Book Review: The Love of Christ

The love of Christ grips Paul’s heart, and so should our hearts. Last Sunday, I was asked by some of our church attendees on what it means to Look upon Christ. I believe, a booklet that I just read this morning sheds light in answering that question. In this booklet “The Love of Christ from Chapel Library, Robert Murray McCheyne, the late minister in the Church of Scotland, shared the secret (which is no secret at all!) of Paul’s wholehearted and untiring dedication for the cause of the Christian faith. It is the “ever-present, ever-abiding, ever-moving power, which forms the mainspring of all his working; so that, take that away, and his energies are gone, and Paul is become weak as other men [5].“

The love of Christ for us demonstrated in His sacrificial and self-giving on the cross removes our natural indifference and hatred against Him. The carnal mind’s enmity against God is “the very grain and substance of an unconverted mind.” It “constrains the believer to live a holy life, because that truth takes away all his dread and hatred of God.” It also stirs up our love for the Redeemer Himself who redeemed us from our slavery to sin. It is also the same love the keeps us and preserves us all throughout our lives that we may be drawn to serve Him, to live and die for Him alone. This is the key of looking upon our Savior and “fixing our eyes upon Him.” We look upon Him with all that He truly is and all that He has done that we may not be drowned by the boisterous cares and soul-eating afflictions of this life.

Here are some of the quotations from the booklet that are worth pondering in answering the question, “The Love of Christ” by Robert Murray McCheyne“

"...for your eye has been lifted believingly to Him who was made sin for us, and you are persuaded that, as it pleased God to count all your iniquities to the Saviour, so He is willing, and has always been willing, to count all the Saviour’s righteousness to you [5]." 

"But we have an encouragement which never fails. The love of the bleeding Saviour constrains us. The Spirit is given to them that believe; and that almighty agent has one argument that moves us continually—the love of Christ [7]."

"How often in the day is the love of Christ quite out of view! How often is it obscured to us! sometimes hid from us by God Himself, to teach us what we are...  if only we had spiritual eyes to see it. If we live a life of faith on the Son of God, then we shall assuredly live a life of holiness... But in as far as we do not live a life of faith, in so far we shall live a life of unholiness. It is through faith that God purifies the heart; and there is no other way [11]."

Gaano kadalas sa isang araw na hindi natin nakikita ang pag-ibig ni Kristo? Gaano kadalas natin ito hindi napapansin? Minsan ito’y tinatago ng Diyos mula sa atin upang turuan tayo kung ano nga ba tayo… Kung tayo lang ay may espirituwal na paningin upang makita ito. Kung tayo ay namumuhay sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya sa Anak ng Diyos, tayo ay tiyak na mamumuhay ng may kabanalan.

Tagalog Translation

"Behold how He loved you! See what He bore for you; put your finger, as it were, into the prints of the nails, and thrust your hand into His side; and be no more faithless, but believing. Under a sense of your sin, flee to the Saviour of sinners [12]." 

"Forgiven much, you will love much; loving much, you will live to the service of Him whom you love. This is the grand master-principle of which we spoke; this is the secret spring of all the holiness of the saints [15]."

“…if you are visited with seasons of coldness and indifference; if you begin to be weary, or lag behind in the service of God, behold! here is the remedy: Look again to the bleeding Saviour… As long as the believing eye is fixed upon His love, the path of the believer is easy and unimpeded; for that love always constrains. But lift off the believing eye, and the path becomes impracticable, the life of holiness a weariness [15-16].” 

To God be the glory!