What does EGW write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "Why can't one strive to develop more love?"
Answer
True love is a plant of heavenly origin and therefore cannot be produced from the human, natural heart. Since the human heart is selfish without divine help, it cannot bring forth this pure love by its own strength or by mere willful effort. Love is a divine principle that exists and grows only where Christ reigns in the heart. Instead of generating it ourselves, we must open ourselves to God so that He can plant and nurture this love in us through His grace. Only when we are united with Christ can this love grow through our actions and become visible to others.
The Heavenly Origin of Love
The heart consecrated to God cannot itself bring forth or produce this plant of heavenly origin; for it to thrive, it must constantly be watered with the dew of heaven. It can only flourish in the heart where Christ reigns. This love cannot live and thrive without action; and it cannot act without increasing in fervor and extending and spreading its nature to others.
Love as a Divine Principle Instead of an Impulse
Supreme love for God and selfless love for one another – this is the greatest gift our heavenly Father can bestow. This love is not an impulse but a divine principle, a constant force. The un consecrated heart cannot bring it forth or produce it. It is found only in the heart where Jesus reigns. “We love Him because He first loved us.” In a heart renewed by divine grace, love is the governing principle of action.
The Powerlessness of the Natural Heart
Love originates from God. It is a plant of heavenly growth and cannot live and thrive in the natural heart. Where it exists, there are truth, life, and power. But it cannot live without action, and whenever it is exercised, it increases and expands. ... The very best way to reform character and regulate the behavior of your family is through the principle of love.
The Superior Power of Pure Love
Love is power. Intellectual and moral strength are contained in this principle and cannot be separated from it. ... The excellence and value of pure love lie in its effectiveness to do good and nothing but good. Whatever is done out of pure love, no matter how small or despised in the eyes of people, is completely fruitful; for God cares more about how much love one works with than the amount of what one does.
- Love as a divine principle
- Renewal of the heart through grace
- Let Christ reign in the heart
Original Sources (English)
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