The Mark of the Christian - Schaeffer 7

Building on the “standard of quality” (p. 12) as presented yesterday, in the next section of Francis Schaeffer’s book, The Mark of the Christian, Schaeffer discusses the problem of the Christian’s . . .

FAILURE IN LOVE

. . . Specifically, failure “in our love for other Christians” (p. 13). Schaeffer, hammers home the salient point that the “litmus test” that Jesus Himself gave the world, with which to judge the whether a man is a Christian, is his/her love for other Christians (p. 14). He calls this: “a reasonable thermometer” (p. 14).

When we have true love for fellow believers, the world has no valid reason to judge the authenticity of our claim to faith. There is much more he will say about this issue; this, the MARK of the Christian.

Key statements from this section (pp. 13-14):

If I fail in my love toward Christians, it does not prove I am not a Christian. What Jesus is saying, however, is that, if I do not have the love I should have toward all other Christians, the world has the right to make the judgment that I am not a Christian.

But Jesus gives the world a piece of litmus paper, a reasonable thermometer: There is a mark which, if the world does not see, allows them to conclude, "This man is not a Christian."

Here Jesus is talking about our responsibility as individuals and as groups to so love all other true Christians that the world will have no valid reason for saying that we are not Christians.

You can read the online edition of the entire book here >>

Blessings

3 John 8

Bill H.