The calm of the love of Christ

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27).

The apostle Paul expresses so simply and so profoundly the wonder of the love of Christ. He embraces in a few words the glory of Christ’s Person, the Son of God, the glory of His personal love for each member of His Church and the extent of that love in the giving of Himself. His words articulate the feelings of our hearts perfectly. Paul never ceased to be overwhelmed by the fact that the Son of God loved him and nor should we.

We come to worship having been occupied with the many things that demand our time and attention. The love of Christ quietens our hearts and calms our souls as we enter His presence. It was an astonishing day when Jesus “arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a ceased and there was a great calm” (Marks 4:39). He does the same for us removing the forces that cause turmoil, cares and weariness and replacing them with His peace and calmness as we enter His presence. He takes our hearts back to Calvary to remember He “gave Himself”. Those beautiful words explain the extent of His love for me. His incarnation, baptism, healing ministry, rejection and suffering all led to the day He “gave Himself”. We rest in the knowledge of “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Christ’s love for us personally unites our hearts and voices in harmonious worship of our Saviour who “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25). The people of God in the Old Testament were represented in numerous jewels (Exodus 28, Malachi 3:17). But Christ’s Church is described as one pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46). Jesus speaks of the one flock (John 10:16); Paul writes of the one body in Ephesians 4:4. Remembering the Saviour’s love brings us into the calmness of His presence in holy fellowship, strengthening the ties of eternal love that bind us, and raising a single flow of praise and adoration to our Saviour in heaven.

The Lord dismisses the barriers Christendom has manufactured. He only sees His one precious Church made up of every true believer He “loved” and for whom He “gave Himself”. Our scatteredness and divisions dishonour Him. But we remember the Saviour in the light of His return, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:27). On that day Christ will present to Himself “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). Then we shall enter fully into the eternal calmness of divine love.

In the calmness of worship, the Saviour resets our hearts to the compass of His love. We enter a new week prepared to joyfully and willingly serve and honour “The Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.