Good question. I plan to chime in tonight after a date with my beautiful bride (and kids!).
I wouldn't word it the same way Charnock did "He loved us...above...he loved Himself." I see His love for us as a "necessary" outflow of His love for Himself. In other words, because of the value He places on the full panorama of His perfections, He "must" display them. Grace and mercy could be displayed in its fullest measure by redeeming rebels against Him...and that at the expense of the life His only Son!?!?@@! I'd say it differently - necessary outflow, rather than "above." God's love for us, is part and parcel to His love to Himself. Thoughts?
"How wonderful was the love of Christ! To accept willingly of such hard conditions for us, and die so ignominiously upon the cross which we had deserved! He knew the burden of sin, he know the terrors of hell. Yet he did not shrink from the imputation of the one or the sufferings of the other. It was not a willingness founded upon ignorance but upon clear-sighted affection [love for his people]." - pg 128
My mind went to Mark 10:32 as I thought of Christ's willingness to die:
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him,
33 saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
34 "They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again."
Christ knew what awaited Him in Jeruselum and yet He walked on ahead of them. The pain and mockery - the cross in full view. "Jesus was walking on ahead of them." And they were what? Amazed. Should we not join them in total amazement? How many times I have read that verse and scanned right through "Jesus was walking on ahead of them" with no meditation on the depth of those words. When we take the words of Mark 10:32 and view them through John 17 they scream of Christ's passionate, willful mission. We are hit head on with the motive and purpose of the cross. How rich is the phrase: "Jesus was walking on ahead of them!"
"Worse than devils are we, if we are not ravished [delighted] with so great an affection, which made him leave the heaven of his Father's presence for a time, to pass through our hell in the dregs of creation." - pg 129
No one took it. He gave it. Willingly.
Amen Tuck! As we meditate on our beautiful Saviour, may we all be more impressed with Christ. Let us be "ravished with so great an affection."
"Those who lay claim to a relation with God without imitation of him are not children but bastards. They may be of his family by instruction but not by decent." (110).
The "vapor-ness" of life has been gripping me of late. Oh for a fair meeting with the King of Glory when we come to die! Oh to enter with great joy into the very joy of the Maste--as He bids us to enter in because of faithfulness in us that was wrought by the grace purchased by His Son at Calvary!
Jesus: "Whose image and likeness" is on the coin?" Jordan: "Ceasars." Jesus: Jordan: "Then give it to Ceasar." Jesus: "Who's image and likeness is on you?" Jordan: "Christ Almighty's." Jesus: "Then give yourself to Him!"
Oh to be more conformed to the image of Christ!
Charnock, meditating on "himself" in Eph. 5:2 wrote, "'Himself.' Not only his body of flesh, not only his soul a spirit, but himself, his whole person. His soul, his body, himself, the Son of God and the Son of man." (111).
This is a truth too wonderful for human ears & hearts! GOD HAS GIVEN US HIMSELF! Ah, but notice the verse...(Eph. 5:2)..."Christ gave Himself TO GOD..." "He appeared before God as sitting upon a seat of justice, that he might open to us a throng of grace." (111).
"All the offerings and sacrifices of the law were completed in Christ. All his life wherein he acted for the glory of God was an offering." (112).
"What the legal sacrifices could not perform, as being earthy, mean and too low for the acceptation of God and delighted him no otherwise than as they referred to Christ; this sweet sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb of God possessed with a perfect love both to God's glory and man's safety." (112-3) - Praise the Lord--God is glorified, and saved sinners are eternally satisfied--all through Jesus Christ crucified!
The entire "voluntariness" section! A willing--not begrudged--Savior is Christ Jesus! The humble, meek, submissive, dependent God-Man! He is altogether lovely!
Oh, "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor." (II Cor. 8:9).
3 comments:
Tuck,
Good question. I plan to chime in tonight after a date with my beautiful bride (and kids!).
I wouldn't word it the same way Charnock did "He loved us...above...he loved Himself." I see His love for us as a "necessary" outflow of His love for Himself. In other words, because of the value He places on the full panorama of His perfections, He "must" display them. Grace and mercy could be displayed in its fullest measure by redeeming rebels against Him...and that at the expense of the life His only Son!?!?@@! I'd say it differently - necessary outflow, rather than "above." God's love for us, is part and parcel to His love to Himself. Thoughts?
"How wonderful was the love of Christ! To accept willingly of such hard conditions for us, and die so ignominiously upon the cross which we had deserved! He knew the burden of sin, he know the terrors of hell. Yet he did not shrink from the imputation of the one or the sufferings of the other. It was not a willingness founded upon ignorance but upon clear-sighted affection [love for his people]." - pg 128
My mind went to Mark 10:32 as I thought of Christ's willingness to die:
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him,
33 saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
34 "They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again."
Christ knew what awaited Him in Jeruselum and yet He walked on ahead of them. The pain and mockery - the cross in full view. "Jesus was walking on ahead of them." And they were what? Amazed. Should we not join them in total amazement? How many times I have read that verse and scanned right through "Jesus was walking on ahead of them" with no meditation on the depth of those words. When we take the words of Mark 10:32 and view them through John 17 they scream of Christ's passionate, willful mission. We are hit head on with the motive and purpose of the cross. How rich is the phrase: "Jesus was walking on ahead of them!"
"Worse than devils are we, if we are not ravished [delighted] with so great an affection, which made him leave the heaven of his Father's presence for a time, to pass through our hell in the dregs of creation." - pg 129
No one took it. He gave it. Willingly.
Amen Tuck! As we meditate on our beautiful Saviour, may we all be more impressed with Christ. Let us be "ravished with so great an affection."
"Those who lay claim to a relation with God without imitation of him are not children but bastards. They may be of his family by instruction but not by decent." (110).
The "vapor-ness" of life has been gripping me of late. Oh for a fair meeting with the King of Glory when we come to die! Oh to enter with great joy into the very joy of the Maste--as He bids us to enter in because of faithfulness in us that was wrought by the grace purchased by His Son at Calvary!
Jesus: "Whose image and likeness" is on the coin?"
Jordan: "Ceasars."
Jesus:
Jordan: "Then give it to Ceasar." Jesus: "Who's image and likeness is on you?"
Jordan: "Christ Almighty's."
Jesus: "Then give yourself to Him!"
Oh to be more conformed to the image of Christ!
Charnock, meditating on "himself" in Eph. 5:2 wrote, "'Himself.' Not only his body of flesh, not only his soul a spirit, but himself, his whole person. His soul, his body, himself, the Son of God and the Son of man." (111).
This is a truth too wonderful for human ears & hearts! GOD HAS GIVEN US HIMSELF! Ah, but notice the verse...(Eph. 5:2)..."Christ gave Himself TO GOD..." "He appeared before God as sitting upon a seat of justice, that he might open to us a throng of grace." (111).
"All the offerings and sacrifices of the law were completed in Christ. All his life wherein he acted for the glory of God was an offering." (112).
"What the legal sacrifices could not perform, as being earthy, mean and too low for the acceptation of God and delighted him no otherwise than as they referred to Christ; this sweet sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb of God possessed with a perfect love both to God's glory and man's safety." (112-3) - Praise the Lord--God is glorified, and saved sinners are eternally satisfied--all through Jesus Christ crucified!
The entire "voluntariness" section! A willing--not begrudged--Savior is Christ Jesus! The humble, meek, submissive, dependent God-Man! He is altogether lovely!
Oh, "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor." (II Cor. 8:9).
Rejoice in the God of our salvation!
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