will soon come which will separate you from the love of Christ. If you con­sider yourself a sheep for the slaughter—and lay down your own life—then nothing can bring you out of love. If victory means to remain in love, then what is more than victory? More than victory is when you have to sacrifice something so that you can grow and partake of a greater fullness of love.

“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.” 2 Cor. 12:15. When those who should love you much love you less, you must make a sacrifice to be able to remain in love. And as a result, you love more! We know that the way of love is the highest wisdom.

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16. If a person comes out of love, he comes out of God and comes into a tremendous darkness.

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matt. 6:22-23. You have a good eye as long as you abide in God—in love. Then you will view those whom God has cho­sen in a good light. You pray for them and grow in love through the things you sacrifice.

When brothers strive against one another, it is often be­cause they are not able to recognize and acknowledge each other’s calling. Then it is easy to think the other person is just religious. You become arrogant. When such brothers get “light,” the darkness becomes even darker. When a bad eye receives “light,” darkness only increases. It will continue to increase until they repent. If they do not repent, it can get so bad that they forsake their own calling.

We must always abide in love, no matter how difficult it is. Then we can continue in God’s service and save souls from death. We must be good, both to the evil and to the good. In these circumstances we find abundant opportunities to enter into rest. That brings marvelous healing for spirit, soul and body. The best life we can live is a life of victory—yes, more than victory!