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`Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in Him?'.
The same apostle brings the argument to a climax in 4:20,21, when he says:
`If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how
can he love God Whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God
love his brother also'.
There is no thought in any of these passages of teaching that the love to our neighbour or brother comes before
love to God. This is made clear in 1 John 5:2:
`By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments'.
We may trace the same spirit in Mark 7:10-13. The law said that a man was to honour his father and mother, but
the tradition of the Pharisees allowed a man to assume a hypocritical piety, and say, `it is Corban'. He could say to
his parents, I have given all to God, and therefore that which I might have allowed you in your old age has been
devoted to higher and holier uses. The Lord has only one word for such - hypocrites! There is a danger of similar
hypocrisy among believers today. We speak about `the Lord's work'. What is the Lord's work? When we
contribute to the expenses of our meeting do we more than the man of the world who pays for his ticket for a lecture
or concert? When we subscribe for a copy of a magazine have we done more than the man who pays for his
morning paper? Let us not be deceived with meaningless words. To withdraw from the claims of those connected
with us by ties of flesh and blood because we are devoting our means to the Lord may come under the severe
censure of Mark 7 and 1 John. When we have these things clearly before us we may learn without distraction the
true order as given in Hebrews 6:10:
`The love, which ye have shewn forth unto His Name, in that ye have ministered unto the saints' (not AV JP.
The love shown for the name of God was manifested towards His people.
Unto His name. Why does the Scripture use the `name' and not the `Lord'? What is a name? Is it not the sum
of many qualities, and used by us as a convenient means of expression? When we say the word house it is the sum
of such items as bricks, mortar, wood, glass, etc. Thought would for ever remain unexpressed if it were not for this
ability to `sum up' in one name. The names of God express all that He is to us. The varied names of God express
His many-sided relations with His creatures. What attributes are expressed in the names Father, Saviour, Lord and
God! Love shown to His name is love that goes out to One Who possesses those wondrous qualities that have been
revealed to us in Christ.
We pray in the name of Christ. We are forgiven for His name's sake. His name is called upon us. We are
enjoined to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Love unto the name of the Lord is shown by ministry unto the saints. This does not bring the love of God down,
but lifts the ministry to the saints up to a higher level. We minister to the saints and we love our brethren because
we love the Lord.
`Every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him' (1 John 5:1).
We cannot love the Father if we do not love the Son, and we cannot love the Father if we do not love His sons
also. Here then is the practical manifestation of the apostle's desire. `Let us go on to perfection'. Faith is perfected
in such works of love. These are the things that accompany salvation; these are the things that:
`adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that saves ... teaches us ... that we should live
... looking ... zealous of good works' (Titus 2:10-14 not AV JP).
It is one thing to minister to the saints, it is another to continue. This is the feature that is prominent in the
passage before us.
`In that ye have ministered unto the saints, and are ministering' (Heb. 6:10 not AV JP).