True Love Is Practical - "IN DEED AND TRUTH"

 What the apostle Paul means when sayig, "Let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth," is that we must not love in word and with the tongue only, especially when it is the time for deeds, for action, to put into effect what we say in word and with the tongue.  (1 John 3:18, NW) That is the conclusion  we draw from the verse (17) immediately preceding the above and which reads:  "Whoever has this world's means for supporting life and beholds his brother having need and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him, in what way doed the love of God remain in him?"  (1 John 3:17, NW)  What he may say in word or with the tongue will not hide the fact that he has fallens short in love of God as well as love of one of his nearest neighbors, his Christian brother.

This reminds us of Jame's illustration of what a living faith is:  "Of what benefit is it, my brothers , if a certain one says he has faith but he does not have works?  That faith cannot save in, can it?  If a brother or sister is in a naked state and lacking te food sufficient for the day yet a certain one of you says to the, 'Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,' but you do not give them the necessities for their body, of what benefit is it?  Thus, too, faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself." (James 2:14-17, NW)  That illustration applies just as well as love.  Live lovemust have works. To be the true thing it ust evidenced, not by just words of the tongue when such are cheap and cost us no more than a wag in the mouth, but by works, by unselfish deeds, by giving at cost to ourselces and without calculating on some return.

Next time: True Love Is Practical - "IN DEED AND TRUTH"

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