Renewing Our Love For Christ

I read a portion of Octavius Winslow's Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul (Banner of Truth Trust) the other day and was profoundly impressed by it. I say this because I had previously read the book and was unmoved. Sometimes a passage appears more forceful when it is lifted from the deep portions of a book. Anyway, here is one quote:

"Ah! dear Christian reader, it is because we have so little to do with Jesus - we admit Him so seldom and so reluctantly to our hearts, we have so few dealings with Him, travel so seldom to His blood and righteousness, and live so little upon His fullness - that we are compelled so often to exclaim, "My leanness, my leanness!" (Isaiah 24:16). But, if we be "risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col 3:1), let us seek to know Christ more, to have more spiritual and enlarged comprehensions of His glory, to drink deeper into His love, to imbibe more of His Spirit, and conform more closely to His example."

How shallow contemporary teaching about Jesus appears in comparison to past writings. Much preaching today is centered on the felt needs of the congregation, and not about the glories of Christ. We have a church of consumers, but what we need is a church of people living in intimate communion with the Savior. Such communion will always be marked by love. How aware are we of the love Christ has for us? How aware are we of our defliciency in returning that love? The only answer for our church problems and failures is to seek Christ, and renew our love for Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us drink deeper. "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek" (Ps 27:8).