[June 8]
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends. John 15:13
WHATEVER we may do for any member of the
body of Christ, for any consecrated believer, the Lord
tells us he will esteem as though it were done unto
him. Hence as it would be our duty and our privilege
and our joy to lay down our lives in the service of the
Lord, we must attain to such a love for the brethren,
because they are his, that we will delight to lay down
our lives for them as a means of demonstrating to the
Lord our loyalty to him and his cause. This does not
necessarily mean the laying down of physical strength
and health and life in the physical services and ministries
to the brethren, though these may be and are in
many instances very profitable. It is not according to
the flesh that the Lord's followers are brethren, but
according to the Spirit, and hence the injunction to
lay down our lives for the brethren would more particularly
signify the laying down of our physical health
or strength, knowledge, talents, and means in the
service of the spiritual interests of the Lord's people.
As, for instance, in the preaching of the truth, if there
be sacrifices or self-denials, loss of strength, etc., in
connection with this service, it is the laying down of
that much of one's life for the brethren, for the fellow-members
of the body of Christ. Z'07-36 R3932:6(Hymn 191)