To do good, one must be good; to set someone free, one must be free; to love someone, one must be loving; to show someone something, one must be able to see; to act wisely, one must be wise. These may seem like commonplace statements, for everyone understands them. Yet true depth is hidden precisely in this simplicity. I do not become such a person by myself. It comes with the years; life experience helps me understand who I am and where I am. And only a believer can attain all this. There are many good people in the world who are wise enough to do good deeds and who do them from a pure heart. But the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Without God, all wisdom and goodness lose their meaning, although by their very nature they are better than evil and foolishness.
How far can one blind person lead another? If the road is familiar, the journey may proceed confidently, and they may even achieve great things, but any unforeseen trial or obstacle, such as a pit, may have tragic consequences for them both.
Today there are many talented people who have achieved something, learned how to earn a great deal of money, make inventions beyond imagination, master the sciences, and make discoveries. They openly offer all this to the world, desiring to make it better or to build capital for themselves through it. I find it very interesting to observe what is happening and to delve into these sciences and inventions. At times, I come to understand that one can live quite well in this world by plunging headlong into these endeavors. But I always look farther ahead and try to understand: where will I arrive? What comes next? Is it to make a name for myself or accumulate great wealth, only to leave all of it behind as a memorial to those who follow me? Is that all? Suppose I live “like a human being”—what then? The older I become, the more clearly I understand that my earthly lifetime is very short. Truly, if all my deeds are viewed in the light of Eternity, one can confidently say that everything is vanity. Yet there is one undertaking with an excellent future, both in this world and in Eternity: my life with God, my relationship with the Eternal One, and my faith in the Invisible One.
What can I say about love within the framework of Eternity? If I ask, “What comes next?” I can answer it myself: “An even greater knowledge and deeper discoveries in this science.” What we are studying here has very deep roots and very serious consequences—in a good sense. As I comprehend the science of love, I become a loving person, and my knowledge in this field has the highest value in the eyes of Heaven. I not only receive the right to heavenly citizenship through faith in Jesus Christ, but I become a full citizen of Heaven by actually receiving God into my life in the form of agape love. I also receive the right to possess an even greater, infinite, eternal love throughout all the endless ages of Eternity.
But one must begin learning this sometime. We have taken this small step and are now timidly moving forward, coming to know this amazing love by faith. Yet we are still like blind kittens: we recognize one another by scent and look for our mother so that we may feel safe beside her. But our growth continues. The knowledge and skills provided by the science of love undergo severe trials, adding to our experience and confidence.
At the very beginning of this training, we all greatly need spiritual mentors, and blessed are we when they are present and can guide our steps in the right direction. But we grow and reach the level of those who taught us, and then the Lord Himself begins to lead us further and reveal even greater depths of His love. This path of learning is very important for every son and daughter of God. For love shapes our character in the image and likeness of God. It makes us wise, kind, able to see, loving, rich, and happy; it clothes us in the imperishable garments of Christ’s righteousness and leads us onward.
In essence, the entire meaning of earthly life can be reduced to the phrase, “We were born to die.” But what comes afterward? All worldly philosophy reaches a dead end, because in death there is neither wisdom nor knowledge—there is nothing there. But if only this short, perishable life has been given to us, then we who believe in God and deny ourselves empty pleasures are of all people most miserable. Death, however, is not the end, but a short sleep—an immersion into the darkness of nonexistence in order to awaken and receive the eternal reward. And what value will our love have in Eternity? Like the Sun of righteousness, it will shine upon our faces, and like a magnet, it will draw all the inhabitants of Heaven toward us. That is where there will truly be much work to do.
Can I help a fearful person if I myself live in fear? Perhaps together we will not be as frightened as we would be alone, but a loving heart has greater confidence and knows the right way out of this condition. When I have received freedom from the power of sin and fear and live in that freedom, I understand the process of deliverance from within and can help others obtain this freedom through faith in Jesus.
A loving heart does not worry whether it will have enough love to meet every need and bring its enemies under love’s power. It simply joins the boundless ocean of God’s Agape and draws from it as many treasures as are needed, without worrying that there will be a shortage.
Love boldly looks death in the eye, because death is not the end of life but a short pause before continuing to do what the love of Christ has taught us.
And why did Jesus come and stand at the door? So that I would open the door to Him and ask Him to teach me how to use what He sold me a little earlier. In Christ, I have the wisest Mentor Himself, Who knows what He is teaching me and what to do with me when something does not work out.
Without love, all my inventions, discoveries, wealth, achievements, names, and titles will become nothing on the day of my death. But I do not fear this loss, because I have a firm Foundation beneath my feet and a true Treasure in my heart, and His name is God, Who is Love within me.
How beautiful this sounds in this lesson, and how inconspicuous it is in my life. God Himself, the Creator of the Universe, sits upon the throne of my heart, while in this world I look like an ordinary person. As long as I remain silent and take no action, I am no different from others. But I am not like the others: I belong to God. He knows me by name, carries me in His arms, and loves me with an everlasting love. I believe this, although I do not always feel it.
And the most amazing thing is that all this infinite power of God remains unclaimed by anyone, and I must make an effort to find at least one person whom I can convince that God exists, that He is alive and will come soon, and that even now He desires to give us what is best. This life is not everything; it is only preparation for a better life. At present, I am the one doing the searching, but how I wish that those who are lost forever and live without hope would search and thirst. We have something to give them, and we have the One Who gives to us so that we can share it.
Love loves to give—not only what it has, but its whole self. Where are you who thirst? Come and take; drink freely and buy without silver!
Homework 237
In the light of our lesson, please read Jeremiah 13:23; 29:11–13; Isaiah 61:1–3; Proverbs 9:10; 24:14; Psalm 37:37; Romans 2:17–20; 2 Peter 1:3–9; Luke 12:15–21, 34; Ephesians 2:6; 1 Corinthians 13:12–13; John 14:26; Jeremiah 31:34; Revelation 21:6; John 7:37–38; and Philippians 4:19. Did you find anything useful for yourself in this lesson? Can evil people do good deeds? Why is it so important to have a close personal relationship with Jesus while learning to love? When planning my path through life, is it worthwhile to think about the future and where I will arrive? Who can give me a future and hope? Does the path I choose now affect my future? After all, can I not correct everything and change my plans at any time? What can those who have no personal relationship with Jesus teach me? Is it important to possess love in the last days? After all, is not the main thing to believe, since faith is counted for righteousness?