“The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” - Toulouse-Lautrec: The Moulin Rouge
Love.
Ever notice how much we long for love? And yet do we turn to find that love in people…or Christ?
Christ proved His everlasting perfect love for us when He died on the cross, replacing our punishment to gain His glory. How could we doubt that? A while ago I wrote a blog on God’s love for us but what about our love for Christ?
“Love shows the true character of a man, according to the object which he loves more than anything else: for as is the love, so is the man. According to his love, so might you confidently designate the man. If he is a lover of honour, he is an ambitious man; a lover of pleasure, a sensual man; and if he chiefly love the world, he is a covetous man. If a man loves righteousness, he is a religious man; if the things above, a heavenly-minded man; and if he love Christ with a pre-eminent love, he is a sincere man”- Thomas Doolitle
I recently attended as conference called Resolved, where there was amazing fellowship, theologically rich worship and pure doctrinal teaching all about Christ! (Basically that was my ad for it) Before that week I knew what it meant to love Christ and to be loved by Him, but I learned what it means to truly be in love with my Savior, my God.
I’ve been reading Charles Spurgeon’s “Morning and Evening” daily devotionals and the first day we were there I was reading on how our relationship with Christ is like climbing a mountain, at first your at the bottom, you don’t see much the mountain has to offer but as you climb higher you are revealed much more as to what surrounds you, until you reach the summit where the full glory of what the mountain offers is revealed! Spurgeon definitely has more finesse at explaining this but what a true wonder it is that just as we gain more awe and appreciation for the sight of the Mountain View, we grow in our knowledge of Christ we learn about what “surrounds” us being hidden within Christ. (“Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Col. 3:2-3)
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Matthew 7:21-23
During one of the sessions it clicked, many say they love Christ, but am I in love with Christ? We can fall in love with people here in a marriage relationship, but the body of Christ is his chosen bride! We should, no; we must be deeply in love with Him! Giving Him our all and desiring all from Him. How could we not love Him this way!
Honestly, I had been trying to satisfy this in temporary places, my love had been for people or things and Christ was just another thing I said I loved. I wasn’t giving Him my all in all or trusting and abiding fully in Him alone, my heart may be hidden in Him but it was filled with idols. Learning about my High Priest, Savior, God, Redeemer, Creator, Sustainer, Lord (it goes on and on) made me fall in love with Him! He is jealous for this love and rightly deserves it, so I am resolved to give Him my whole life in love. Crushing those idols and running towards the goal of my Savior and First Love; with undying adoration and knowing him here and dwelling with Him there.
