Love to Christ

Sincere love is love wholly free from self-interest. Sincere love to Christ is not to love Him for what He gives us, but for what He is in himself. A young lady may love a man because he saved her life, but she loves her husband because of what he is. Christ is the lovely and the lovable One. Christ, not the blessing, is to be loved. He is to be loved with or without blessings. There is great need of more intense love to Christ in the hearts of His saints. Few, indeed, that love Jesus as they should. If they loved Christ as they should, it would make a great change in their life. “Is it I?” When Christ is loved in sincerity, He is associated with everything in life. Everything brings thoughts of Him. Present a man, who loves his wife, with a basket of nice, ripe fruit and he will at once think of her. When you receive your monthly salary, you will think of Jesus before yourself, if you love Him more than yourself. You have greater joy in the thing received because of how much of it you can give to Christ, rather than how much you can have for yourself. Increase and abound in love.