I John 3:18 ... "Little children, let us not love with word, or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
The apostle, as an elderly leader in the late first century church, often addressed the Christians of the two or even three generations following him as my "little children." Not only does this reflect his relation to them with respect to age and status, but also with respect to love and concern. John says essentially the same thing here about love that James said about faith. The latter wrote, "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself," (Jas. 2:15-17). In v.14 he had written, "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" In other words, faith that is shown in no other way than verbally is non-productive, questionable, and ultimately invalid. Faith must be applied in tangible, visible acts that produce effective results before its reality is established and its value demonstrated.
John says the same about love: "But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word, or with tongue, but in deed and truth," (vs. 17-18). When the only evidence of love is the claim in someone's mouth that he loves, not only is the reality of it doubtful, but it is also unfruitful and irrelevant. Love that is authentic will manifest itself openly and decisively, through actions that bless the one toward whom it is directed.
Christians know that love is the supreme good in their religion, which of all religions known to man is the only one that originated outside of human volition. Love is the emphasis in the first and second commandments of importance in Christianity, obligating us to love God before everyone and every thing and to love people about us as much as we love ourselves. But all too often our deeds prove our words to be a lie. Love does not undercut, backbite, bitterly accuse, rail, condemn, or speak to others abusively, harshly, and angrily. Love does not ignore those who are hungry, ragged, sick, and lonely. Love does not forsake sinners to the error of their way. And love does not rest on past laurels or seek the course of least involvment in the service of God. Quite to the contrary, love works hard to establish and maintain relations between people that are friendly, peaceful, supportive, and happy. Love is quick and glad to feed the hungry, clothe the ragged, minister to the sick, and cheer the lonely. Love addresses itself to the lost condition of sinners and toils to bring them to salvation in Christ. And love will not boast of past accomplishments, but reserves its energy and drive to bear new burdens in the service of God.
In Lk. 7:36-50, we are told about a time when Jesus dined in the home of a Pharisee. At one point a deeply penitent woman came up behind Jesus as He reclined at the table. As her tears fell upon His feet, she dried them with her hair. She also annointed them with perfume she had brought. Within himself the Pharisee began to condemn Jesus as a fraud, thinking that if He were a genuine prophet He would know the woman to be a sinner and refuse to let her touch Him. Knowing his thoughts, Jesus told the Pharisee about his failure to be a good host. He had not offered Him the usual courtesies extended to a guest: the welcome kiss, washing the feet, and anointing the head. But the contrite woman had done all these things with pure motives. Then Jesus said, "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little," (v.47). He recognized the woman's love to be real, because she demonstrated it with her actions. Love that is worthy of the name will always reveal itself in deeds even when no words are spoken. This is the kind of love that the Lord requires of His people, and He will recognize nor reward anything less.
