To be near unto God - pagina 226

is

that?

When

it

says:

He

that loveth not,

it

means: He who does not Hve by love; he who is not governed by love; he who does not rejoice in love, and has no love that can endure the test of fire. And love is put to this fiery test, not with respect to those who are necessary to us, and who are agreeable to us in life, but only with respect to the man who stands in our way, whom we can call our enemy. The genuineness of your love therefore is only evident in forgiveness, even

him who has offended you, who has opposed you, and who has embittered your very life. To forgive such an one, not from

in the forgiveness of

duty but from love, is

this

this alone is proof that there love in you which makes you learn to

know God. But you say, "This is impossible. I can forgive for God's sake, and also because I myself am sinful. I can forgive from the sense of Christian duty, but not otherwise." And yet Jesus demands Love your enemies, bless them that curse you. Consider it well. Thou shalt love God with it:

thy soul, with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. And the second like unto it is: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; and he is thy enemy. Not only must I love my neighbor also, but this second commandment is like unto the first. When it is asked "How can this be?" we reply: only when you love in your neighbor what there is of God in him. Nothing more. Not his sin, neither his %wong committed against you. These you should rather hate. But even as you love nature because it shows forth the power and glory of the Lord, and an animal because it is wonderfully organall

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