Topical Bible: Love to Christ: Manifested in Seeking Him

Bible > Topical > Love to Christ

◄ Love to Christ: Manifested in Seeking Him ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The love of a believer for Christ is a central theme in Christian theology and practice, often demonstrated through the earnest seeking of His presence, guidance, and fellowship. This love is not merely an emotional affection but is deeply rooted in the believer's response to the grace and salvation offered through Jesus Christ. The act of seeking Christ is a tangible expression of this love, reflecting a desire to know Him more intimately and to align one's life with His teachings.

Biblical Foundations

The Bible provides numerous examples and exhortations that illustrate the importance of seeking Christ as an expression of love. In the Old Testament, the psalmist declares, "You, God, are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1). This longing for God is fulfilled in the New Testament through the person of Jesus Christ, who invites believers to seek Him.

In the Gospels, Jesus Himself encourages this pursuit: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). Seeking the kingdom is synonymous with seeking Christ, as He embodies the kingdom of God. This pursuit is not only a command but also a promise of provision and fulfillment.

Expressions of Seeking Christ

1. Prayer and Devotion: Seeking Christ is often manifested through prayer and personal devotion. The believer's love for Christ compels them to spend time in His presence, communicating through prayer and meditating on His Word. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this in his prayer for the Ephesians, "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith as you are being rooted and grounded in love" (Ephesians 3:17).

2. Obedience to His Commands: Love for Christ is also demonstrated through obedience. Jesus states, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Seeking Christ involves a commitment to live according to His teachings, reflecting His character in one's actions and decisions.

3. Worship and Praise: Corporate and personal worship are vital expressions of seeking Christ. The act of worship is a declaration of love and adoration, as believers gather to honor Christ's sovereignty and grace. Hebrews 13:15 encourages believers to "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name."

4. Pursuit of Holiness: Seeking Christ involves a pursuit of holiness, as believers strive to be conformed to His image. This pursuit is motivated by love, as the believer desires to reflect the purity and righteousness of Christ. The Apostle Peter exhorts, "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do" (1 Peter 1:15).

5. Community and Fellowship: Engaging in Christian community and fellowship is another way believers seek Christ. Through relationships with other believers, individuals are encouraged, challenged, and supported in their spiritual journey. The early church exemplified this in Acts 2:42 , where "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

The Reward of Seeking Christ

The Scriptures assure believers that seeking Christ is not in vain. Hebrews 11:6 affirms, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." The reward is not only the fulfillment of earthly needs but also the ultimate joy of eternal life with Christ.

In summary, love for Christ is profoundly manifested in the believer's earnest and continual seeking of Him. This pursuit is characterized by prayer, obedience, worship, holiness, and community, all of which reflect a deep and abiding love for the Savior.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Songs 3:2
I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves: I sought him, but I found him not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christ Forgives the Magdalen at the House of Simon the Pharisee. ...
... he could not be so deceived." Christ, noticing his ... his cold hospitality with the
heartfelt love which the ... oppressed with grief and sin, had manifested for him. ...
/.../section 140 christ forgives the.htm

A Faithful Witness
... to the people the words of life, seeking to lead ... us to manifest the same tender
compassion that Christ manifested. That man only who has unselfish love for his ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 54 a faithful witness.htm

Seeking and Finding
... which God has prepared for them that love Him, will be ... cannot be as fully aware of
Christ's presence as ... with this question after the Lord manifested Himself to ...
/.../anderson/prayer availeth much/chapter 11 seeking and finding.htm

John the Beloved
... the judgment hall and lingered about the cross, and at the tidings that Christ had
risen ... The confiding love and unselfish devotion manifested in the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 53 john the beloved.htm

The Sweet Uses of Adversity
... "Whate'er consists not with thy love,. ... of us do in some way or other, I fear, help
to dim the lustre of God's grace, as manifested in the cross of Christ. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the sweet uses of adversity.htm

Love
... that man ever did or ever will love God, until first of all God has manifested his
love ... If ye loved Christ better ye would love all Christ's church, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/love.htm

The Indwelling Christ
... nonsense, but to those of us who do see in Him the manifested incarnate God ... the question
here whether 'love' means Christ's love to me, or my love to Christ. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the indwelling christ.htm

Sovereign Grace and Man's Responsibility
... "Love to him! ... have said, "Lord, save Pilate, he does not want to kill Christ, he
labours ... God was found of him that sought not for him; he manifested himself to ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/sovereign grace and mans responsibility.htm

Do You Know Him?
... have leaped in one moment into love, and life ... holy enthusiasm, when Jesus Christ
has manifested himself to ... have the conscious presence of my Lord Jesus Christ! ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/do you know him.htm

Christ on the Road to the Cross
... of will under, but I more correctly say, manifested His strength ... for the sins of
the whole world.' Love to us ... May not part of the reason for Christ's haste have ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/christ on the road to.htm