Tried With Fire

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. 1 John 3:16 And you Christian people, who do love Him, if you have perceived His love somewhat, try to perceive it still more, that you may love Him more; and if you really love Him more, try to show that you do. Notice the rest of the verse from which my text is taken; I did not leave out the latter part because I was afraid of it, but because I had not time to deal with it as it deserves: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” We ought to prove our love to our God by our love to our fellow men, and especially by our love to our fellow Christians, and to prove our love by our actions. I do not know what the love of some professors is worth; I suppose they do, if they put down how much it costs them in a year. I fear that it does not cost some professors nearly as much for their religion as it does for their ribbon...

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” 1 John 3:14 So, Brothers and Sisters, if we can say that we love God’s people, as God’s people, because they are God’s people , that is a mark that we have passed from death unto life! Do you love them for Christ’s sake ? Do you say to yourself, “That is one of Christ’s people. That is one who bears Christ’s Cross. That is one of the children of God and, therefore, I love him and take delight in his company”? Then that is an evidence that you are not of the world. If you were, you would love the world, but, belonging to Christ, you love those who are Christ’s and you love them for Christ’s sake.  Another is you love them for the Truth of God’s sake. We are but earthen vessels, yet there is the excellency of the treasure of God put within us, so, when you can say, “I love that man because of the Truth of God he preaches. I do not care about his talents, but I do care about his Gospel”—when you ca...