The goal of Scripture is an intensely personal love for Jesus
possessing you whole being. The goal of redemption is your love-relationship, your
love-life with Jesus. Christian living is living in love with Jesus. Prayer communion is
looking lovingly into Jesus' eyes, thrilling to Jesus' voice, resting in Jesus' arms.
Christ's passionate lovers have bejeweled the history and heritage of the church. No
Christian is greater than his love. Few today realize the intense devotion to Christ in
the early church and in our sainted martyrs. The Holy Spirit can develop in us just as
ardent devotion as He did in those days.
A. W. Tozer once said, "The great of the kingdom has been those who loved God more
than others did." Those who have really looked into the face of Jesus cannot but be
captivate by His love. Too often our love for Jesus is sadly impersonal. We believe in His
Person, we worship His Person, but we relate to Him far too impersonally. There is too
much distance, a tragic remoteness in our fellowship. True, He is our infinitely holy God
and we are but sin-deformed creatures before Him. He is our Sovereign King, and we bow
before His majesty. But He is also our Savior who loved us with such everlasting love that
He forsook heaven's throne to become the incarnate Son of Man, to die for us, to redeem us
for Himself and make us the special and eternal object of His love. Indeed, He came to
make us collectively His bride and personally His beloved. Let's humble ourselves before
Him. Let's confess how cool and casual we too often have been in our expression of love to
Him. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to give us a new baptism of love for Jesus. We need the
Spirit's help to love, Jesus as we should. Perhaps we have had too little of the Spirit's
fullness to enable us to love with the personal ardor Jesus desires.
All other passions build upon or flow from your passion for Jesus. A passion for souls
grows out of a passion for Christ. A passion for missions builds upon a passion for
Christ. When Hudson Taylor was once asked what was the greatest incentive to missionary
work, he instantly replied, "Love of Christ." William Booth's passion for
helping the underprivileged, the derelicts of society, and for world evangelization was
built upon his passion for Christ. The most crucial danger to a Christian, whatever his
role, is to lack a passion of Christ. The most direct route to personal renewal and new
effectiveness is a new all-consuming passion for Jesus. Lord, give us this passion,
whatever the cost!
References Used: Ablaze for God by Wesley L. Duewel
From: A Revival Source Center