You shall seek me, and as I said
unto the Jews, whether I go, you can't come. So now say I
to you, a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as
I have loved you. that you also love one another
by this shall all men know that you're my disciples if you have
love one to another and he says this to them before all this
mess takes place Now there is, I want to make
some introductory comments. I've entitled this message, The
Badge of Disciples, the discipleship. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples. By the love that you have one
to another. There is no salvation apart from
sound doctrine. There is no salvation apart from
the truth of the gospel. Turn with me for a moment to
2 John. 2 John. Verse 9. Verse 9, Whosoever transgresseth
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. That's strong language. He hath not God. He that abided in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. Now we love sound
doctrine. There's no salvation apart from
sound doctrine. There's no salvation apart from
the truth of the gospel. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1. Paul says in verse 13 of 2 Timothy
chapter 1, hold fast the form, the outline of sound words, which
thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Now, he tells us what these sound words are in this passage of
scripture. Look in verse 8. These sound words are the testimony
of the Lord himself. Look in verse 8. Be not thou
therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God who hath saved us." Now there's everything we believe
in that statement. He saved us. He did it all. He saved us and called us. with a holy calling. Now what
came first, the saving or the calling? According to this passage
of scripture, He saved us. Then He called us. You see, my
salvation was accomplished outside of my personal subjective experience. That means my works don't have
anything to do with it. Isn't that wonderful? Is that good
news to you? He saved us outside of anything we do. He saved us
and He called us. He called us by the gospel with
a holy calling, not according to our works. He didn't call
us in response to some works we have or some decision we made
or something we believed. But here's how He called us,
according to His own purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. Do you know everything
you have was given to you before you ever were born if you're
a believer? I love that. I love that, and
let me say this regarding the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no salvation apart from hearing this message and believing
this message. The doctrines of grace, total
depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, Christ's successful
redemption for those the Father gave him, irresistible grace,
perseverance of the saints, You can't preach the gospel and not
preach this. It's impossible. This is the gospel and there
is no salvation apart from hearing and believing the truth. Now that's a non-negotiable.
By the grace of God, we stand for that. Now that being said,
there is nothing more distasteful and ugly than the appearance
of sound doctrine and an unsound life. Now let me repeat that. There
is nothing more distasteful and ugly than the appearance of sound
doctrine, and notice I said the appearance of sound doctrine
because it's only an appearance, and an unsound life. In reality, It's not sound doctrine if there's
an unsound life, even if it sounds sound. We don't really believe
any more than we put into practice. Now, our Lord said in this verse
of Scripture, by this shall all men know that you're my disciples. Here is the true badge of discipleship. Here is the evidence of genuine
discipleship that can be seen. No mention is made of gifts.
No mention is made of miracles, of intellectual attainment, or
even soundness of creed. Nothing is said about what we're
against. Nothing is said about what we stand for. By this shall
all men know you're my disciples, by your love to one another. That is the Lord's
badge of discipleship, love to one another. Turn with me for
a moment to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Paul says in verse 1, though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, though I have
such eloquence that I can speak as well as an angel, and have
not charity, I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. My
speech is offensive. Verse 2, and though I have the
gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, I've, I've, I've,
man, I've, I understand them all. And I've got all knowledge.
I know everything. And I have miracle-working faith.
I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and have not
charity. What? I'm nothing. It doesn't even
count. It's not real. It's not inspired
by the Spirit of God, even though I have all these things. Verse
3, And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor. That's
a worthy endeavor, isn't it? If I sold everything I had and
took the money and used it to feed the poor, and though I gave my body to
be burned, I would not budge an inch for what I believed and
I was willing to go to the stake and die before budging an inch
on what I believed. This, I stand for this. Though
I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profits
me nothing. Now can you see how important
this issue is? This is the one mark of discipleship
that our Lord gives. By this shall all men know you
are my disciples, by your love to one another. Now there are
several marks the Lord gives of genuine discipleship. Turn
back to John chapter 6 for a moment. Verse 66, from that time many of his disciples
went back and walked no more with him. Now are these genuine
disciples? They went back, said they were
disciples, but they went back and they walked no more within. Let's back up to verse 59. These
things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. What
a message that was in John chapter six. Many therefore of his disciples,
they claim to be his disciples. When they'd heard this, they
said, this is a hard thing. It's a harsh thing. This is disagreeable. Who can be expected to hear such
teaching? When Jesus knew it himself, and his disciples murmured
at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What, and if
ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where it was before? It's
the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profits nothing. The words
that I speak to you, that you find to be harsh, disagreeable
sayings, the words that I speak unto you, they're spirit and
they're life. But there are some of you that
believe not. Now that answers the question
as to whether or not they were true disciples. These people
that left, there's some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew
from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should
betray him. And he said, therefore, that's why I said to you that
no man can come to me except it were given to him of my father. From that time many of his disciples
went back and walked no more with him. And I don't read where
he asked them. Now, y'all reconsider this. Maybe
I didn't say this right. No, he watched them leave and
didn't ask them to come back. What are the marks of true discipleship?
We see there are those who claim to be disciples, but evidently
they're not. We'll turn to Luke chapter 14.
We're going to get back to John 13 in a moment, but look at Luke
chapter 14. Verse 26. What's verse 25? And there went great multitudes
with him, and he turned and said unto them, If any man come to
me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot
be my disciple. Now I want you to listen very
carefully. You and I, if we're disciples of Christ, we cannot
love anyone or anything better than Christ. Everyone and everything else
is unimportant in comparison to Him. Now, if I love Christ, better
than I love you. And if you love Christ better
than you love me, we're going to get along real well, aren't
we? We surely will. I can't love anything or anyone
better than Christ. Even if it's my mom and dad,
they have to go if they come in my way of my Lord and Savior. Look in verse 27 of the same
chapter. And whosoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, he cannot be my disciple. Now this
cross bearing is our confession of Christ, our confession of
his cross. And if I'm unwilling to take
the heat of confessing him, I can't be his disciple. Not truly. Look in verse 33. So likewise,
whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, He cannot
be my disciple. Now that's talking about counting
the cost. If you look in this passage of scripture, he says,
remember the counting the cost, count the cost. If something's
too costly that you, it's too much to follow Christ, then you
can't be his disciple. Not a real disciple. Not someone
who's truly been saved by his grace. Turn to John 8. These
are marks of true discipleship. Verse 31, Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are
you my disciples indeed, in truth, in reality. Now what do you have
to believe to be saved? Is there a minimum? Is there a minimum? Yes, there
is. I must believe everything he
says. That is an absolute minimum. And that doesn't just mean giving
assent to what he said, but I find his words spirit and life. The words that I speak unto you,
they're spirit and they're life. In John chapter 6, when that
crowd left, he looked at his disciples and he said, will you
also go away? And Peter said, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe
and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living
God. Look in John chapter 15, verse
8. Herein is my Father glorified
that you, every disciple, bear much fruit, the fruit of the
Holy Spirit. So shall you be my disciples. If I do not bear the fruit of
the Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, and so on, I'm not one of his
disciples. Now this is a mark of discipleship.
And then in our text, in John chapter 13, where he says, by
this, in verse 35, by this shall all men know you are my disciples,
by your love one to another. Now, this is actually, this love
he's speaking of is actually an evidence of being born of
God. This is the product of the new birth. It's the product of
regeneration. Let me show you this in the scripture.
Turn to 1 John chapter 4. 1 John chapter 4. Verse 7, Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born
of God. Do you see that? Everybody loves
this kind of love. This is not talking about love
between a man and a woman. Parent and a child. This is a
superior love. This is the love that comes from
the new birth. This is something that only a
believer can have. An unbeliever can't have this kind of love.
You know, this love never fails, as we're going to see. It continues
forever. Verse 7, Beloved, let us love one another, for love
is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God. And knoweth God. He that loveth
not knoweth not God, for God is love. And this is not just
an I love you love. This is a love that is seen in
deed and in truth. Look in 1 John chapter 3, verse
16. 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. But whoso hath this world's good,
and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels with
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? It doesn't. My little children, let us not
love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. Now back to John chapter 13,
verse 33. When our Lord says this, he realizes
the weakness of his disciples. He recognizes that Peter is going
to deny that he even knows him that very day. He's aware of
all that. It's all part of his good and
perfect will. And yet he says to them, in verse
33, little children, yet a little while I'm with you. You shall
seek me. And as I said unto the Jews,
whether I go, you can't come, so now say I to you. Now, he
said this previously to the Jews, but he meant something completely
different. Look in John chapter 8, when he was speaking to the
Jews. John chapter 8, verse 21. Then said Jesus again unto them,
I go my way, and you shall seek me and shall die in your sins.
Whether I go, you cannot come. But he says to his disciples,
where I'm going under the wrath of God, you can't come. You can't
follow me there. I'm doing this alone, but you'll
follow me afterwards because I'm going to save you. And I'm
leaving you for a short time. So here is what I'm leaving with
you. John chapter 13, verse 34. Here's
what I'm leaving with you. A new commandment. A new commandment. Now you can't go with me to the
cross. We did representatively, but
we can't experience what he experienced. He by himself purged our sins. And here's what I'm leaving you
with, a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another
as I have loved you, that you love also one another. Now, this
is a new commandment. It had never been given before.
Well, doesn't the Old Testament say, thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself? I mean, wasn't that already there?
There's a lot of difference between loving your neighbor as yourself
and loving each other as I have loved you. This is a brand new
commandment that had never been given and had never been heard. It's always new and it's always
fresh in the excellence of it. It's new in the argument of it.
Love your neighbor as yourself or you'll go to hell. That's
the law. But that's not the argument of
this. You love one another as I have loved you. Old Paul said
in Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, he loved me and he gave himself. He gave himself for me. The giving of his love, the patience
of his love, the forbearance of his love, he never stops loving. Now it's one thing to be commanded
to love, because you'll be condemned if you don't. But there's not
much love there, is there? If you don't love me, you'll
go to hell. That doesn't really create love, does it? He says,
you love one another as I have loved you. And it's new in that
it springs from a new nature. The love he is speaking of is
impossible for the natural man, and it's impossible to be produced
by the law. This love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When
Paul gives the fruit of God the Holy Spirit, he says the fruit
of the Spirit is what? Love. And this is what always
accompanies genuine faith. Turn to Galatians chapter 5.
Verse 6. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision
avails anything nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love. Now what's he mean in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision?
Well somebody says I try to keep the law I've been circumcised
I'm doing my best I'm living up trying to do what I can What's
that avail with God? Nothing. Doesn't mean a thing. Somebody says, well, I understand
that. I understand salvation is by grace. I understand circumcision
doesn't avail anything. I believe the doctrines of grace.
What's that avail with God? Nothing. For in Christ Jesus, neither
circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision, but faith
which worketh by love. The way I express love to God
is only seen in how I treat you. Anything else is just talk. You know, I love you. The words
I love you can be either the most meaningful or meaningless
words. There are. It depends upon the
works that are behind them. Isn't that so? Turn to Matthew chapter 25. Verse
31. When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with him then shall he
set upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered
all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd
divided his sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on
his right hand but the goats on his left then shall the king
say unto them on his right hand his sheep come ye blessed of
my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you when from the
foundation of the world this was determined to be yours by
God himself but he goes on that's not the end of the thought he
goes on to give these evidences that took place that proved that
God had done something for them verse 35 for I was in hunger
and you gave me meat I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was
a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed
me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you
came to me. Then shall the righteous answer
him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee, and hungered and fed thee,
or thirsty and gave thee to drink? When saw we thee, a stranger,
and took thee in, or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we
thee, sick or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king
shall answer him, saying to them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch
as you've done it unto one of the least of these my brethren
you've done it to me. Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting
fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was unhungered
and you gave me no meat I was thirsty, you gave me no drink.
I was a stranger, and you took me not in. Naked, and you clothed
me not. Sick, and in prison, you visited
me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee in hunger, or thirst, or stranger, or naked, or sick,
or in prison, and did minister to thee? Then shall he answer
them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not
to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment, but the righteous unto life eternal."
Now you see the difference with seeing in their love. By this
shall all men know you are my disciples. This is how they know.
By your love. A love that expresses itself
just like it is expressed here in Matthew chapter 25. To one
another. Several other scriptures. Turn
to Romans 12. Romans 12. Paul says in verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice. You want to do that? You want
to present yourself to Him. a living sacrifice. Holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this
world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God. And you find out what that is
in chapter 12. Go ahead and read all the chapter
in your, when you Got time, but this is part of it. Look at verses
9 and 10. This is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God. Let love be without dissimulation, without hypocrisy. Abhor that
which is evil. Cleave to that which is good.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in
honor, preferring one another. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1. I therefore the prisoner
of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness, with
long-suffering, forbearing one another, clinging up with one
another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace. Turn to Philippians chapter 2. If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, Philippians chapter 2, verse 1. If there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bows and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that
ye be like-minded, having the same love. As I've already said,
if Christ is my love, if Christ is your love, me and you are
going to get together and get along real well, aren't we? If
His glory is more important to me than anything, if His glory
is more important to you than anything, And we're on the same
page. You know, I love folks that love
the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, anybody that loves
Christ, I love them. I'm their biggest fans. I mean,
I'm fans of everybody who loves Christ. I love them. Because they love Him who I love. Let nothing, he says in verse
3, be of the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let
nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in loneliness
of mind. Let each esteem others better
than themselves. Let not every man on his own
things, but every man on the things of others. Let this mind
be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. You know, Paul
said in Galatians 5, 13, for you've been called unto liberty,
only let not that liberty be an occasion to the flesh, but
by love serve. one another. Now, if I've been
called by the grace of Christ to liberty, that liberty will
cause me to love the ones he set free. It'll cause me to love the one
who set me free. And it'll cause me to love people
enough to preach the only message that sets people free, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, we're going to finish in
1 Corinthians chapter 13. Would you turn with me there?
Now this is a chapter that I believe that we would do well to read
this chapter very often. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Let's begin reading in verse
29 of chapter 12. Are all apostles? No. Are all
prophets? No. Are all teachers? No. Are
all workers of miracles? No. Have all the gifts of healing? No. Do all speak with tongues?
No. Do all interpret? No. The answer to those questions
all are no. But covet earnestly the best gifts. You know, I want
to be gifted by God, don't you? I want to be gifted to preach
the gospel. I want whatever gifts He would have me have, I want
to have, and I'm to covet those gifts. Covet earnestly the best
gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way, a way that's
better than any gifts. Now if there's something you
want to covet, if there's something you want to desire to have, here's
what it is. This is better than any gift.
Now let's go on reading chapter 13 verse 1. Though I speak with the tongues
of men and of angels, and have not charity. Now this is the
love that is produced by God the Holy Spirit, the fruit of
the Spirit. A love that is beyond the grasp
of the natural man. This is superior to the love
of the natural man. Natural man loves himself. He
does. I love myself. And I love everybody
that's connected with me. Anybody that can help me out,
I love them. That's the love of the natural man. Folks that
don't love me, I'm not real impressed with them. That's the love of
the natural man. But this love is infinitely beyond
that. This is the love that God gives
his people, that if a man doesn't have it, he doesn't have the
Spirit of God. If a man doesn't have this love, he's not a disciple
of Christ. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples, by your love one for another. Now let's go on
reading. Though I speak with the tongues of many of angels,
and have not love, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal. In other words, even though my
speech is eloquent, and everything I say is right, it's offensive.
It's offensive to God and it's offensive to his people if true
love is not there. It sounds like a gong. It may
be right, but it's no good. It's not really right. It's not
really sound. There's evil underneath it all,
is what he's saying. If I have not love, whatever
I'm singing, if I'm preaching like an angel, it's no good.
Verse 2, and though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand
all mysteries. I can give you every mystery
of the Old Testament and tell you exactly what it means. And
though I have all knowledge, I'm as sound as I can be. And though I have all faith so
that I can remove mountains, I've got miracle-working faith.
If I have all these things and have not charity, I am what? And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned for
the cause of truth, I'm willing to die for what I believe, and
yet if I have not charity, it profits me nothing. Charity, verse 4. Charity is what charity does.
suffers long. You know what that means? It's
patient. It's patient. You know, the Lord's patient
with us, isn't He? He's so patient. And I am called upon to be patient
to those that I love. Love is patient. And love is kind. Love is never
mean. Love is kind. Now, that doesn't
mean love does not get provoked. And it doesn't mean love will
not expose that which is contrary to the truth. But it's never
mean. It's never mean. Love is kind. And love, charity, he says, envies
not. You know, you don't envy somebody
you love. If I love you, I'm not jealous when you're promoted.
I'm happy when you're promoted. If you're exalted, I'm exalted
if I love you. Love doesn't envy. If you envy
somebody, you don't love them. That's not the kind of love that
God puts in the hearts of His people. Charity envieth not. And charity vaunteth not itself. It doesn't promote itself. Wherever
you find a man promoting himself, you'll find a man who loves himself,
but he doesn't love anybody else. Charity promotes the object of
its affection. Charity doesn't promote itself.
It's not puffed up, he said, puffed up with pride and self-importance. I know what I am. I'm a sinner saved by the grace
of God. And I know that if the Lord took
his hand off of me, I would be what I am. I'd be what I am. I realize that. Charity is not
puffed up with pride where it looks down its nose at other
people. It really believes itself to be the chief of sinners. It's
not pride. It's not puffed up. It's not
proud. Verse 5, it doesn't behave itself
unseemly. It's not rude. That's what that
means. It's not rude. It seeketh not her own. It's not self-seeking. It seeks the benefit of those
who are the objects of its affection. It seeketh not her own. It's
not easily provoked. It's not touchy. It's not always
offended. Don't you hate being around people
where you've got to walk on eggshells when you're around them to keep
from offending them? I can't stand being around people like that.
You know, those folks sure don't love much, do they? I don't love
any. Love is not provoked easily. Touchy. Always flying off the
handle. It thinketh no evil. It's not
suspicious. It thinks the best. Verse 6. It rejoices not in iniquity,
but rejoices in the truth. It doesn't rejoice in the fall
of others. It rejoices in the truth. That's what it rejoices
in, the truth of the gospel. Verse 7, it bears all things. It puts up with all things. You
know, you'll put up with a lot out of somebody you love, won't you?
You surely will. It believes all things. It hopes
for the best in what it can't see. It hopes for and it endures
everything. Verse 8, charity never fails. It never ceases. It never stops
loving. Now, this charity, How many men
and women have truly loved each other when they marry each other
and they stop loving each other? You say that's impossible. No,
it's not. People do it all the time because that's a human love.
It can begin and it can fail. How many people have just been
madly in love with each other and they end up hating each other's
guts? That love will fail. That love
will fail. But this love that he's speaking
of will never cease. You see, it's of God. It's the
gift of God. It's the product of the new nature.
It's that new commandment, and it will never fail. It will never
cease to love. Charity never fails. Verse 8. Whether they be prophecies, they
shall fail, and that's actually cease. Whether they be tongues,
they shall cease. It's the same word translated
fail. They'll cease whether they be knowledge, it shall vanish
away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when
that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be
done away with. Now what he's talking about are
these supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. The ability to prophesy,
that's going to cease. When that which is perfect is
come. And he's talking about the full canon in the New Testament.
When he had written this epistle, we didn't yet have a New Testament.
But he says, when the New Testament is written, all these gifts,
prophecies, and words, and so on, are going to cease. They'll
no longer be needed. They're going to cease. We know in part, we prophesy
in part, but when that which is perfect is come... What's
the only perfect thing we have in this world? The Word of God. When that which is perfect is
come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child,
I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child,
but when I became a man, I put away childish things. You know,
charity also is maturity. We grow in love. For now, he
says in verse 12, we see through a glass, darkly. I see through a glass dimly.
I don't know what the Lord is doing. I don't know what's going
on. I never do. I never do. Somebody says, I
know this is the Lord's will. I don't. I hope it is. But I
never know. I know this is what the Lord
has had me do. Well, I hope this is it. I hope this is it. As
far as my understanding, we see through a dark glass. Do you understand how sinful
you are? You don't even come close to it. You don't want to
know, do you? Do you understand how glorious the Lord Jesus Christ
is? We have such a dim view. We see through a glass darkly. But then, face to face, now I
know in part, just partially, but then shall I know, even as
also I am known. The Lord knows me. And one of
these days, I'm going to enter more into my knowledge and understanding
of Him. It says in verse 13, Now abides
faith, hope, and charity, these three. You know, these supernatural
gifts, miracle working gifts, all that kind of stuff, it's
ceased. It's ceased with the apostles. This is all that's
left. Now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three. But
the greatest of these is charity. Now why is that? How can love be better than faith
in Christ? How can love be better than hope?
Why does He say the greatest of these is charity? Because
He said this is greater. Why? Well, I believe somebody right
now that I don't see. I don't see the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know what He looks like
physically. I've never seen Him. I believe on Him. But I don't
see Him. One of these days I'm going to
see Him and my faith will be turned to sight. Now I've got a hope. I have a
hope that one of these days I'm going to be just like Christ,
perfectly conformed to His image. I have a hope that I'm not going
to see Him anymore, that I'm not going to have any more unbelief,
that I'm going to love God as I ought to love Him. I've got
a hope that I'm going to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. One
of these days That hope will be turned to experience. I will
actually be conformed to the image of Christ. I won't sin
anymore. I'll be just like Him. And I'm
waiting for that day. But that hope that I have now,
it won't be hope anymore because I'll be experiencing it. There
won't be any need for faith. They're psyched. There won't
be any need for hope. It'll be experienced. But you
know something I'm still going to do? I'm going to love Christ as only
greater, and I'm going to love you. That love will still be
there. Love is the greatest thing there
is. So he says in verse 1, follow,
pursue, make this your aim. Follow after charity. Make this what you're ambitious
about. Make this what you seek to love
one another as He loved you. That is the great commandment. And how beautiful grace in doctrine
is when it is accompanied by graciousness in practice. How beautiful the gospel is with a man or woman who loves
Christ and loves his brothers and sisters in Christ. I was
preaching once at Joe Terrell's. This has been a long time ago,
15 or 20 years ago. And I was talking to a couple
of men, and I said, how did you start coming to church here?
What drew you here? And they said to me, the way
Herm Roseboom loved us. That's something, isn't it? The
way Herm Roseboom loved us. I want to be that man, don't
you? May God give us grace to exemplify
this. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples, by your love one to another. Let's pray.