‘THE LOVE OF CHRIST” DAY OF THE LORD APRIL 22, 2023

1 CORINTHIANS 13:1

If I can speak in the tongues of men and (even) angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Amp.

CHARLES HADDEN SPURGEON

The distinguishing mark of a Christian
is his confidence in the love of Christ,
and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return.
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 shown there.
The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love.

We must come to Jesus because He loves us. We then are motivated by His love for us. As Spurgeon says, when we are affected by His love for us that is a distinguishing mark of Christians. There are those who might be moved by a sermon and desire to save their souls from the eternal flames of hell, so they try Christianity. But that will never work because it is not motivated by love.

Many come to Jesus through their mind and try to think their way to heaven. This would be the mind of the flesh, which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit, but that is death. Everything Jesus does is motivated by love because He is love. He wants us to be like Him. So, we need to be filled with His love so we can be ruled by His love.

Therefore, we need to first taste His love in our heart and be changed. We have all been created with that spot inside that only He can fill. You can try and try to fill it with inferior loves but never be satisfied. Jesus is the only true love that can satisfy the soul.

So many are lost because of idolatry. They put other loves before Him. If we give Him first place, we will give Him uninterrupted time to seek His face. What spouse would not feel neglected and unloved if their spouse continually allowed interruptions when they spent time together?

If we allow Him to love us, we will respond with the same love He has given to us. He put His perfect love inside out hearts, and we are changed by it. His love is so unlike human love. It ignores an insult, is not self-seeking, it never fails or comes to an end. Let us be as Spurgeon says and be ruled in our inmost being by love, then we will not be a clanging cymbal.