ACQUAINTANCE WITH CHRIST

ACQUAINTANCE WITH CHRIST

The real good in any ministry is in the measure in which it feeds the heart with Christ. He is the Sun, not only to give light and heat, but according to the growth, according to the surface presented to Him, so is there more conferred. As there is growth there is more capacity to take Him in, and this is increased as the heart is occupied with Him. The order is first ‘won’; this deepens as the heart learns His love in humiliation, He “loved me, and gave himself for me”. (Galatians 2: 20) Second, ‘satisfied’, because you are in association with Him where He is. The heart that is captivated by an object could never be at rest until it was with the one who had won it; for satisfaction you must be ^[p. 138] where He is, there is no company otherwise. The first desire of a true heart, as in Luke 7, is to seek the presence of the Saviour - to be in personal nearness to Him. In the Canticles we find that whenever He is presented all is bright, but though there is true affection, and often deep delight, there cannot be satisfaction of heart until there is assured association and union. But when there is satisfaction, there comes a new occupation. All before related chiefly to oneself; but when the heart is satisfied, the occupation will be studying Him, and seeking to be suitable to Him. The loss is that many try to be suitable to Him, in order to satisfy their own hearts; then there is a legality about it, and it bears the mark of seeking to make oneself the object rather than another. Now when the heart is satisfied, it sits before the Lord and studies His mind, and adopts habits and ways, and enters on work just as it will please Him. All the previous activities of the heart are increased by each new one; that is, I feel the more won by Christ when I am satisfied by Him, and as I study Him, I am more won and more satisfied. And then, as I am suitable to Him, I have sanctification in His company. “For their sakes I sanctify myself”. (John 17: 19) As I am sanctified I am “furnished” (2 Timothy 3: 17), and it is the adorned one that is only qualified to be the serving one. “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her”, (Proverbs 31: 11) is the principle of the serving one, and as he is more won, more satisfied, more suitable, so is he more serving. The action of love is always to seek the company, the presence of the loved one, as Jonathan to David, and to express the love by making little of oneself. The answer to the sinner is, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7: 50); this is the confirmation given to the sinner at his first personal acquaintance with the Saviour. The saint has that love deepened, and as he is led on to association and union, he is satisfied. Love really does not think of anyone but its Object until it ^[p. 139] is quite sure of its place with Him, and then when at rest about itself it studies the mind and heart of the Object. I find that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me when I was in a most unattractive state; but He makes me suitable to Himself, and I am so assured of the permanency of His love and of my association with Him that my heart is free to study Him. The more I am in His company, the more I acquire the tastes and habits which answer to His mind.