st have faith in Christ Jesus. We have got to the root
now, so far as we are concerned. We must keep the commandments of
God; if we are to keep the commandments we must be made over again,
and if our hearts ask how can we receive that new creating power into
our lives, the answer is, by 'faith which worketh by love.'

Paul did not believe that external rites could make men partakers of
a new nature, but he believed that if a man would trust in Jesus
Christ, the life of that Christ would flow into his opened heart, and
a new spirit and nature would be born in him. And, therefore, his
triple requirements come all down to this one, so far as we are
concerned, as the beginning and the condition of the other two.
'Neither circumcision does anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith
which worketh by love,' does everything. He that trusts Christ opens
his heart to Christ, who comes with His new-creating Spirit, and
makes us willing in the day of His power to keep His commandments.

But faith leads us to obedience in yet another fashion, than this
opening of the door of the heart for the entrance of the new-creating
Spirit. It leads to it in the manner which is expressed by the words
of our text, 'worketh by love.' Faith shows itself living, because it
leads us to love, and through love it produces its effects upon
conduct.

Two things are implied in this designation of faith. If you trust
Christ you will love Him. That is plain enough. And you will not love
Him unless you trust Him. Though it lies wide of my present purpose,
let us take this lesson in passing. You cannot work yourself up into
a spasm or paroxysm of religious emotion and love by resolution or by
effort. All that you can do is to go and look at the Master and get
near Him, and that will warm you up. You can love if you trust. Your
trust will make you love; unless you trust you will never love Him.

The second thing implied is, that if you love you will obey. That is
plain enough. The keeping of the commandments will be easy where
there is love in the heart. The will will bow where there is love in
the heart. Love is the only fire that is hot enough to melt the iron
obstinacy of a creature's will. The will cannot be driven. Strike it
with violence and it stiffens; touch it gently and it yields. If you
try to put an iron collar upon the will, like the demoniac in the
Gospels, the touch of the apparent restraint drives it into fury, and
it breaks the bands asunder