FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE

"But faith which worketh by love." —Galatians 5:6 [KJV]

In the religion of Jesus, every hope of salvation is excluded, but what springs from faith. For faith receives every blessing of covenant love of a gracious Lord. The faith of God's elect hath Jesus for its author, His truths for its object, His word for its warrant, His power for its support, His glory for its aim, and love for its inseparable companion. Thus the faith of the gospel, is ever distinguished from natural notions. But it is natural to us all, to mistake error for truth, fancy for faith, the heat of animal passions for love. Yea, and also to be very confident herein. But true faith ever worketh by love; even that "love which rejoiceth in the truth."—1 Corinthians 13:6.

Jesus is essentially THE TRUTH. All the love which God hath to us centers in Him, and flows to us through Him. Hence "God hath chosen us IN Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before GOD IN LOVE: having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted IN the Beloved, and blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things IN Christ,"—Ephesians 1:3-6—"and we are made the righteousness of God IN Christ,"—II Corinthians 5:21. 

Thus faith hath truth for its foundation, and from the knowledge of the truth it worketh by love. Love to the God of truth, and to our brethren, (not as being of this sect or that party, but) "for the truth's sake that dwelleth in them,"—II John, vss. 1, 2. There is no fellowship in love, but what consists in the light of the truth. Thus our Lord and we "have fellowship one with another."—I John 1:7.

Take away any part of God's truth, you subvert the foundation of faith, and prevent the operations of love. If we reject the truth, that we are elected to salvation in Christ, redeemed by the blood of Christ, sanctified in Christ, righteous by the righteousness of Christ, and safely kept by the power of God through the faith of Christ to eternal salvation, faith is made void. Then love ceaseth to exist. 

Truth and love are equally precious. "The belief of the truth," is the precious love of a Christian. Love, is the blessed fruit of faith. Herein consists thy blessedness, O Christian! "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." Therefore we are exhorted, "Hold fast the form of sound words, in FAITH AND LOVE, which is in Christ Jesus,"—II Timothy 1:13. 

So by "speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE, we grow up into Him in all things, Who is the Head, even Christ,"—Ephesians 4:15. 

Happy the heart where graces reign,
 
Where love inspires the breast: 
 
Love is the brightest of the train, 
 
And strengthens all the rest. 
 
This is the grace that lives and sings, 
 
When faith and hope shall cease; 
 
'Tis this shall strike our joyful strings 
 
In the sweet realms of bliss.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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