1 John 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world… The love of God is not a public spectacle. Love is not a material thing, that all can see alike. Thousands saw the Cross who saw nothing of the love. Where can the love of all that passion, that blood, that death, be seen? "In us," who by faith in the blood are saved to life eternal. A man goes down to the shore when a storm is raging. He sees a wreck in the offing and a crowd on the beach, He finds that he is too late to see what they have seen — the lifeboat manned and launched — to see the rescue of those on board. He has come too late for all that, but he can yet see the love of it all in the gratitude and gladness of the saved. In all those saved folk he can see the love of it all made manifest. Well, Calvary is hidden from us. The dying ended in three hours, but the love of it all is manifest in us — in every soul saved from hell — in every gleam of hope that lights the gloom of death — in all the ways by which Christian charity ministers to the needs of men. "When thou seest an eagle," said Blake, "thou seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head." Yes, and when thou seest a Christian — a soul saved from hell, and being saved from sin — thou seest a manifestation of the love of God. Lift up thy soul in praise. (J. M. Gibbon.) Parallel Verses KJV: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. |
    |