“By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
— John 13:35
Jesus says, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:1, 2. What a privilege is this, to be brought into relationship with Christ! If we exhibit the piety and righteousness of Christ, we need not expect to be in any greater favor with the world than was Christ. We need the Holy Spirit from heaven to come into our hearts, that we can see Christ as He is and comprehend His great love wherewith He has loved us; then we shall love one another as Christ has loved us. From His own lips came these words, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35.
We are not to grasp in the arms of fellowship those only who profess to believe just as we do, who accept our views of truth. We are to have a burden for perishing souls who are out of Christ. Our message is to the world. Our work is to save the lost for whom Christ has died. If our Savior met with disappointments, we should not be discouraged if we meet with disappointments. Why was it the world did not know Christ? It was because He brought meekness, purity, and virtue into the world, and the world understood it not. Men could not harmonize with this purity. And those who are connected with Christ in His work of self-sacrifice and self-denial will not be known by the world.
Must we, then, leave the world in darkness to perish? No; we must be a living channel of light to the world. If we abide in Jesus, all heaven is at our command; the power from on high will work with the laborer in his efforts to win souls. Jesus will not leave His people with this great responsibility resting upon them and not give them divine aid. The reason why there is not spirituality and light in the church is [that] we do not have the spirit of labor. (1)
Charge for the Day: Today, claim the promise of a new heart found in Ezekiel 36:26 as you ask God to give you a heart that loves others the way He does.
1. Manuscript 79, 1886