Divine Love
The
Scriptures speak both of the love of God and of the love of the
Father. It is the same love, but the direction it is described in
the Scriptures as taking is very different. The love of God is a
very wide thought: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only–begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish but
have life eternal” (John 3: 16). It is a love that has opened up a
way of salvation for the lost, for God “desires that all men should
be saved and come to [the] knowledge of [the] truth” (1 Tim. 2: 4).
The love of the Father is presented differently. The Father is
never said to love the
world. He has a world or sphere of His own, outside of which His
affections are not said to travel. The focus of the Father's love is
in His own beloved Son: “The Father loves the Son, and has given all
things [to be] in his hand” (John 3: 35). This is the One whom He
has loved “before [the] foundation of [the] world” (John 17: 24).
And yet, wonderful fact,
you and I also are objects of
the love of the Father! How you may ask? The Lord Himself
furnishes the answer: “the Father himself has affection for you,
because ye have had affection for me” (John 16: 27). Now God loved
us when there was nothing lovable about us:
“God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love
wherewith he loved us, (we too being dead in offences,) has
quickened us with the Christ” (Eph. 2: 4, 5). He loved us because of
what was
in Himself, for “God
is love” (1 John 4: 16). However, the Father loves you and me
because of what is
in us. He has found
something in us in which His heart has unbounded delight. What is
it? Nothing but the little spark of love to His Son which He has
kindled there for Himself.
The Tide
The Christian has a new nature which causes him to
swim against the tide of this world. Hence, “they think it strange
that ye run not with [them] to the same sink of corruption” (1 Pet.
4: 4). There is also a tide in Christianity. The Galatians, when
first converted, plucking out their own eyes would have given them
to Paul, receiving him “as an angel of God” (Gal. 4: 14). But the
apostle closes his ministry lamenting that “all who [are] in Asia …
have turned away from me” (2 Tim. 1: 15).
The tide had turned.
They sought “their own things”, he sought “the things of Jesus
Christ” (Phil. 2: 21). That tide is here again, fiercer, faster, and
deeper than ever. You cannot alter it—that is God’s work. Your place
is to strive against it, cost what it might and however weary and
lonely the journey.
Unwavering
The days in which we live are days of rapid change: “Many shall run
to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Dan. 12: 4). The
professing church is changing too. As never before, it is loosening
its ties to Biblical doctrine—a departure which gathers pace almost
daily. Principles held for centuries (even if only nominally) are
being rapidly overthrown, and the so–called ‘historic faith’ is
being consigned to history. To stand against the tide is to be
labelled a crank or a fundamentalist, something that the masses are
being conditioned to view as roughly on a par with Middle–Eastern
terrorism.
To give up the Bible leads in one direction only—the giving up of
Christianity. England has had an open Bible for centuries, and has
received much blessing by it. Her culture, her government and her
laws have all been formed, to a greater or lesser degree, by the
teachings of Scripture. And as she has progressively abandoned her
heritage, so society had descended into a modern Sodom and
Gomorrah—crumbling towards an amoral nightmare.
Whatever the world or Christendom does, the responsibility of the
true Christian is clear. He is to “contend earnestly for the faith
once delivered to the saints” (Jude v3). In the “midst of a crooked
and perverted generation” he is to be a light in the world, “holding
forth [the] word of life” (Phil. 2: 15, 16). And if he loses his
friends, his freedom or his livelihood on account of faithfulness to
Christ, then he will remember that “all indeed who desire to live
piously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3: 12). Such a
stand will be far from easy, hence the pressing need for
each individual Christian
to be “rooted and built up in him” (Col. 2: 7). These things are
real. Do not delude yourself that they are for others to be
concerned about. The onslaught will be fierce and unrelenting. “Let
us” then, “hold fast the confession of the hope
unwavering” (Heb. 10:
23, my emphasis).
Sources
When we come to ask ourselves “Where did I learn this?” it is
astonishing to find out how much we have imbibed from man, and
not directly from the Word of God. All that we have learned from
our youth up must be tested and proved by Scripture. Where we
find it is true we must learn it over again from God. Where it
will not stand the test of His Word, we must give it up, and be
thankful to do so.
Ten Answers
'It’s impossible!’ “The things that are impossible with men
are possible with God” (Luke 18: 27).
'I’m too tired.’
“Come to me, all ye who labour and are burdened and I
will give you rest” (Matt. 11: 28).
'I
can’t figure things
out’. “Confide in
Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own
intelligence; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make
plain thy paths” (Prov. 3: 5 – 6).
'I can’t do it!’
“I have strength for all things in him that gives me power”
(Phil. 4: 13).
'Why is this
happening to me?’ “But we do know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to purpose” (Rom. 8: 28).
'I can’t manage’. “But my God shall abundantly supply all
your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”
(Phil. 4: 19).
'I’m afraid’.
God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of
love, and of wise discretion” (2 Tim. 1: 7).
'I am worried’.
“Cast all you care upon him, for he cares about you” (1 Pet. 5:
7).
'I feel all
alone’. “He has said, I will not leave thee,
neither will I forsake thee” (Heb. 13: 5).
'Why aren’t
things easier?’ “My grace suffices thee; for [my] power
is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12: 9).
Distractions
“For
me to live [is] Christ” (Phil. 1: 21) – this was how the apostle
Paul could honestly sum up his life. Nothing else mattered. Such
single–hearted devotion to Christ is often our great lack.
He must be before the soul as the first and supreme
object of the life. The need of souls or the good of saints are
good and worthy matters, but they must never become our focus. A
desire to serve will not keep my feet in the narrow path with
Christ. If service does not flow from whole–hearted committal to
the Lord then sooner or later we will be turned aside to the
things of earth. Christ and Christ alone is to be my object.
Anything else, however valuable in itself, can only serve as a
distraction.
His Word
Love
for the Lord is not
measured
by profession or emotion, but by obedience: “He that has my
commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me”. The divine
response to this is “but he that loves me shall be loved by my
Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him” (John
14: 21). Yet there is a deeper love than that manifested in keeping
commandments. It is that love which takes account of
all of His Word, whether definite command or not: “If
any one love me, he will keep my word”. The response to love of this
sort is correspondingly greater: “my Father will love him, and we
will come to him, and make our abode with him” (v23). It is evident
that there is a fullness and permanency of communion here not found
in the case before. The Lord commended the Philadelphians because
they had “kept my word” (Rev. 3: 8)—not a proportion of it, but His
Word as a whole. Of course, the saints there did not
know
it all, but nonetheless His Word as a whole was before them. There
is a Scripture which many would fight for as essential truth without
really believing the import of it: “Every scripture [is] divinely
inspired, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3: 16)?
Every Scripture? Are we sure that this is really true—true
of prophecy, true of history, true of type, and true of parable?
Yes, even of the genealogies of Chronicles and the lists of David’s
officers, and the cities of Israel conquered by Joshua? Let us be
absolutely honest with ourselves and with God. Are we feeding on
all the Word—or not?
Is it not more often true of us, as regards Scripture, that
“there remaineth yet very much land to take possession of” (Josh.
13: 1)? May we weigh and consider these things!
