2.3. LOVE IN THE SPIRIT IS EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL AND RECOGNIZABLE

The Lord Jesus was not talking about some mystic sign, so secret that it would be extremely difficult to see even if you were looking right at it. Far from it, He said,

John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, ..."

This special love is a way of life, not something put on and off like a cloak. God's usable people are all around us. They are wearing their badge. They love like Jesus loved, because their lives are lived under the control of the Spirit of God. In the epistles of Paul this teaching of Jesus is amplified.

Ephesians 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, ..."

Walking is very practical; it is taking studied, balanced steps one at a time, carrying the whole body and personality forward in a chosen direction. Paul continues, "in love, as Christ also loved us". That is the direction of the life of God's usable people. How did Jesus love us? Paul describes it,

Ephesians 5:2 "... and has given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma."

His life was the total giving of Himself. His life was fully sacrificial for us. His life was fragrant and pleasing to God.

2.4. CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRISTLIKE WALKING IN LOVE

The practical characteristics of Christlike walking in love, are found in Ephesians 4:2-3.

This means, utterly lacking in self-assertiveness. The same Greek word is used in Philippians 2:3 where we are exhorted, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."

Jesus' love is completely selfless, and puts the advancement of others first. People without this kind of lowliness are self-seeking and position-hungry, with a high opinion of themselves. God's usable people walk the Christ way of lowliness, happy to serve without promoting themselves. This essential quality must be part of the character of one who serves as a Ministry of Helps, or assists in shepherding (1 Corinthians 12:28 ). Should they be self-seeking and assertive and unsubmissive, they would become a threat to those they were supposed to help.

The Authorised Version uses the word "meekness". The word's meaning is "a spirit that never takes offense". Its relationship to gentleness means a spirit that never gives offense.

Paul pleads with the Corinthians "by the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:1 ). It is to be noted that Paul was faced with some among those in the Corinthian church who spoke with contempt of his authority and claims as an apostle. He could have responded with authority and severity, but instead of issuing commands and discipline he chose to please, and imitate and show the gentle feelings of the Saviour, He exhibited a gentleness that flowed out of Jesus' love.

Those with a leadership gift, whose first response to those who require discipline is gentleness in a spirit that does not take offense, are strong, not weak. Should the Christlike, loving appeal be rejected, the ultimate discipline will be all the more severe because it follows gentleness. Gentleness marks out those who are gifted in leadership, and are God's usable people. The body is jarred by officious authority and leadership that throws its weight about in an unnecessary way. The saints respond to the compulsion of love, not to a forceful, tyrannical, pushy, threatening attitude. The gentleness of Christ does it, brother!

The word "longsuffering" means "to endure with an unruffled temper", instead of being intolerant, impatient and critical! The word "bearing" means "lovingly putting up with what we don't like in other people". This kind of love is explained in Scripture:

Colossians 3:13 "Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

People like that are walking in Christ's love. They make wonderful shepherds of the flock. The place where shepherding is developed and tested is in the home. A husband's number one sheep is his wife, then his children. Success there leads to being given responsibility for others outside the family.

Growth in Jesus' love in bearing patiently with the sheep, is tested in the closest of all relationships, that of the husband and wife. There are differences of temperament to bear with. The husband may be choleric in temperament, and his wife sanguine. Such a husband in early married life may well find attractiveness in his wife's friendly, warm, compassionate, carefree temperament, but later become intolerant of her as an undisciplined, weak-willed and undependable person. He attacks these traits with sarcastic remarks, becomes domineering and demanding.

The wife who at first loved her husband for his strong will, decisive leadership and his practical thoughtfulness, may now be filled with fear by the angry, cruel looks she is given by her man, and is deeply hurt by his inconsiderate demands. Until the husband lovingly and totally accepts his wife's temperament and all, just as Christ accepted him, he will not know and enjoy the wonderful compassionate enthusiastic being his wife can be, and he will not be the loving, strong support and leader to her that he should be.

Without being able to lovingly bear and forbear, we may possess the gift to shepherd, but will not be able to practice it because of irritable intolerance of the temperamental traits we have to deal with. If there is no bearing with one another in the home, if the test is failed there, there is no hope of being successful shepherds outside the home. We are reminded again that to love as Jesus loved is very practical.

The word "endeavouring" means "to strive with great earnestness, to use speed, that is, to make effort". God has wonderfully united all believers in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6 ). It is the Holy Spirit indwelling us who makes that unity real. He, the great supernatural Helper makes it possible to love one another with the love of Jesus. That love of the Lord in the believer causes him "to strive with great earnestness" to keep and maintain and respect that unity. When you see someone who, out of love for Jesus, is working at unity, especially working hard at bonding people with the cords of love, you are looking at a usable person in the body of Christ.

Albert Barnes comments on "the bond of peace," that the American Indians usually spoke of peace as a "chain of friendship" which was to be kept bright.

Those who in Jesus, value the friendships forged by the Spirit, make wonderful team workers in the service of the Lord.