I feel as though the subject about which I'm going to write will have been thoroughly discussed in the past, and I feel very measured as to what I can possibly add. But I also feel that we can never, ever exhaust any topic when it comes to divine things. The things of God are so vast that they'll be our happy occupation for time and eternity, and we'll never come to the end of them. So, having said that, I hope that something fresh can be brought out in this post and any subsequent discussion.
The loveliness of Jesus. What a subject! Where to even begin? I think we all have some impression of it, the attractiveness of that One. We begin our soul history with Him through coming to Him in repentance and throwing ourselves on His sure mercies, resting on His finished work. The result is an outflow of responsive, grateful love to the Saviour who laid down His life for us. Then, I believe, as we go on in our new life, we grow to love Him, not just - speaking carefully - because He died to save us, bore the penalty for sins which was due to us... but because of who He is. We learn Him, we gaze upon Him, and we can say, with the apostle John, "...we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father), full of grace and truth..." (John 1:14). Full of grace and truth. Lovely features. And occupying a unique position, an only Son, in whom is the Father's delight. Isn't it wonderful that we've been given to share, by the Holy Spirit, something of the Father's love for Christ? We've been drawn into that sphere of love which existed before time was, between divine Persons. It's one thing (and I believe, a very blessed thing) to see Christ from our perspective, as the Saviour of needy sinners like you and I. It's another thing to view Him as the Father does. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight." (Matthew 3:17). "I have found my delight". Here was something entirely different, a new order of Manhood, a Lamb without blemish. On what member of Adam's race could the Holy Spirit descend as a dove, in perfect complacency? Not one. But here, into that sin-stricken scene, comes a perfect Man who delighted the heart of God. Does my heart delight in Him? I'm afraid, not often enough or consistently enough. If I were more occupied with Him, if I spent more time contemplating His glory, surely I would get to love Him even more. Sometimes we get discouraged, or drawn away in our affections by the things of the world. I think that believers, and perhaps especially young believers like me, have trouble with the allure of the many attractions and distractions that the world has to offer, and get thoroughly depressed when we find ourselves struggling to keep a single eye for Jesus. Well, the more we're occupied with that One, the more attractive we'll find Him. If we get into the way of looking at what's bad and unprofitable and concentrate on trying to resist it (as I certainly find myself doing) then it becomes all the more irresistible! That's because we've taken our gaze off Jesus. The way to stop the things of the world filling our heart is to allow Christ in to fill it, to the exclusion of all else. And there's enough there to fill the hearts of vast myriads of the redeemed, and satisfy us for eternity!
The loveliness of Jesus. What a subject! Where to even begin? I think we all have some impression of it, the attractiveness of that One. We begin our soul history with Him through coming to Him in repentance and throwing ourselves on His sure mercies, resting on His finished work. The result is an outflow of responsive, grateful love to the Saviour who laid down His life for us. Then, I believe, as we go on in our new life, we grow to love Him, not just - speaking carefully - because He died to save us, bore the penalty for sins which was due to us... but because of who He is. We learn Him, we gaze upon Him, and we can say, with the apostle John, "...we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father), full of grace and truth..." (John 1:14). Full of grace and truth. Lovely features. And occupying a unique position, an only Son, in whom is the Father's delight. Isn't it wonderful that we've been given to share, by the Holy Spirit, something of the Father's love for Christ? We've been drawn into that sphere of love which existed before time was, between divine Persons. It's one thing (and I believe, a very blessed thing) to see Christ from our perspective, as the Saviour of needy sinners like you and I. It's another thing to view Him as the Father does. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight." (Matthew 3:17). "I have found my delight". Here was something entirely different, a new order of Manhood, a Lamb without blemish. On what member of Adam's race could the Holy Spirit descend as a dove, in perfect complacency? Not one. But here, into that sin-stricken scene, comes a perfect Man who delighted the heart of God. Does my heart delight in Him? I'm afraid, not often enough or consistently enough. If I were more occupied with Him, if I spent more time contemplating His glory, surely I would get to love Him even more. Sometimes we get discouraged, or drawn away in our affections by the things of the world. I think that believers, and perhaps especially young believers like me, have trouble with the allure of the many attractions and distractions that the world has to offer, and get thoroughly depressed when we find ourselves struggling to keep a single eye for Jesus. Well, the more we're occupied with that One, the more attractive we'll find Him. If we get into the way of looking at what's bad and unprofitable and concentrate on trying to resist it (as I certainly find myself doing) then it becomes all the more irresistible! That's because we've taken our gaze off Jesus. The way to stop the things of the world filling our heart is to allow Christ in to fill it, to the exclusion of all else. And there's enough there to fill the hearts of vast myriads of the redeemed, and satisfy us for eternity!
