IDENTIFICATION WITH HIS INTERESTS

IDENTIFICATION WITH HIS INTERESTS

I am deeply thankful that you are both so well, and that your heart is set on the first characteristic of union with Christ, namely, identification with His interests. How deeply interesting, and what a privilege! Rebekah must have come to Isaac before her individuality could be merged in him. When you meet a sinner or a saint you are interested in him or her, not merely for his or her own sake, but for the sake of the One to whom you are united, and whom you love to see honoured. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. I enjoyed the readings at Belfast much — Colossians in the morning and Hebrews in the evening. The difference between crucifixion and circumcision came out well — the putting off of the old man for you have Another to take his place. Many would like to acquire a new trait of character or mind, but no one would naturally like to exchange himself for Another, old tastes and abilities all gone and new ones superseding them.

I have been much interested in seeing the perfection of His salvation without any contribution from the body, as in the case of the thief who is so perfectly cleared in the sight of God that he is to go that day to Paradise, but his body thus cleared is the Lord’s, and if he had remained here it would be the temple of the Holy Ghost. Marvellous grace to enable us to glorify the Redeemer here. It is grandly beautiful.

Best love to you both. Do you know the nature of God’s love? He confers the greatest thing at the greatest cost. He sent His Son that we might have life — the greatest ^[p. 185] thing, and He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins — the greatest cost.

When we act in love we know what love is because it has led us to do so and so. Hence the importance of loving the brethren (1 John 4: 12). It is a great thing to know that I am using the love which He has for me to others, and therefore the more I use it the more I know the love He has for me.