These are some thoughts I had today after reading a short portion from Thomas Vincent's The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ. I normally do not write like this, but I wanted to remember today's reading. Despite some difficulties at morning service, the Lord has given me an especially peaceful and happy Sabbath day. The most beautiful Virginia weather I have felt all year, and a phone conversation with a dear friend, who moved away in March, who I have not heard the voice of in a long while both occurred today.
Thomas Vincent articulated that if we love Christ, we love his image. Christ’s image is found upon his word and upon his people. Do we love Christ’s word? Do we love when the Scriptures exalt God’s righteousness, justice, wrath, mercy, love, kindness, and patience? Do we love our brothers in the Lord? If you love the image, you love the original it is based upon. Due to our sin, we have an imperfect love of an imperfect image. We do not understand all the Scriptures tell us, but we love what we have been illuminated to. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are certainly imperfect, but we love them. Our love is imperfect. We will not always be full of it. Personally, my relationships with some fellow Christians have been difficult recently. Major theological differences have reared their heads. Christ perfectly loves a perfect image. He intimately knows what his bride will be like upon her perfection in him. He loves that bride with an infinite love. The measure of Christ’s love we feel now is akin to dipping a thimble into the Atlantic.
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22-23
Thomas Vincent articulated that if we love Christ, we love his image. Christ’s image is found upon his word and upon his people. Do we love Christ’s word? Do we love when the Scriptures exalt God’s righteousness, justice, wrath, mercy, love, kindness, and patience? Do we love our brothers in the Lord? If you love the image, you love the original it is based upon. Due to our sin, we have an imperfect love of an imperfect image. We do not understand all the Scriptures tell us, but we love what we have been illuminated to. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are certainly imperfect, but we love them. Our love is imperfect. We will not always be full of it. Personally, my relationships with some fellow Christians have been difficult recently. Major theological differences have reared their heads. Christ perfectly loves a perfect image. He intimately knows what his bride will be like upon her perfection in him. He loves that bride with an infinite love. The measure of Christ’s love we feel now is akin to dipping a thimble into the Atlantic.
"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22-23
