The Mighty Love of Jesus

I would like to share a quote from Puritan John Owen that I read recently. It comes from Ray Ortlund’s book, “The Gospel: How The Church Portrays The Beauty Of Christ.”

“A man may love another as his own soul, yet his love may not be able to help him. He may pity him in prison, but not relieve him, bemoan him in misery, but not help him, suffer with him in trouble, but not ease him. We cannot love grace into a child, nor mercy into a friend; we cannot love them into heaven, though it may be the greatest desire of our soul… But the love of Christ, being the love of God, is effective and fruitful in producing all the good things which he wills for his beloved. He loves life, grace and holiness into us; he loves us into covenant, loves us into heaven.” (pp.47-48)

Owen captures well the mighty love of Jesus! It is a powerful love that accomplishes all that it desires for its beloved. The love of Christ cannot fail. It cannot come up short, for it is omnipotent, everlasting love which has been supremely displayed at the cross!
Brothers and sisters, no matter our life’s circumstances or heart’s condition, let us not shrink from drawing near to this mighty Lover. Rather, may we find ourselves continually coming to him over and over again. He will not despise nor disappoint his beloved. And wonder of wonders, the more we come to him, the more we become like him (2 Cor. 3:18).

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jer. 31:3

“Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free! Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me! Underneath me, all around me, is the current of thy love – leading onward, leading homeward, to that glorious rest above!” — S. Trevor Francis