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What does it mean to love Christ practically? Erik gives J. C. Ryle’s answer to the question,
- If we love a person, we like to think about him.
- If we love a person, we like to hear about him.
- If we love a person, we like to read about him.
- If we love a person, we like to please him.
- If we love a person, we like his friends.
- If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor.
- If we love a person, we like to talk to him.
- If we love a person, we like to be always with him.
Go over to J. C. Ryle Quotes to read the explanation of these points.
Christ [is] the very essence of all delights and pleasures, the very soul and substance of them. As all the rivers are gathered into the ocean, which is congregation or meeting-place of all waters in the world: so Christ is that ocean in which all true delights and pleasures meet. . . .
His excellencies are pure and unmixed; he is a sea of sweetness without one drop of gall.
—John Flavel, The Method of Grace, from Sermon XII.
HT: Justin Taylor
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Surely if he would not spare his own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever he should, after this, deny or withhold from his people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spiritual or temporal, which is good for them.
— John Flavel
HT: Spencer Harmon
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.(Romans 8:34)
If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.
~Robert Murray M’Cheyne p. 179
HT: Justin Taylor
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5)
Jesus was given all things into His hands by the Father. He had all authority and control over every molecule in the universe. “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17).
He had come from God. He existed as the second person of the trinity. Fully God in His being. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Colossians 1:19), and “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3a).
And He was going back to God. He was going to endure all the pain of the cross for the joy set before Him. He was going to triumph over death to obtain unparalleled glory. He was raised to be seated at God’s ”right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21).
And yet, this one took a towel to wash dirty feet.
Our Lord and Savior, with full knowledge of His his standing as the pre-existent, all sovereign, ruler of the universe, stooped down to serve sinners. And His actions of washing feet were just a foretaste of the service He was going to render to the unworthy! Jesus would not only take away dirt from feet, He would take away the sinners transgressions and chastisements by means of His own death on a cross.
Jesus’ greatness does not distant Him from the low and weak with dirty messed up lives. With full knowledge of His incomparable majesty He comes to us—to serve us.
‘Jesus’ is a very encouraging name to heavy-laden inners. He who is King of Kings and Lord of lords might lawfully have taken some more high-sounding title. But he did not do so. the rulers of this world have often called themselves Great, Conqueror, Bold, Magnificent, and the like. The Son of God was content to call himself ’Saviour’. The souls thich desire salvation may draw near to the Father with boldness, and have access with confidence through Christ. It is his office and his delight to show mercy. ‘God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved’ (John 3:17).
~J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Matthew, p.5
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Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
~Charles Wesley
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:23)
The first thing which we ought to consider in this name is the divine majesty of Christ, so as to yield to him the reverence which is due to the only and eternal God. But we must not, at the same time, forget the fruit which God intended that we should collect and receive from this name. For whenever we contemplate the one person of Christ as God-man, we ought to hold it for certain that, if we are united to Christ by faith, we possess God.
~John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists
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From the squalor of a borrowed stable,
By the spirit and a virgin’s faith;
To the anguish and the shame of scandal
Came the Saviour of the human race!
But the skies were filled, with the praise of heav’n,
Shepherds listen as the angels tell
Of the Gift of God, come down to man
At the dawning of Immanuel
King of heaven now the Friend of sinners,
Humble servant in the Father’s hands,
Filled with power and the Holy Spirit,
Filled with mercy for the broken man
Yes he walked my road, and He felt my pain,
Joys and sorrows that I know so well;
Yet His righteous steps, give me hope again -
I will follow my Immanuel!
Through the kisses of a friend’s betrayal,
He was lifted on a cruel cross;
He was punished for a world’s transgressions,
He was suffering to save the lost
He fights for breath, He fights for me
Loosing sinners from the claims of hell;
And with a shout, our souls are free -
Death defeated by Immanuel!
Now He’s standing in the place of honour,
Crowned with glory on the highest throne,
Interceding for His own beloved
Till His Father calls us to bring them home!
Then the skies will part, as the trumpet sounds
Hope of heaven or the fear of hell;
But the Bride will run, to her Lover’s arms,
Giving glory to Immanuel!
Stuart Townend,
“Jesus is God and man in one person: man that he may feel our woes, God that he may help us out of them.”
- Charles H. Spurgeon, “Immanuel – The Light of Life” (sermon on Isaiah 9:1,2)
“If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent a economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have send us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”
~D. A. Carson, A Call To Spiritual Reformation, p.109
