Spurgeon: June PM
* 06/05/PM
"He that loveth not knoweth not God."
--1 John 4:8
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in
the love of Christ, and the yielding of his affections to Christ
in return. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling
the soul to say with the apostle, "Christ loved me and gave
Himself for me." Then love gives the countersign, and stamps
upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. "We love
Him because He first loved us." In those grand old ages, which
are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double
mark was clearly to be seen in all believers in Jesus; they were
men who knew the love of Christ, and rested upon it as a man
leaneth upon a staff whose trustiness he has tried. The love
which they felt towards the Lord was not a quiet emotion which
they hid within themselves in the secret chamber of their souls,
and which they only spake of in their private assemblies when
they met on the first day of the week, and sang hymns in honour
of Christ Jesus the crucified, but it was a passion with them of
such a vehement and all-consuming energy, that it was visible in
all their actions, spoke in their common talk, and looked out of
their eyes even in their commonest glances. Love to Jesus was a
flame which fed upon the core and heart of their being; and,
therefore, from its own force burned its way into the outer man,
and shone there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal
and mark of all genuine Christians. Because of their dependence
upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love
to Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children
of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love--the love of
Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set
upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy
Ghost, which is given unto them, and then by force of gratitude
they love the Saviour with a pure heart, fervently. My reader,
do you love Him? Ere you sleep give an honest answer to a
weighty question!