You can ask any Christian in the world if they love Jesus and unanimously they will answer, “yes”. How can you be a true Christian and not love Jesus? That is impossible. The centre of the gospel is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who paid for our penalty on the cross of Calvary. It was Jesus who bore such terrible abuse and suffering that we may be free from our guilt. “Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. ‘With His stripes we are healed.’” –The Desire of Ages, p. 25
How can this not melt your heart?
Jesus told a parable of a servant who owed 10,000 talents to the king which he was unable to pay. The man pleaded for mercy, and so the king did have mercy and genuine love for his servant and forgave him his debt. This is an example of how Jesus offers us forgiveness for a debt we cannot pay. This same servant then went out and ran into a fellowservant who owed him 100 pence. This man also could not pay and pleaded with the servant for mercy. The servant refused to show mercy and cast his fellowservant into prison until he could pay. What do you think the king did when he heard of this? He took that first servant and delivered him to the tormentors until he would pay (Matthew 18:23–34). “So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Matthew 18:35. Who are we like? The king or the wicked servant?
When Jesus spoke the words, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40), it goes much further than helping the poor and forsaken, or the neglect thereof. It also includes any mistreatment you may have done to others.
People sometimes get angry at others when they feel that they have been treated wrongly. That is human nature. It is not the spirt of Christ. Christ is genuine love. This king had cause to be angry but was initially compassionate. He later turned and was not so compassionate when he saw how this servant could not show the same compassion and love. Jesus expects us to show the same compassion, forgiveness, and love to our fellow men that He has showered upon us. “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21–22
Jesus said, “I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” Matthew 5:22
Two things we want to glean from this verse. Firstly, what reason would people be angry “without a cause”?
Here is an example: If a co-worker gets the promotion, due to hard work and diligence, that you also wanted and felt you also deserved, how do you feel? Do you congratulate the person, or do you harbour resentment and anger, “without a cause”? Or in the church, you believe you were the most talented for a specific position and someone else was elected, how do you feel? No one mistreated you so there is no need to feel angry. The unconverted human heart may feel resentment, envy and anger in this situation. However, the servant of the Lord stated, “To be envious and jealous of the brethren means to be envious and jealous of God.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1182. There is no love in envy.
Is that not how all this mess came about on this earth? Satan was jealous of God, and now he tempts people on this earth to become envious and jealous. Crimes of great magnitude have resulted from envy and jealousy, from simple theft to mighty world wars. It can create a world war in your heart also if left unchecked—the good and evil fighting for supremacy. Envy brings no peace to the soul, only torment. “Envy is the rottenness of the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
The second point I want to mention from the above verse is that if you call anyone a “fool” you will be in danger of hell fire. The word “fool” seems so light in comparison with some of the angry names people call each other today when they are enraged. Words that I would not dare to allow to cross my lips, let alone dwell in my mind. People often give little thought to these angry words, but they make deep impressions on the recipients. Untold pain can result that may take years to erase. “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37. Every word is carefully recorded by your recording angel and you will have to meet them again one day, unless you repent. Anger is a terrible sin that opens the door to the control of the enemy who then leads us to commit sins we would not dare to do if we were calm in our spirit. “It is a sin to speak impatiently and fretfully or to feel angry–even though we do not speak.” –Child Guidance, p. 95. Jealousy and anger are the opposite of genuine love. They can be hidden in the mind for a time, but “be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matthew 12:34
If the love of Christ dwells in the heart of man, he will respect all authority figures. This begins as a child. “He who rejects the rightful authority of his parents is rejecting the authority of God. The fifth commandment requires children not only to yield respect, submission, and obedience to their parents, but also to give them love and tenderness, to lighten their cares, to guard their reputation, and to succor and comfort them in old age. It also enjoins respect for ministers and rulers and for all others to whom God has delegated authority.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 308
All Christians would say they have utmost respect for God, yet in their lives you see some showing disrespect to parents, or church authority figures. It begins when a child rejects the authority of their parents and it goes unchecked. When they grow into adulthood the rejection is even stronger. There comes a time when they believe they are wiser than their parents. When a child is permitted to defy the authority of parents, as adults they learn to lose respect for many authority figures. Church authority figures are included here. Ask yourself, has there ever been a time when you were dissatisfied with the minister or leader of the church; you did not think they were doing a good job and someone else should be in that position? Have you pointed out their faults and errors and talked negatively behind their backs? Then you are rejecting the authority of God, as it is God who permitted these people to be elected into these positions. Of course, open, unrepented sin needs to be disciplined (and it is genuine love to do so), but everyone has faults that trouble them, even church authority figures and we are to help and encourage them, not to degrade their reputation.
“Cease to dwell upon the shortcomings of others. Keep the tongue sanctified unto God. Refrain from saying anything that might detract from the influence of another; for by indulging in these words of criticism, you blaspheme God’s holy name as verily as you would were you to swear. . .
“We need especially to guard against having a tongue that is sanctified to Satan. The tongue that God has given is to be used to glorify Him in speech. Unless it is, we shall be standing directly in the way of God’s work in this world, and the judgments of heaven will surely fall upon us.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol., 5, p. 1093
This is a very serious statement. As Christians, we would all say that we refrain from using swear words, but if we say anything to detract from another’s influence, Jesus regards it as swearing.
The final point I want to mention is that of love and hate. The apostle John spoke strongly on this point. “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:11. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:
for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20–21
John went on to explain the severity of hatred. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15. “The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan, and it led him to put to death the Son of God. Whoever cherishes malice or unkindness is cherishing the same spirit, and its fruit will be unto death. In the revengeful thought the evil deed lies enfolded, as the plant in the seed.” –Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 56
Every person on this earth is related to us and to hate even one would mean we are considered a murderer.
While all Christians say they love God, many wars have been fought in the name of religion. Many Christians join the army and become soldiers, carrying weapons to kill the enemy. How can you kill someone you love? In the military they justify killing, for the sake of safety. The other army is our enemy, so it is justified. But Jesus said, “I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44. And the apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:20–21. Nowhere do we see Jesus or the apostles saying that you should hate or kill your enemy.
If we have genuine love in our hearts, we will love all people and not hate anyone, regardless of how they have disappointed us, or hurt and wounded us, otherwise we are on the same level as they are of hating. Genuine love “keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
In the end you will be judged, not only by your deeds and neglected duties, but also by the “thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. Genuine love does good and only good, from pure thoughts and motives.
Jesus can help us to have pure and genuine love for our brethren, our friends, our relations, our co-workers, and even our enemies and those that torment us. Then the peace of Christ will rest in our souls. Amen.
Wendy Eaton
Emphases in quotes added by author