A New Commandment

A New Commandment
by Sylvester Hassell

ADVOCATE AND MESSENGER
DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF TRUTH AND RIGHTOUSNESS
R. H. PITTMAN, Editor - - - SYLVESTER HASSELL, Assoc. Editor

Williamston, N.C., Feb 1927

The New Commandment
'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' (John 13:34).
This is the language of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a new commandment in its motive and extent because Christ loved us inexpressibly, and we are told by Him to love one another, as He loved us. But it is the substance of the old commandment (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:36-40).
Christ loved us to the extent that He laid down His Holy life for us, and we ought to lay down, not only our theories and expressions and substance, but our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:4). If we say that we love God, and at the same time, do not love our brethren, we are liars (1 John 4:20). We cannot unchristianize a child of God. Those who are children of God are heirs of God, and joint or inseparable heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). Love is the greatest thing in the world, for God is love (1 John 4:7). It is greater than eloquence or prophecy or knowledge or faith or hope or alms-giving or martyrdom. It suffers long, and is kind, envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemingly, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things and never fails (1 Cor. 13). It puts away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking and malice, and is kind, tender hearted, forgiving others as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us, and is the chief evidence of regeneration, and the highest glory of the Christian religion (Eph. 4:31,32; John 13:35 ; John 7:4).
In the early centuries of the Christian Era, the children of God sincerely, fervently, and practically loved one another, so that the heathen used to say, 'See how these Christians love one another' but now, alas, different factions of our people seem to bite, devour, and consume one another, so that it may truly be said of some of them, 'See how these Baptists hate one another'. In my early connection with the church, our people were distinguished by their humble and ardent love for one another, so that the world saw and confessed it; but now Satan seems to be loosed, and, while all the world is against us, we seem to be trying our best to destroy one another! We know that such a state as this is not of God, but of the Devil. May the God of all grace and power fulfill His promise to bless His people with peace (Psalms 9:11).
Elder Sylvester Hassell

"