Title: The Virtue of the Saints
Contents
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17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in heart, but reprove thy neighbor, and thou shalt bear no sin against him.
18. Do not take revenge, do not grumble against your fellow men, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.
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12. Therefore, clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and longsuffering, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved.
13. If anyone is dissatisfied with anyone, bear with one another and forgive one another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you.
14. Above all these add love, which is the perfect bond.
15. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for you were called in one body to peace, so be thankful.
16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, praising God with thanksgiving.
17. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Content
Title: Virtue of the Saints
Text: Leviticus 19:17-18, Colossians 3:12-17
‘What will happen when love grows cold?’ There will be great upheavals in individuals, families, churches, countries, and the global village. This is because the alteration of all vital forces will occur. This is the result of a two-year experiment conducted by Dr. Dorothy Rittalak at Tembulbuell University in the United States. It is the result of a study of the effect of music on plants. I put negative music on the plants for three hours a day, and in less than a month, I got a terrible reaction. It is said that young pumpkins are wrinkled, tomatoes are flattened, and corn is bent. On the other hand, it is reported that plants that played positive music grew lively and fresh, and the fruits were full and shiny. In the lives of people who are the primates of all things, love is like the breath of life (Genesis 2:7, Ezekiel 37:5-10). So when love cools down, all life dies. The hoarse smell of love must be disgusting.
Jesus Christ (John 1:14), who came to this earth in the incarnation of love, refers to you as the 'bread of life' (John 6:35) and 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). means. The grace of the new commandment (John 13:34) from the Lord also speaks of this. “As I have loved you” is the gospel of the new commandment. There is a song that makes you think about how to overcome the sometimes cold feeling of love. It is a gospel hymn titled <Where Love has Cooled>. 1. Where love has cooled, there the Lord is./ The Good Shepherd, when he wraps himself around me/ A dark shadow fills me, far away from me and disappears/ The Lord is the one who sows love.// Refrain / I am deeply grieved./ I am empowered by the grace that the Lord has given me/ I am also a sower of love// There is only one way to live, and it is through the power of that love (John 3:16; Philippians 4:13).
Today's Old Testament text (Leviticus 19:17-18) is the old commandment of love given to Israel, the chosen people of the Old Testament. He commanded us not to hate, not to take revenge, not to grumble, and to be kind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Today's New Testament text (Colossians 3:12-17) is the virtue that Israel, the new chosen people of the New Testament, will have. The saints of the New Testament are those who receive the utmost love from the Triune God. It is a response to that supreme love. To be equipped with compassion, mercy, humility, gentleness, and long-suffering, He says, ‘as clothed in clothing. If there are obstacles (accusations, 嫌疑) that hinder this work, he also tells us to imitate the image of the Lord and remove them through 'tolerating one another and forgiving one another'. And on top of all this, add love. Love is the bond that binds the virtues of all Christians. It is the bond of perfection.