Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle: 365 Sermons
‘The love of Jesus, what it is—none but his loved ones know.’
‘And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.’ Ephesians 3:19
Suggested Further Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5
An increase of love, a more perfect apprehension of Christ’s love is one of the best and most infallible gauges whereby we may test ourselves whether we have grown in grace or not. If we have grown in grace, it is absolutely certain that we shall have advanced in our knowledge and reciprocation of the love of Christ. Many here present have believed in Jesus, and they do know the love of Jesus. But they know it not as some others here do, who have gone into the inner chamber, and have been made to drink of the spiced wine of Christ’s pomegranate. Some of you have begun to climb the mountain, and the view which lies at your feet is lovely and passing fair, but the landscape is not such as would greet your eyes if you could but stand where advanced saints are standing now, and could look to the east and to the west, to the north and to the south, and see all the lengths and breadths, and depths and heights, of ‘the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.’ To change the figure: the love of Christ is comparable with Jacob’s ladder; some of us are standing on the lower rungs, and there are others who are ascending and who rest half way; others still are getting up so high that we can scarce see them by reason of the dimness of our sight; and there are some, perhaps, at this hour, who have just reached the topmost rung of this knowledge, and are now stepping as it were into the arms of Christ who awaits them at the top; they have attained unto their perfection. Here they shall find repose. They shall rest in his love, and with the eternal songs of heaven they shall rejoice for ever and for ever.
For meditation: A realisation of Christ’s love towards us should affect us inwardly (Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:14) and outwardly (John 13:34; 15:12; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:11). Is this increasingly the case with you?
Sermon no. 455
18 June (1862)