The depth of the Love of Christ

When we talk about the love of Christ, it simply means the unconditional love that Jesus Christ has for his people. An excellent writer wrote this concerning the love of Christ, "His love can be briefly stated as his willingness to act in our best interest, especially in meeting our greatest need, even though it cost him everything and even though we are the least worthy of such love". Jesus Christ existed as God alongside with the father and the divine Spirit (Genesis 1; 1-2). Jesus possessed all the divine rights and privileges as God. He enjoyed equality and fellowship with the other members of the Godhead, even before time began (John 17; 5, 15; 26). He was worshipped by the glorified saints and by the innumerable company of angels in heaven. But the triune God saw a need, and what was the need? Man had fallen into sin through the disobedience of the one Man, see (Romans 5; 12). Sin and it's fatal effects entered into the world. Mankind became hostile to God, we became wicked and our thought pattern was very corrupt. We had sunk deep down in sin, to the extent that we loved sin, more than the ways of righteousness. We had a wrong view about God and the gospel of Christ, and also held a different worldview about the Christian faith.

 We were in a state of separation from God, and the only legitimate place we would have ended up was in eternal damnation. Our ways were evil, and we were by nature sinners and children of wrath (Ephesians 2; 3). Apostle Paul penned down these words respecting our unregenerate state: What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one, "Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving," "The poison of asps is under their lips". "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness". Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God (Romans 3: 9-19). Before we came to saving faith in Christ Jesus, we were servants of sin and sin exercised it's sovereignty over our lives, and we heeded to those sinful inclinations within us. But the triune God saw a need, and it was agreed between them, that the father will send Jesus Christ (1 John 4; 14) to come down on earth, in order to perfect the work of our salvation (Romans 8; 3), and the holy Spirit will perform the work of regeneration and sanctification in the lives of his people (John 3; 5-8, 2 Thessalonians 2; 13).

Jesus said something like this to the father before his incarnation, because of my love for the children whom thou hast given me, O father, I will humble myself and partake of flesh and blood and dwell among them. Even though, I know in advance that they will not love me, but will hate me, they will speak unwholesome words against me, and they will arrest me and put a crown of thorns on my head, and they will also spit on me, and beat me with many stripes and will even crucify me on the accursed cross. But because of the joy set before me, that is the joy of saving them to myself with an everlasting salvation, I will endure the cross and despise the shame and agony connected to the cross for the sake of their own salvation''. So at the appointed time, Jesus Christ being rich in glory, emptied himself and took on the form of a servant and was found in the appearance as a Man.

 He saw our need of salvation as something much more important, and for that reason he became poor by taking on a human nature, so that we through his poverty might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8; 9). When he came, what did we do to him? We crucified him like a criminal and exposed him to public shame and ridicule. But how little did we know that the death of Christ on the tree was the supreme and highest manifestation of the love of the triune God towards us. The divine wisdom of God was at work in the substitutionary death of Christ in our place: For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5: 6-8). Through his death, he has destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil and we have received the gift of eternal life (Romans 6; 23).

Jesus Christ loved us and he demonstrated his depth of love for us by allowing himself to be crucified on the cross. Did we do anything to deserve his love and death on our behalf? Certainly not. His love is unconditional, and he died for the very people that hated him, rejected him, and eventually crucified him. He extended his gratuitous love to unworthy sinners like you and me. His love for us is something that we cannot fathom, it surpasses human understanding, it is over and beyond human comprehension. His vicarious death has brought us freedom from the domineering power of sin and restored us to fellowship with the father. Because we have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, he has made us the children of God: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name (John 1:12). Precious Reader, what did you do to deserve the love of Christ? The answer is that you did nothing to deserve his love.

 Prior to my conversion, I had no love for Christ and I despised the gospel and was determined to have nothing to do with the local church. But even in the midst of my sinfulness, Jesus Christ still loved me and effectually called and saved me to himself through the gospel, even though I was the worst among all sinners. Now, am able to identify with the apostle as he magnified the grace of God in his salvation in his epistle to his protégé': And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting (1Timothy 1; 14-16). Brethren, if Jesus has so much loved us, then it behooves us to live for him alone and for his glory. Peradventure, if you do not know Jesus Christ, then it means you have no relationship with him, but today is the acceptable time, behold this day is the day of salvation. Believe in the love of Christ towards you, believe that he died for your sins and rose again on the third day for your justification and you shall be saved. There are not many ways of salvation, but there is only one accredited way of salvation, and that is through saving faith in the person of Jesus Christ (Acts 4; 12). God bless you

                              A thought to ponder

 He saw our need of salvation as something much more important, and for that reason he became poor by taking on a human nature, so that we through his poverty might be made rich 

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