CHRIST’S LOVE FOR THE ASSEMBLY

D. R. Freeman

Christ’s love is a present love, so the doxology in Revelation 1: 5, in spite of all the failure yet to be recorded, is “to him who loves us”, the same One who has washed us from our sins in His blood. He has given many tokens of His love. What could be greater than His making known the Father’s name (John 17: 26)? The conversion of Saul (later Paul) indicates Christ’s love for the church, the place the persecuted disciples had in His affections, and His love was further displayed in such a gift being given as the beloved apostle of the gentiles. So the Lord acts still from His place on high, where He has all power, and will order yet that those who are false acknowledge the true object of His affections, the church, which Saul was persecuting (see Revelation 3: 9), of which the Lord could say, “Why dost thou persecute me?”. Saul came to know how the Lord loved her at a time of grace, so that he, too, became more abundantly serviceable, devoted to Christ’s chief interest here. He will serve best who knows Christ’s present love the most.

Kingston, Ont.