Text: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor hear any grudge against the children of thy people, but THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:18)

Love --Everyone talks about it, and young people are authorities on it. However, to define it, one must resort to God who created it. John, the Beloved disciple is the Apostle of Love. He teaches more about it than any other writer of the inspired text.

Nearly everyone can recite John 3:16, --"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." By this passage we are to understand "God so loved the world" that He did something, "He gave His only begotten Son." Love is manifested by giving. True love is not mercenary --it "seeks not its own", says Paul the Apostle. Love is not selfish.

The Blessed Lord and only Potentate, who only hath immortality, "having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." And rising from supper. He laid aside His garments and took a towel and girded Himself and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Jn. 13:1-17) True love will reveal itself by a willingness to serve those whom we love.

This passage is precious like few other portions of Scripture. For instance, the Good Shepherd shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." And, "the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, 0 Lord of

Hosts, my King, and my God." (Is. 40:11; Ps. 84:3) "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end." And, if our love for Christ Jesus is real, we will love Him "unto the end."

Our gracious Master here reveals His enduring love to His own by serving them: He washed the feet of His disciples! Then, he exhorted.

Serving manifests love. And, how long should we serve one another? SO long as our Lord told us in the example of His love for us: "unto the end."

Our Lord commands us to love one another "as I have loved you" (Jn. 13:34), i.e. in the same manner and to the same degree as He has loved us.

In what manner and to what degree are we exhorted to love one another? "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down His love for Hs friends." (Jn. 15:13) Love is verified by dying for them.

It was our Lord, who said, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples: if ye have love one to another." (Jn. 13:34,35) Love is a test by which we may distinguish between the children of God and the children of the devil. John testifies,

In this the children of God are manifested (i.e. revealed)

If this is our attitude toward the poor and uneducated, the black, or the "chinks", the "wops", or the "dagos", etc. we had better be prepared to defend our behavior before the judgment bar of God. Are we truly demonstrating the kind of love and degree of love Christ has shown to us?

Love is more important than the eloquence of angels. It is more important than acquiring perfect knowledge and understanding. It is more to be desired than a flawless faith. It is more profitable to have than it is to give all our goods to feed the poor. Yes, it is possible to give everything we have to the hungry, and yet not to love them! (I Cor. 13:1-3)

Jesus Christ, our Lord, commands "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them.

God makes even the sun to rise on the evil and on the good. He sends rain on the just and on the unjust. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." (See: Matt. 5:43-48)

Now the text reads, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." A young man quoted the text to Jesus and, seeking to justify his sinful behavior, asked, "But who is my neighbor?"

The word neighbor comes from the Anglo-Saxon words "Neigh" or "near", and "burer" meaning "to dwell." Our neighbor is therefore anyone with whom we come in contact. The parable Jesus gave of the Good Samaritan teaches us tat not simply the people who live next door are our neighbors, but people who cross our paths become our neighbor, and hence our responsibility. By exercising compassion and serving them we are "neighbor" to them.

The most interesting part of the parable is that the Samaritans were half-breeds. Some historians believe that they were Jews that intermarried with the Persian army that conquered Palestine. Others believe that the Samaritan people sprang from Jews who intermarried with the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great when he conquered Palestine.

Orthodox Jews despised them. If in his travels a Jew met a Samaritan, he would turn his face and spit with contempt. The land of Samaria lay north sandwiched between Judea and Galilee and was strictly avoided. It is little wonder the woman at the well was amazed at the presence of Jesus:

How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. (Jn. 4:9)

Jesus made much of the Jewish attitude toward the Samaritans. It was not by accident that in relating the account of the healing of the 10 lepers Jesus laid great stress upon the fact the only one to return to thank Him was a Samaritan. (Lk. 17:11-19)

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus declares it was not the priest, or the Levite, but "a certain Samaritan" who acted the part of a neighbor to the Jew who had fallen among the thieves.

As then, so now, the philosophy of thieves is "What is yours is mine!" As then, so now, the philosophy of religious people is "What is mine is mine!" But as then, so now, the theology of Godly people is "What is mine is thine!" and it is precisely for this reason we call them "good."

For a moment, consider the stricken Jew. Without a doubt he disdained this "unclean" Samaritan. Perhaps he cursed him while the half-breed poured into his wounds oil and wine. It may be that as the Samaritan left the wounded Jew at the next inn that he may have cursed again; nevertheless, the good man instructed the innkeeper to attend to the fallen, and declared that if the expense for his care was more costly than what he left behind, the keeper was to put it on his bill.

It may be the priest reasoned, "Without a doubt this man deserved this beating." Perhaps the Levite muttered, "We all have to pull our own weight; and if I help you this time I will only have to help you again." Religious people today are no more willing to get involved with people in need, In fact, the Church long ago surrendered to the socialist state the care of her widows and orphans.

The Samaritan might have said, "If I leave money with this innkeeper, he will spend it foolishly." However, the difference between the three men was this: the Samaritan "was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves." (Lk. 10:36)

Dear friend in Christ, can we love indeed if we do not love in deed? Can we be said to "love" people with whom we are unwilling to become involved? NOTE: Peter learned by special revelation that he should call no man "unclean" or "common." (Acts 10:28)

The office of deacon was instituted to care for the needy in the Church. In our day, it is much easier for deacons to point the poor to the Food Stamp and Social Security offices. The only way out of our monstrous welfare system is to repent of our sins and to "love our neighbor" as ourselves. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, ESPECIALLY UNTO THEM WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH." (Gal. 6:10)

Educated saints find it all too easy to turn up their noses at the uneducated; uneducated Christians eye with suspicion people who are educated.

Most congregations will welcome the man who attends worship wearing a gold ring and "goodly apparel," while the same people will relegate the poor visitor to a demeaning place because the latter is an embarrassment to the church. Such congregations are not even aware that while they have become rich, and increased with goods and have need of nothing, yet in the eyes of the Lord they are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked." (Rev. 3:17)

There are many kinds of "Samaritans" in our midst. In addition to the poor and the uneducated, there are Italians, Hispanics, Orientals and Blacks. The Apostle John counseled "My little children, let us not Love in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth." (I Jn. 3:18)

Brethren, one of the chief sins that calls forth the judgment of God upon His Church is the sin of ministering only to "white faces" or to Black folks. To practice such is a monstrous evil because it amounts to saying; "We don’t give a d__________ about other people." This is damnable doctrine. It is the doctrine of devils.

Search the Scriptures from "kivar to kivar" and you will not find a single example of a "Black" church or a "White" church. God calls out "a Church", and the Bible speaks of the Church at Corinth, the Church at Ephesus, the Church at Rome, etc.

By definition, a "local" church is a church in a given locality that ministers to the people of that locality. It is a misnomer to call that a "local" church where the people who assemble to worship neither come from that locality, nor minister to the people of that locality.

Recently, the Second Baptist Church her in Augusta, Georgia publicly stated in our newspapers that there was no longer a ministry for them in their neighborhood. They have since moved to West Augusta, and apparently still do not see their shameful nakedness or spiritual poverty. Such gross misconduct invites God to judge His Church.

By withholding Biblical teaching and Christian fellowship from certain segments of our population, the Church has allowed society to be brought to the brink of social and economic chaos.

Christians who profess to believe that the Gospel and only the Gospel can change people have withheld that Gospel. It is vain for Christians to curse the recipients of welfare when they forbid such people to attend their church to worship and to learn the Gospel of God. I pity these latter people more.

Evangelism entails more than bussing poor, uneducated, Black or Oriental children to afternoon church services when they will not be able to associate with white folks. If there is no intention of reaching the parents of the children with the Gospel, there is no love for them --only hypocrisy.

Most fundamental Baptists make a mockery of the Great Commission. The Son of God commanded, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" --excluding no one—- "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt. 28:19,20)

I know of "White" churches that have refused Black converts to be baptized in their baptistery. I know of such a church that has taught its members that when they conduct door-to-door evangelism that if a Black person comes to the door, they should say, "Excuse me, does Mr. Jones live here?" I want no part with such lying hypocrites.

But the sin of prejudice is not a sin only white folks can commit. I have visited "Black" churches where I felt a kindred spirit, and my soul testified they were my friends – my brothers and sisters. But I have also attended Black churches where I felt that if I closed my eyes in prayer I might be knifed!

Don’t tell me you love your neighbor as yourself and that you are concerned about his soul if you will not take him with you to worship. People are not stupid. If as Solomon testifies, "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work he pure and whether it be right" (Prov. 20:11), then people recognize the difference between hypocrisy and genuineness.

When peter preached at Pentecost, the disciples did not lock arms to keep certain people from hearing God’s truth. And, what a cross-section of humanity was there! Parthians, Medea, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, Asians, Phrygians, Pamphyllians, Egyptians, Libyans, Cyrenians, Romans, Jews, Cretians, Arabians, dwellers in Pontus, and others.

You lie if you claim you love your neighbor but are not willing to have anything to do with him. Tell your wife or children that you love them, but you do not want to associate with them, and see if they will believe you.

You only love your neighbor if you are willing to weep with him when he weeps, and to laugh with him when he laughs. You only love your neighbor if you are willing to serve him and to die for him.

Jesus said, "A new commandment give I unto you that ye love one another, as I have loved you that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one toward another." (Jn. 13:34,35)

Brother, DO YOU WANT THE LORD TO LOVE YOU THE WAY YOU LOVE OTHERS? IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU TO TREAT OTHERS IN A MANNER YOU DO NOT WANT THE LORD TO TREAT YOU?

How does one pour out the Gospel to a person whom he cannot invite to his church? Does this not make for a very embarrassing situation? And is not such embarrassment usually avoided by withholding the Gospel witness?

Dear Friend, if you were Oriental, Hispanic, or Black and churches that professed to believe the Bible did not want you in their midst, yet you would be treated with common civility and mutual respect by the Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormons, the Roman Catholics, the followers of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, as well as by liberal Christ-denying churches—where would you attend?

I have no desire to convey a "holier-than-thou" attitude: nor is it my desire to be judgmental. My heart’s desire is that the reader would consider these thoughts and then discern what the will of the Lord is. GOD HAS NOT CALLED US TO BE GREAT, BUT HE HAS CALLED US TO BE GOOD.

It was Julian the Apostate, I believe, who marveled at the attitude of primitive Christians, and exclaimed, "My how they love one another!" "My little children," wrote the Apostle, "let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (I Jn. 3:18)

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