Experiencing the Depth of Christ's Love

The Apostle says you were Christians but you at the moment seem to know very little about what is possible for you in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and of his love in a direct immediate and personal sense now then we are therefore considering it from the very practical standpoint. [00:03:23]

We must never conceive of this in a mechanical manner it's not something that happens automatically if we do something then we have it no it isn't that we must always remember that we are dealing with a very personal matter here it is to know the love of Christ not love as a vague General sentiment. [00:03:47]

The word of God this uh word is a word which is given in order to reveal him to us that really is the purpose of the word it is to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ now this is true of the Old Testament as well as the new you recall how after his own Resurrection he took his incredulous disciples. [00:08:55]

You know it's possible even to read the scriptures in a thoroughly profitless manner if you simply read the scriptures mechanically because you believe it's right and good to read the scriptures you'll probably derive very little benefit from so doing you may get an immediate sense of self-satisfaction and self-righteousness. [00:10:21]

Every bit of intelligence we possess is needed as we read the scriptures all our faculties and propensities and even that's not enough we must pray for the illumination and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit now I mean something like this that whenever we go to the scriptures we must talk to ourselves before we start reading. [00:10:48]

Thanksgiving is a very vital part of this matter Thanksgiving the danger is when you read a great passage like this and when you read the experiences of others you tend to say well now that's what I want I give the whole world for that and so you go and you begin to pray for this and plead for it. [00:21:28]

Do you know God Delights to hear our Thanksgiving and our prayers that's why the Apostle you see in writing to the Philippians puts it like this in nothing be anxious but in all things with prayer and supplication and Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God oh if we believe that he's there. [00:22:06]

He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest myself to him now nothing could be clearer and plainer than that and yet how often do we forget it we tend to Divine our lives up into compartments. [00:24:11]

If we really do want to know him and his love well then I say do everything that he's ever told you to do it's all here for us there's no excuse It's in The Sermon on the Mount it's in these Epistles it's everywhere in his own teaching let us therefore I say give ourselves to the keeping of his Commandments. [00:25:48]

We must go on and on and on seeking him and as we do so he will do various things to us leave it to him as regards the time but just go on and tell him or may I borrow that word again of Thomas Goodwin sue him for it and keep on doing so like the importunate Widow and the unjust judge. [00:35:42]

There is nothing more important in this matter than being being responsive to his approaches what do I mean by that well I mean that you look for them I mean that you wait for them you see it's possible for you to be so busy reading your scriptures and praying and doing all I've been saying and you say nothing happens. [00:36:32]

Our Lord deals with us like that he is our Heavenly lover and he manifests his love sometimes very faintly just a slight indication of it and you and I should be looking for these things don't say it must always come in one stereotype manner not at all he has his ways of manifesting his love be always on the lookout. [00:38:15]