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The order of salvation is first to believe in Christ. By this we become sons of God, and the proof of our sonship is loving what God loves — Christ.

I. LOVE TO CHRIST IS IN ITSELF ESSENTIAL. The absence of this love is —

1. The loss of the greatest of spiritual pleasures. What a loss is that of the sense of taste and smell? The fairest rose cannot salute the nostrils with its perfume, nor the most dainty flavour delight the palate. But. it is infinitely more terrible not to perceive the fragrance of the name of Jesus, and to taste the richness of the bread and wine of heaven.

2. A sign of very grievous degradation. It is the mark of an animal that it cannot enter into intellectual pursuits, and when man loses the power to love his God he sinks to a level with the brutes. We greatly pity those poor creatures who cannot reason, but what shall we think of these who cannot love? Yet not to love Jesus reveals a moral imbecility far worse than mental incapacity, because it is wilful and involves a crime of the heart.

3. A clear proof that the whole manhood is out of order.

(1) The understanding, were it well balanced, would judge that Christ is before all, and give Him the preeminence.

(2) If the heart were what it should be it would love the good, the true, the beautiful, and nothing is more so than Jesus.

4. A sure token that we have no part in His salvation.

(1) The very first effect of salvation is love to Jesus.

(2) This love is the mainspring of the Spiritual life. It "constraineth us," and is the grand power which keeps us back from evil and impels us towards holiness.

(3) Without this love we incur the heaviest condemnation — "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ," etc.

II. LOVE TO CHRIST IS THE TEST OF SONSHIP. Our Lord plainly declares that God is not the Father of those who do not love Him. The Jews were by nature and descent, if any were, the children of God. They were the seed of Abraham, God's chosen, had observed God's ceremonies, bore the mark of His covenant, were the only people who worshipped one God, and incurred the greatest obloquy in consequence — yet as they did not love Christ they were no sons of God.

1. The child of God loves Christ because he loves what his Father loves: his nature, descended from God, runs in the same channel, and since God loves Christ supremely so does he.

2. He sees God in Jesus — the express image of His Person.

3. He is like Christ. Every man loves what is like himself. If you are born of God you are holy and true and loving, and as He is all that you must love Him.

4. He is essentially divine. "I proceeded and came forth," etc.

5. Of His mission —

(1) We must love that which comes from God if we love God. It matters not how small the trifle, you prize it if it comes from someone you revere. How much more should we love Him who came from God; and came not as a relic or memorial, but as His living, loving voice.

(2) Remember the message Christ brought — a message of pardon, restoration, acceptance, eternal life and glory.

6. He came not of Himself. When a man lives only to serve himself our love dries up. But Jesus' aims were entirely for the Father and for us — so our heart must go out towards Him.

III. THIS TEST IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO APPLY NOW. Do you love Him or no? If you do then, you will —

1. Trust Him and lean on Him with all your weight. Have you any other hope besides that which springs from His Cross?

2. Keep His Word. How about your neglected Bible? How about those parts of Scripture you have never understood, because afraid they were different from the creed of your church and family?

3. Keep His commandments. Do you obey Christ? If His commands are of little importance, then your heart is not with Him.

4. Imitate Him. It is the nature of love to be imitative. Are you trying to be Christ-like?

5. Love His people — not because they are sweet in their tempers or belong to your denomination, but because they are His.

6. Sympathize with His objects. Whenever we love another we begin to love the things which he loves. He delights to save men, do you?

7. Serve His cause. Love that never leads to action is no love at all. Are you speaking for Him, giving to Him?

8. Desire to be with Him.

(C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

WEB: I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father."