One may ask, "What is the most evident characteristic of a Christian?" As you survey a group of people in a community, what feature of their lives identifies them most readily as followers of Jesus? There will, in fact, be many things about their conduct, speech, and attitudes that will reveal their discipleship. Qualities such as courtesy, kindness, charity, gentleness, benevolence, optimism, and moral uprightness will stand out as distinctive. And yet, in Jesus' statement quoted above, there is another distinguishing mark that must precede all the rest. It is the pure, sincere love that Christians are to have without fail for other Christians. The genuine love that bonds one Christian to any other anywhere else in the world is to be the most apparent single characteristic of disciples of Christ.
This is not to say that Christians love only fellow Christians and that this exclusive intra-faith love is what the Lord values. Our love is comprehensive in the fellowship of saints, but it is not exclusive. Christ teaches us to love all men, for they, too, are made in the similitude of God and are potential disciples of Christ if they can be reached with the gospel. In fact, it is love for those who are spiritually lost in sin that couples with response to the Great Commission to motivate Christians to take the gospel to them to realize that wonderful potential. In an address to some men about to go into the mission field, Henry Drummond brought out this point when he said, "And I beg the little band of would-be missionaries to remember that, though you give your bodies to be burned, and have not love, it profits nothing -- nothing! You can take nothing greater to the heathen world than the impress and reflection of the love of God upon your own character. That is the universal language."
Nevertheless, it is the unfeigned love that one Christian has for the other that singles him out to be a Christian. But what are the features of this kind of love that differentiates it from the other shades of meaning of this much abused word in contemporary speech? The answer is best given by considering the inspired analysis of it in I Cor. 13:4-8. First, it is patient. Christians are able to wait on each other so that together they can move successfully along the road of life. Second, it is kind. Christians do nice things willingly for each other to help them along. Third, it is generous, which is the basic idea in "love is not jealous." Christians rejoice in the achievements of their brethren. Fourth, it is humble. "Love does not brag and is not arrogant." Christians think of themselves as servants to one another, not as lords to be served by other brethren. Fifth, it is courteous. "Love does not act unbecomingly." Christians practice good manners toward one another ... and toward everyone else as well! Sixth, it is unselfish. "Love does not seek its own." Christians consider themselves stewards of God with respect to material things and are readily willing to share with brethren who are in need. Seventh, it is self-controlled. "Love is not provoked." Christians have ways, revealed in Holy Scripture, of resolving differences, other than through anger and violence. Eighth, it is guileless. "Love does not take into account a wrong suffered." Christians do not judge another's motives and then color their intentions evil. Even when a disciple commits an "iniquity," the rest do not rejoice; but in a grave "spirit of meekness" work to restore that individual, (Gal. 6:1)). Space fails to exhaust this analysis of love. To be sure, Jesus' disciples fall far short of its standard. But to the extent we build this love into our fellowship, to the same extent we identify ourselves as true disciples.
