Constraining Love
"The love of Christ constraineth us" 2 Corinthians 5:14
Dear suffering Lamb ! Thy bleeding woulds,
With cords of love divine.
Have drawn our willing hearts to Thee,
And linked our life with Thine.
Sir E. Denny
(pp. 133-136, Footprints for Pilgrims)
What was the power that made Levi leave all and follow Christ ? Not the command: the power did lie in the word itself, but it was the presentation of Christ Himself to Levi. You cannot get separation apart from the presenting of the Person. This is the reason of failure in separation -- it must begin with the heart. If you want to help souls you must present Christ to them. How should I separate a quantity of steel filings from a heap of dust ? By picking them out ? No, I should only defile my hand. By holding a powerful magnet to them, and all would instantly be attracted and drawn out of the dust. It is Christ revealed to us that detaches us from this world.
There is many a Christian who has not reached Christ, and there is the weakness. There is a larger blessing than forgiveness -- that is, HIMSELF. Nothing will satisfy Christ but revealing His heart to you, and you will never grow until you know Him. It is impossible to grow unless you are under the power of His love.
"I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love" (Rev. 2:4, J.N.D.) Nothing can compensate for want of heart for Christ.
"And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught." (Mark 6:30) Surely we could not do better than follow the example of the apostles in this respect. How much we should learn if we did so, and how gently He would remind us of many a failure to present the truth, or if we presented it correctly, how much we have failed to preach it in the power of the Spirit. But we have to do with One who loves us, and this gives us confidence in telling Him everything. It is even so in human relationships, for when we are assured of one another's love we do not hesitate to tell everything. Much more should it be so when we speak to the Lord.
If we would wash another's feet aright our motive, like that of Jesus, must spring from love. (See John 13:1, etc.)
The measure of our love indicates the measure of our usefulness. As the apostle teaches us -- we may spend the whole of our substance in philanthropic work, and yet without love it is of no avail.
"Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifyeth." (1 Cor. 13:1) I have noticed in small meetings, when love is strongly developed in the Christians, they grow, though there is not gifted teacher among them.
"And whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." (Luke 10:35) Spend anything you like on a child of God, and He will undertake to repay you.
In proportion as death works in us, the divine nature is in activity, and God is love.
Love to Christ is the mainspring of holiness.
--- E.D.
