"Do You Love Me?" Evidence of Grace

If you really know anything of love towards Christ, accept two parting words of comfort and counsel.  For one thing, if you love Christ in deed and truth, rejoice in the thought that you have good evidence about the state of your soul.  Love is an evidence of grace.

There is ground for hope and strong consolation if your heart can testify that you love Christ.  Where there is true love, there is faith and grace.  You would not love Him if He had not done something for you.  Your very love is a token for good.

For another thing, if you love Christ, never be ashamed to let others see it and know it.  Speak for Him.  Witness for Him.  Live for Him.  Work for Him.  If He has loved you and washed you from your sins in His own blood, you never need shrink from letting others know that you feel it, and love Him in return.

"Man," said a thoughtless ungodly traveler to an outspoken convert to Christ, "Man, what is the reason that you make so much of Christ, and talk so much about Him?  What has this Christ done for you, that you should make so much fuss about Him?"

The converted man did not answer him in words.  He gathered some dry leaves and moss made a ring with them on the ground.  He picked up a live worm and put it in the middle of the ring.  He struck a light and set the moss and leaves on fire.  The flame soon rose and the heat scorched the worm.  It writhed in agony, and after trying in vain to escape on every side, curled itself up in the middle, as if about to die in despair.  At that moment the man reached forth his hand, took up the worm gently and placed it on his chest.  "Stranger," he said to the traveler, "Do you see that worm?  I was that perishing creature.  I was dying in my sins, hopeless, helpless, and on the brink of fire.  It was Jesus Christ who put forth the arm of His power.  It was Jesus Christ who delivered me with the hand of His grace, and plucked me from everlasting burnings.  It was Jesus Christ who placed me, a poor sinful worm, near the heart of His love.  Stranger, that is the reason why I talk of Jesus Christ and make much of Him.  I am not ashamed of it, because I love Him." 

If we know anything of love to Christ, may we never think that we can love Christ too well, live to Him too thoroughly, confess Him too boldly, give ourselves for Him too heartily!  Of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this I believe, will surprise us most: that we did not love Christ more before we died.

Adapted from the writings of J.C. Ryle