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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadR.A. Torrey Collection: Torrey, R.A. - What Bible Teaches (about Man): 12 Love to Christ
TOPIC: Torrey, R.A. - What Bible Teaches (about Man) (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 12 Love to Christ
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Ch 12 Love to Christ
I. ITS IMPORTANCE. Mat_10:35-38 — "For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Luk_14:26 — -"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
First Proposition: Supreme love to Christ is a primary condition of Christian discipleship.
Christ, in the New Testament, claims the same supreme love for Himself that Jehovah in the Old Testament claims for Himself. Here is undoubted proof of the divinity of Christ. Unless Christ has a place in our hearts above father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even our own lives, we cannot be his disciples. 1Pe_1:8 — "Whom having not seen, ye love." (Compare to verse 2, as to whom the "ye" of verse 8 are — "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.") Second Proposition: Love to Christ (though we don't see Him) is an unfailing mark of the elect. Joh_8:42 — "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me."
Third Proposition: If we are children of God, we will love Christ.
Absence of love for Christ is decisive proof that one is not a child of God. 1Co_16:22 — "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha."
Fourth Proposition: Any one who does not love Christ will be anathema (i.e., "devoted without hope of being redeemed,' "doomed to destruction") at the coming of Christ.
II. HOW LOVE TO CHRIST IS MANIFESTED. Joh_14:15; Joh_14:21; Joh_14:23 RV — "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments .... He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him .... Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
First Proposition: Love of Christ manifests itself in keeping His words and commandments. (The same thing is said elsewhere of love to God.) 2Co_5:14-15 RV — "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that they which live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again."
Second Proposition: Love to Christ manifests itself in our not living unto ourselves, but unto Him who for our sakes died and rose again. Joh_21:15-17 RV — "So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep."
Third Proposition: Love to Christ manifests itself in feeding His lambs and shepherding His sheep. Luk_7:44-47 — "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."
Fourth Proposition: Love of Christ manifests itself in ministering to Him.
QUESTION: How can we minister to Christ?
ANSWER: Mat_25:40 — "And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Php_3:7-8 — "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
Fifth Proposition: Love to Christ manifests itself in counting all things but loss and gladly sacrificing them for His sake. Act_21:13 — "Then Paul answered, what mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Sixth Proposition: Love to Christ manifests itself in a willingness to suffer and to die for His name. 2Co_5:8 — "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." Php_1:23 RV — "But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better."
Seventh Proposition: Love to Christ manifests itself in a desire to be with Christ. 2Ti_4:8 — "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all of them also that love his appearing.'' Rev_22:20 — "He which testifieth these things saith. Surely I come quickly: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Eighth Proposition: Love to Christ manifests itself in a longing for His appearing.
III. RESULTS OF LOVE TO CHRIST. Eph_6:24 "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen."
First Proposition: There is grace for all who love Jesus Christ in sincerity. Joh_14:21-23 — "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
Second Proposition: Those who love Christ are loved by the Father and by Christ. Christ manifests Himself to those who love Him. The Father and Christ make their abode with those who love Christ.
God loves all men, but he has a peculiar love for those who love His Son. (Compare to Joh_17:23 RV — "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.") QUESTION: How does Christ manifest Himself to those who love Him?
ANSWER: See Joh_14:15-17; Joh_14:23, and Joh_16:14. Joh_14:15-17 RV — "If ye love me ye will keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you."
Third Proposition: The Father's gift of the Holy Spirit, as the Paraclete to abide with and be in us, is for those who love Christ. 2Ti_4:8 — "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
Fourth Proposition: At His coming the Lord will give a crown of righteousness to all who love His appearing.
IV. HOW CAN WE ATTAIN LOVE TO CHRIST? Luk_7:47-50 — "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Proposition: Love to Christ arises from a realization of our sin and from faith in the wondrous pardoning love of Christ.
This is finely illustrated in Paul: 1Ti_1:12-15 — "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." Gal_2:20 — '2 am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
And in Joh_4:10 — "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."