Love unites us as a close knit church of God, and nothing can separate us. If we love God, we then love even our enemies. If anyone separates himself from the church of God, where he is a member, he first has to separate from Jesus, and from God the Father. Before Jesus gave Peter the work to do for His lambs and sheep, He had to make sure that Peter truly loved Him. Without this love we will not be saved. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

We sing the gospel song, “Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart, draw me, my Saviour, so precious Thou art. Nearer, still nearer, Lord to be Thine; Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign. All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride; Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified. Nearer, my Saviour, still nearer to Thee.” In this song great soul hunger is expressed. The author of this song is willing to give all for one thing—just to have Jesus for herself; there was nothing else that she wanted in life. This new experience gave her inspiration to write this song, which has brought encouragement and hope to others in the same condition. She was blind, yet she wrote over one thousand gospel hymns. Her name was Lelia Morris.

Mary had been a great sinner, and people knew of her life, therefore they despised her. When she anointed the head and feet of Jesus with the precious ointment, they thought that if Jesus would know her life He would never let her do it. But Jesus did know her life. When no one else cared for her, Jesus had pity on her, and saved her, and forgave her sins, and lifted her up from despair and ruin to joy and happiness. Now we understand why she spent all that money for this precious ointment, and why she was the first one at the grave of Jesus on Sunday morning. It was love that united her to Jesus. If we love Jesus, we will love even the greatest criminal, and our love is seen in the sacrifices that we do for others. This love to Jesus unites us in His church to one another with unbreakable ties.

The most faithful followers of Jesus are the ones whom He has saved from a hopeless condition. When a perishing man cries in his despair and agony, then Jesus is there to help and to save. Who will say today, as we sing in the song, “Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign, give me but Jesus my Lord crucified.” Who considers it an honour to be in the company of Jesus, the Creator of the whole universe, Jesus, the eternal God, to whom nothing is impossible, who can comfort, heal, and save, and who loves us? Let us learn these songs, “Nearer, my God to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me!” “More about Jesus I would know, more of His grace to others show; more of His saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me.” “Take the world, but give me Jesus, all its joys are but a name. But His love abideth ever, Through eternal years the same.”

Then when we come to the end of the road, we will find Jesus still with us, to take us to heaven. We can look on His face, so kind, so pure, so humble. His love towards us is so strong, that He will leave heaven and His Father, to live on this earth forever with us.

He has chosen as His best friends, the sinners, the poor, the thieves, the adulterers, whom He has purified by His blood, by His death. He is still calling us today. Can you say to Him, “Jesus, I love Thee, I love You more than anything else”? You and Jesus can become the best of friends. All those also whom Jesus has saved become united, and the also become the best of friends. To Ancient Israel the message was given, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18

This same message is repeated seven times in the New Testament. “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, you do well.” James 2:8

Very few professing Christians keep this royal law; they follow rather the rule of Cain. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9

“Abel was determined to worship God according to the directions God had given. This displeased Cain. . . . He thought that his father Adam had been treated harshly in being expelled from Eden.” –Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 77. Cain did not love his brother, his neighbor, and neither did he love God. Before we separate from our brothers and sisters we separate from God; then we are able to separate from our church family also.

Paul writes, “Look not every man on his own at things, but every man also on the things of others.” Philippians 2:4. This means that we are our brother’s keeper.

Paul writes further, “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.” Romans 1:14–15

Paul writes also, “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” Romans 15:2. Even if our neighbours have fallen into sin, we are still to love them and help them to be faithful.

The disciples left all and followed Jesus because He was wise, pure, kind, and powerful; but they learned to love Him when they witnessed His sufferings and death on the cross, especially when they realized that He died for their sake, for their sins. There were times when thousands followed Jesus, and listened to His words, but in the end only a few believed in Him, and accepted Him as the Son of God, and truly loved Him. Those who truly loved Him, nothing could separate them from their love to Him.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35, 38–39

Sometimes when a great storm blows over the forest, we see many trees falling—they are uprooted; yet there are trees that resist the winds and storms—they are still standing. What holds them upright? Is it not their roots? It is the same with Christians; we need to be rooted firmly in the love of Jesus. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, . . . And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:17, 19

There are professing Christians who do not love God, they love themselves. They love money and they love the world. They will be blown away as dry leaves.

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8–12

Many Christians will perish for lack of love to God, and to their fellow men. Jesus loved His people (His church) so much that He left heaven and came to this earth to save His church, but they did not want Him.

“And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” Luke 19:41–42

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” Luke 13:34

The tender plant of love is often killed by selfishness, love of the world, and pride, and a Christian continues his joyless, unhappy life.

God has promised to give us His pure love, and this is the work of our reformation, to spread this love all around; to express this love to others is holiness.

My dear friends, let Jesus into your hearts, and into your lives, that His love will be seen in you, in your actions. This will fill you with fullness of joy and happiness, and you will be in heaven one day. Amen.

Timo Martin