Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 751
Delivered on Lord’s-day Morning, MAY 19, 1867, by, the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”- Romans 8:37.
THE distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the Apostle, “Christ loved me and gave Himself for me.” Then love gives the countersign and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. “We love Him because He first loved us.” “God is love,” and the children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love—the love of Christ constrains them. They believe in Jesus’ love and then they reflect it. They rejoice that Divine love is set upon them. They feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given to them, and then by force of gratitude they love fervently the Savior with a pure heart.
In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double mark was very clearly to be seen in all believers in Jesus. They were men who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has tried. They did not speak of Christ’s love as though it were a myth to be respected, a tradition to be reverenced—they viewed it as a blessed reality and they cast their whole confidence upon it, being persuaded that it would bear them up as upon eagles’ wings, and carry them all their days. They were assured that it would be to them a foundation of rock against which the waves might beat, and the winds blow, but their soul’s habitation would stand securely if founded upon it.
The love which they felt towards the Lord Jesus was not a quiet emotion which they hid within themselves in the secret chamber of their souls, and which they only spoke of in their private assemblies when they met on the first day of the week and sung hymns in honor of Christ Jesus the Crucified. It was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming energy that it permeated all their lives, became visible in all their actions, spoke in their common talk, and looked out of their eyes—even in their most common glances. Love to Jesus was a flame which fed upon the very marrow of their bones, the core and heart of their being, and, therefore, from its own force burned its way into the outer man and shone there.
Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians. Because of their dependence upon Christ’s love they dared much! And because of their love to Christ they did much. Because of their reliance upon the love of Jesus they were not afraid of their enemies! And because of their love to Jesus they scorned to shun the foe even when he appeared in the most dreadful forms. The Christians of the early ages sacrificed themselves continually upon the altar of Christ with joy and willingness. Wherever they were they bore testimony against the evil customs which surrounded them.
They counted it foul scorn for a Christian to be as others were—they would not conform themselves to the world— they could not, for they were transformed by the renewing of their minds! Their love to Christ compelled them to bear their witness against everything which dishonored Christ by being contrary to truth, and righteousness, and love. They were innovators, reformers, image-breakers everywhere! They could not be quiet and let others do as they pleased while they followed out their own views. And their protest was continual, incessant, annoying to the foe, but acceptable to
God.
In every place the Christian was a speckled bird, because love to Jesus would not allow him to disguise his convictions. He was everywhere a stranger and an alien because the very language of his everyday life differed from that of his neighbors. Where others blasphemed, he adored. Where others used oaths habitually, his “yes” was yes, and his “no,” no. Where others girt on the sword, he resisted not evil. Where others were, each man, seeking his own and not his
brother’s welfare, the Christian was known as being one whose treasure was in Heaven, and who had set his affections upon things above.
This love to Jesus made the Christian a perpetual protestor against evil for the sake of Jesus. It led him yet further— he became a constant witness to the Truth of God which he had found so precious in his own soul. Christian men were like Naphtali, of whom it was said: “Naphtali is a hind let loose he gives goodly words.” Tongue-tied Christians, silent witnesses, were scarcely known in Apostolic days. The matron talked of Christ to her servants. The child, having learned of Jesus, spoke of Him in the schools.
The Christian workman at the shop testified, and the Christian minister (and these were many in those days, for all men ministered according to their ability) stood in the corners of the streets, or met in their own hired houses with tens or twenties, as the case might be. They were always declaring the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ, and of His death and Resurrection and of the cleansing power of His blood. The love of Jesus, I have said at the commencement, was a real passion with those men and their confidence in Jesus was real and practical. And therefore their testimony for Jesus was bold, clear, and decided.