The Litmus Test

“By this all men will know that you are
my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:35

In the natural, it’s a simple chemical test to determine the acidity of a solution, but, in recent years, the term “litmus test” has taken on a much broader application. In political circles, a candidate’s stand on a particular issue, such as gun control or abortion, is often referred to as the litmus test of whether that person will be voted for or against.  Judicial appointees seeking congressional approval face intense questioning on a wide range of issues with each party having well defined litmus tests that are used to make a judgment on whether that nominee is acceptable.

In much the same way, the Bible has some pretty clear litmus tests that we can use to stay on the right path and to make sure that our lives line up with the truth of God’s Word. Some are very simple such as in John 14:23 where Jesus says “if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” When litmus paper is placed in a solution, it indicates by the degree of shading the level of acidity. We have to ask ourselves what a litmus test of our love and of our obedience would reveal on the litmus paper of heaven.  We can be thankful that one of the beauties of God’s Word is that it provides every litmus test we need to ensure that we live fruitful lives, pleasing to the Lord and blessed by Him in every way.

The scripture above focuses on one particular test – the litmus test of love. Jesus said it was how the world would know that we are His disciples. John wrote that we can judge if we are living in the truth by how we love others saying, “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth”, defining love by its sacrificial nature. Only tolerating others who are different than us doesn’t pass the litmus test of love. Giving lip service to the needs of others who are hurting doesn’t pass the test nor does telling people we love them but never showing it by our actions. Loving one another as God so loved us, in a real and tangible way, is the only kind of love that lights up the litmus paper of God’s love.

As we journey into 2014, let’s commit to “living a life of love.” Let’s be purposeful in laying down our lives for others, in revealing Jesus to the world around us by the sincerity of our love, in committing to loving more deeply and with greater purity in our motives. That kind of love, the I Corinthian 13 kind of love, passes the litmus test of love and brings joy to the heart of God.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church