Post by Char on Oct 26, 2008 13:43:33 GMT -6
JAMES 2:8-9
I. MY NEIGHBOR—THY SHALT LOVE THEY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
You will observe that love to one’s neighbor is likened to love to God.
Let us try, then, to get at the principle on which love to God must rest, and this will be the principle of love to our neighbor.
Why, then, should we love God with heart, mind, and soul, strength. It is because in God man finds the ideals which are the prototypes of all that is noble in Himself, and which therefore he must love if he would be true to his own better nature and higher destiny. And the obligation of man to love his neighbor as himself lies in the fact that it is in his neighbor that man gets his clearest revelation of God–more clear that any revelation in words or works. It is in the soul of man when looked at with the eyes of neighborliness that man gets his best vision of the majesty and beauty of God.
It is a great truth that the principle of the cross underlies all good manners.
Self denial, self control, self sacrifice, the very essence of Christianity, are actually put into practice in the behavior of good society. Men must restrain their baser impulses and instincts.
Selfishness, if it exist at all, must at least be dissembled or concealed. Self-assertion must be abandoned. No man can even seem to be a gentleman who does not put into practice those principles of the cross of Jesus which the gospel commends to us; and no man can really be a gentleman unless he have those principles in his heart.
To see Christian man and women at their best; to turn toward them the best side of our nature; to adjure pride; to banish self-seeking and selfishness; to follow, if only for an hour, lofty ideals; to enjoy the bright flashes of wit, the sustained delight of high converse; to think not of self but of others and to lose one’s self in gracious ministry to others–this of it self ought to be an educating, ennobling employment, which would train men for ideal pursuits, both here and hereafter.
The dangers which beset society.....first there is selfishness–the selfishness which is always seeking its own good, its own advancement, its own advantage, in, through, or by means of society. Akin to this danger, and no less base, is the frivolous or calculating worldliness which makes society a mere means of vulgar and pretentious display–a display which excludes the poor, which alienates classes, which works ruin to many a household, and which, like dry-rot, soon makes the society where it prevails a mere sham. The last danger I shall mention is unreality. In society it is so easy to be unreal; to pretend to feel more than one does feel; to seem glad when one is not glad, and sorry when one is not sorry; to say smooth and false things are so easy to be said. What is the remedy; a return to the great first principles on which society is founded–love to one’s neighbor because he is a neighbor, and because he is a man.
II. THE ROYAL LAW.
The law which is here called royal is the law of love and righteousness, prescribing what duty to every one pertaineth and it containeth that part of the law which is the second table is delivered, teaching us to love without contemning, to prefer one without disdain of another, to regard the rich without neglect of the poor brethren.
This law of love is therefore called the royal law. Because it is from a king, not mortal but immortal; even the King of kings and Lord of Lords, even from God.
This law, furthermore, is called royal because it is like the kings highway. So the law of God, which is the law of love, is open, plain, without turning, of all men to be done.
The law of love being this royal law, and for these causes so called it reminding men to love their neighbors as themselves. That God’s law requires love, who reads the Scriptures and see not? The persons whom we must love are our neighbor, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THY SELF. The manner how we must love is, as ourselves. And every man unfeignedly, fervently, continually loves himself, so must we also love our neighbor.
III. LOVE TO THE NEIGHBOR..LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
It is easy for must persons to love themselves, and to accept what appears to be for their own advantage. It quite right, too, for a man to love himself. But his love to himself is not to be supreme and all absorbing. He has to love other persons. The neighbor, you will observe, is put on the same level as self, look at the question in this way. Suppose you loved others as well as you love yourself.
That might be an agreeable thing to them to possess the confidence of your love; and suppose you in return were loved by them as much as they loved themselves, that ought to be a source of comfort to you.
Put in this light the royal law does not seem a hard one does it? And it operated universally in society, and through all circles, the effect would be very beneficent and delightful, would it not.
"Yea, doubtless" say you, "but that is not where the shoe pinches." it is when we have to love others, or the neighbor who does not love us, where the gist of the difficultly lies. Men ask, "am I to love a man who does not love me, nay, who may be utterly indifferent to me or even hate me"
In a question of this nature no arguments we might urge would dislodge the man of casual mind from his strong hold of indifference. But to a man who accepts the teaching of Christ we must Affirm His Divine testimony...Matt. 5:44-48.
This interpretation of the royal law by the master Himself settle at once, for those who acknowledge His authority, the degree and manner in which friends or enemies. Our love to our neighbor is to exhibit the same qualities, sincerity, constancy, activity, and the love which we cherish for ourselves.
Attempts have been made to excludes the elements of degree from the meaning of the words AS THYSELF, on the ground that, from the constitution of human nature, obedience to such a command is impossible. What is it in our neighbor we have to love as ourselves? And this suggests another question—what is it in THYSELF that you hast to love.
In what sense and to what extent is a man to love himself? Many persons love to pamper themselves, to indulge themselves, to amuse themselves; but these are as far from loving themselves truly, as the night form the day. For a man to love himself, as the scripture teach, means that he loves the best that is in him.
I cannot love myself as I ought unless I keep my body, with all its powers and passions, under; unless I keep conscience and Christ enthroned in my heart.
All that is false, cruel, deceptive, oppressive, slanderous and dishonorable, I must repudiate, if I would love myself as the royal law teaches.
We are not required by this royal law to love the sinful, the offensive, the evil characteristics and dispositions in our neighbor, any more than we are required to love these things in ourselves
But I am to love my neighbor in regard to things affecting his moral and spiritual well-being and concerning his character and destiny for eternity.
I. MY NEIGHBOR—THY SHALT LOVE THEY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
You will observe that love to one’s neighbor is likened to love to God.
Let us try, then, to get at the principle on which love to God must rest, and this will be the principle of love to our neighbor.
Why, then, should we love God with heart, mind, and soul, strength. It is because in God man finds the ideals which are the prototypes of all that is noble in Himself, and which therefore he must love if he would be true to his own better nature and higher destiny. And the obligation of man to love his neighbor as himself lies in the fact that it is in his neighbor that man gets his clearest revelation of God–more clear that any revelation in words or works. It is in the soul of man when looked at with the eyes of neighborliness that man gets his best vision of the majesty and beauty of God.
It is a great truth that the principle of the cross underlies all good manners.
Self denial, self control, self sacrifice, the very essence of Christianity, are actually put into practice in the behavior of good society. Men must restrain their baser impulses and instincts.
Selfishness, if it exist at all, must at least be dissembled or concealed. Self-assertion must be abandoned. No man can even seem to be a gentleman who does not put into practice those principles of the cross of Jesus which the gospel commends to us; and no man can really be a gentleman unless he have those principles in his heart.
To see Christian man and women at their best; to turn toward them the best side of our nature; to adjure pride; to banish self-seeking and selfishness; to follow, if only for an hour, lofty ideals; to enjoy the bright flashes of wit, the sustained delight of high converse; to think not of self but of others and to lose one’s self in gracious ministry to others–this of it self ought to be an educating, ennobling employment, which would train men for ideal pursuits, both here and hereafter.
The dangers which beset society.....first there is selfishness–the selfishness which is always seeking its own good, its own advancement, its own advantage, in, through, or by means of society. Akin to this danger, and no less base, is the frivolous or calculating worldliness which makes society a mere means of vulgar and pretentious display–a display which excludes the poor, which alienates classes, which works ruin to many a household, and which, like dry-rot, soon makes the society where it prevails a mere sham. The last danger I shall mention is unreality. In society it is so easy to be unreal; to pretend to feel more than one does feel; to seem glad when one is not glad, and sorry when one is not sorry; to say smooth and false things are so easy to be said. What is the remedy; a return to the great first principles on which society is founded–love to one’s neighbor because he is a neighbor, and because he is a man.
II. THE ROYAL LAW.
The law which is here called royal is the law of love and righteousness, prescribing what duty to every one pertaineth and it containeth that part of the law which is the second table is delivered, teaching us to love without contemning, to prefer one without disdain of another, to regard the rich without neglect of the poor brethren.
This law of love is therefore called the royal law. Because it is from a king, not mortal but immortal; even the King of kings and Lord of Lords, even from God.
This law, furthermore, is called royal because it is like the kings highway. So the law of God, which is the law of love, is open, plain, without turning, of all men to be done.
The law of love being this royal law, and for these causes so called it reminding men to love their neighbors as themselves. That God’s law requires love, who reads the Scriptures and see not? The persons whom we must love are our neighbor, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THY SELF. The manner how we must love is, as ourselves. And every man unfeignedly, fervently, continually loves himself, so must we also love our neighbor.
III. LOVE TO THE NEIGHBOR..LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
It is easy for must persons to love themselves, and to accept what appears to be for their own advantage. It quite right, too, for a man to love himself. But his love to himself is not to be supreme and all absorbing. He has to love other persons. The neighbor, you will observe, is put on the same level as self, look at the question in this way. Suppose you loved others as well as you love yourself.
That might be an agreeable thing to them to possess the confidence of your love; and suppose you in return were loved by them as much as they loved themselves, that ought to be a source of comfort to you.
Put in this light the royal law does not seem a hard one does it? And it operated universally in society, and through all circles, the effect would be very beneficent and delightful, would it not.
"Yea, doubtless" say you, "but that is not where the shoe pinches." it is when we have to love others, or the neighbor who does not love us, where the gist of the difficultly lies. Men ask, "am I to love a man who does not love me, nay, who may be utterly indifferent to me or even hate me"
In a question of this nature no arguments we might urge would dislodge the man of casual mind from his strong hold of indifference. But to a man who accepts the teaching of Christ we must Affirm His Divine testimony...Matt. 5:44-48.
This interpretation of the royal law by the master Himself settle at once, for those who acknowledge His authority, the degree and manner in which friends or enemies. Our love to our neighbor is to exhibit the same qualities, sincerity, constancy, activity, and the love which we cherish for ourselves.
Attempts have been made to excludes the elements of degree from the meaning of the words AS THYSELF, on the ground that, from the constitution of human nature, obedience to such a command is impossible. What is it in our neighbor we have to love as ourselves? And this suggests another question—what is it in THYSELF that you hast to love.
In what sense and to what extent is a man to love himself? Many persons love to pamper themselves, to indulge themselves, to amuse themselves; but these are as far from loving themselves truly, as the night form the day. For a man to love himself, as the scripture teach, means that he loves the best that is in him.
I cannot love myself as I ought unless I keep my body, with all its powers and passions, under; unless I keep conscience and Christ enthroned in my heart.
All that is false, cruel, deceptive, oppressive, slanderous and dishonorable, I must repudiate, if I would love myself as the royal law teaches.
We are not required by this royal law to love the sinful, the offensive, the evil characteristics and dispositions in our neighbor, any more than we are required to love these things in ourselves
But I am to love my neighbor in regard to things affecting his moral and spiritual well-being and concerning his character and destiny for eternity.
