Do We love Christ?

[Cato]

George Whitefield shocked me with that question in his sermon "Method Of Grace"

Whitefield further emphasizes it with a great follow up question. "If you love Christ, then why do you do the things you do?"

If I do love Christ, why don't I love my enemies? Why am I often afraid? Why do I backslide? I finally had to ask myself after considering it if I'm truly saved. now I'm conflicted.

 

[Dwimble]

There is a difference between loving Christ and loving Christ perfectly. None of us will love Him perfectly in this life.

2 Peter 1:3-9 - 3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."

 

[Peairtach]

The Bible emphasises that the true Christian that loves Jesus from the heart and seeks to put into practice His commandments, also has an ongoing struggle with remaining sin until he is perfected at death.

http://www.puritanboard.com/f15/why-believers-not-perfected-sanctification-regeneration-60633/

 

[KMK]

LBC 13:2 This sanctification is throughout the whole man, yet imperfect in this life; there abides still some remnants of corruption in every part, wherefrom arises a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

LBC 13:3 In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome; and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ as Head and King, in his Word has prescribed to them.

The most important thing is not winning the war but being in the war to begin with.

 

[JennyG]

To read a lot of modern worship songs (especially the "Jesus is my Boyfriend" school) you would think each and every professing Christian is overflowing with passionate, conscious love for the Lord at every moment.
Older writers had more spiritual insight..

Cowper wrote,
Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love thee, and adore -
O for grace to love thee more!

and you get the same note in a lot of traditional hymns

 

[KMK]

To read a lot of modern worship songs (especially the "Jesus is my Boyfriend" school) you would think each and every professing Christian is overflowing with passionate, conscious love for the Lord at every moment.
Older writers had more spiritual insight..

Cowper wrote,
Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love thee, and adore -
O for grace to love thee more!

and you get the same note in a lot of traditional hymns

John Newton, "Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder"

Hark! the Name of Jesus, sounded
Loud, from golden harps above!
Lord, we blush, and are confounded,
Faint our praises, cold our love!
Wash our souls and songs with blood,
For by Thee we come to God.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

A Friend That Sticketh Closer Than A Brother

One there is, above all others,
Well deserves the name of friend;
His is love beyond a brother's,
Costly, free, and knows no end:
They who once his kindness prove,
Find it everlasting love!

Which of all our friends to save us,
Could or would have shed their blood?
But our Jesus died to have us
Reconciled, in him to God:
This was boundless love indeed!
Jesus is a friend in need.

Men, when raised to lofty stations,
Often know their friends no more;
Slight and scorn their poor relations
Though they valued them before.
But our Saviour always owns
Those whom he redeemed with groans.

When he lived on earth abased,
Friend of sinners was his name;
Now, above all glory raised,
He rejoices in the same:
Still he calls them brethren, friends,
And to all their wants attends.

Could we bear from one another,
What he daily bears from us?
Yet this glorious Friend and Brother,
Loves us though we treat him thus:
Though for good we render ill,
He accounts us brethren still.

O for grace our hearts to soften!
Teach us, Lord, at length to love;
We, alas! forget too often,
What a Friend we have above:
But when home our souls are brought,
We will love thee as we ought.

--John Newton

 

[JennyG]

If I do love Christ, why don't I love my enemies? Why am I often afraid? Why do I backslide? I finally had to ask myself after considering it if I'm truly saved. now I'm conflicted.

Cowper was as true a believer as any man could be, but he asked himself the same question and had a lot of spiritual torment over it all his life. He died still convinced he was bound for hell, but then after his death someone said "his expression was that of calmness and composure, mingled as it were with a holy surprise`".
I like to think of him when assurance falters (which it does)-
I like to think that after a lifetime of being at the mercy of Satan's whisperings, he finally proved the truth of his other hymn -

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercies, and shall break
In blessings on your head

and it's very true what Pastor Klein says:

The most important thing is not winning the war but being in the war to begin with.

 

[yoyoceramic]

Christ, why don't I love my enemies? Why am I often afraid? Why do I backslide? I finally had to ask myself after considering it if I'm truly saved.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

 

[jwithnell]

Friend, it is wise to note the number of places in the scripture where stern warnings are given to those who consider themselves to be among God's people. Isaiah preached this same message over and over. We should all consider if our trust is in Christ and nothing else.

That said, we should also remember the questions Paul so poignantly asks: "Who will bring a charge against God's elect: God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?" (Rom 8:33-34a)

 

[Cato]

OK, thanks all but I believe I have an anger problem that manifests itself by my taking a very aggressive stance with people..... what does it say in the bible about how it should be handled?

 

[jwithnell]

I meant to add further (but got interrupted) that after we examine our position in Christ, we need to back off and grasp hold of the objective promises made in scripture -- "I will not leave you nor forsake you." "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved." and so forth. Our hope is in what God has promised in His word, not what we feel in ourselves or in how well we can "do" because our work will never be enough. People can get into a death spiral by looking to themselves rather than outwardly to God's objective Word.

Anger. The easy answer: read the chapter in Proverbs each day that corresponds to the day of the month: Today you'd read Proverbs 28; and keep going with it for several months. It gives such practical guidance in attitudes and action, avoiding sin and so forth.

The more involved answer has to do with the way anger comes out from such an internal part of a person. On one level, it might be wise to get Christian counsel to see if there might be some under girding difficulty that presents itself as anger. I was treated with a good deal of anger growing up, so it's really easy to fall into that same temperament in my own dealing with others. And because anger does become such a part of you, years of seeking after God in prayer, diligence in the application of scripture and the full application of the means of grace are likely the only way to see progress in this area: we need the long-term work of sanctification and the growth in wisdom that comes from that. May God be gracious to all of us as we deal with besetting sin!