Question: Are the “Between of Ages” consecrators to develop disinterested, unselfish love?

Answer: These consecrators are not now on trial for life, but like the Ancient Worthies, are on trial for places as princes (Youthful Worthies) and assistant princes (Consecrated Epiphany Campers) in the Mediatorial Reign (Psalm 45: 16). They are therefore not now under the law of disinterested, unselfish love in its fulness as the rule of their overcoming under their trial, which would be the case if they were now on trial for life. Nevertheless, they must exercise much disinterested, unselfish love, otherwise they will not carry out their consecration faithfully; for duty love does not make one sacrifice one’s rights for others, though it requires one to yield to others their rights.

Thus the law of justice, which is the law of the justified human, does not require one to sacrifice one’s rights for others. But the law of sacrifice, which is disinterested, unselfish love, does require one to sacrifice one’s rights on behalf of God’s Plan in the interest of others; and by consecration one accepts the law of sacrifice, which must be done on account of the ascendancy of Satan and sin at the present time; because as long as sin and Satan dominate human conditions, they put the present advantages on the side of sin and selfishness, and the present disadvantages on the side of justice and love; hence present conditions require one to sacrifice one’s rights if he would be faithful to his consecration vows. This will not be the case in the Mediatorial Reign, when all the advantages will be on the side of righteousness and love, and all the disadvantages will be on the side of sin and selfishness.

Consecrations Same, Requirements Different

What then is the difference between the consecration of the Little Flock and the Great Company on the one hand and that of the “Between the Ages” consecrators on the other hand? We answer that there is no difference in so far as the nature of the vows made are concerned; for consecration during the ascendency of Satan and sin always implies the sacrifice of one’s rights in the interests of God’s cause in the service of others, that is, it always implies disinterested, unselfish love.

If there is no difference between the vows that they assume in consecration, wherein is the difference? We answer that it is not in their vows, nor in their assumed obligations, but in the way that God requires the fulfillment of their assumed obligations. Putting the Little Flock and Great Company on trial for life first, God tried them more crucially by His Word, spirit and providences than He now tries the “Between the Ages” consecrators by these things, since they are not now on trial for life, and therefore are not now being tried to a finality, as was the case with the other two classes.

While God desires all the consecrated to develop as much disinterested, unselfish love as possible, He does not now require “Between the Ages” consecrators to become crystallized in disinterested, unselfish love, hence does not give them experiences that require them to develop the same quantity and quality of disinterested, unselfish love as He required of the Little Flock and Great Company. As a result, He does not now require of them for overcoming to develop perfect crystallized love as He did of the other two classes, though He is pleased for them to come as close as possible to crystallized love. But He does require of them the development of disinterested, unselfish love to the degree of overcoming faithfully in the lesser trials that He gives them than He gave the other two classes. They must overcome in duty and disinterested, unselfish love amid the experiences to which God subjects them to the degree necessary to qualify them for places as princes and assistant princes in the Mediatorial Reign. The “Between the Ages” consecrators will perhaps develop crystallized disinterested, unselfish love amidst the crucial trials which they will face in the Little Season.