159. Love's Foremost.

Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? - Luke 7:42.

It is right for us to desire to be among the most loving servants of the Lord Jesus. It would be an interesting question concerning a company just joining the church --- "Which of them will love him most?"

How can we reach this point? How can we love him most?

We would love him as did the penitent who washed his feet with tears: whence shall come such eminence of love?

The passage before us may help us to a conclusion on that point.

I. WE MUST FIRST BE SAVED IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHERS.

The road to eminence in love is just the plain way of salvation, which all who are in Christ must travel. There is no new gospel of the higher life, and there need be no singularity of dress, abode, or vow, in order to attain the greatest heights of love.

1. All are in debt; we must heartily own this to be our own case.

2. None have anything to pay; we must confess this, without reserve, as being our own personal condition.

3. The loving Lord forgives in each case: personally we have exceeding great need of such remission. We must feel this.

4. In each case he forgives frankly, or without any consideration or compensation: it must be so with us. We must accept free grace and undeserved favor.

5. Out of this arises love. By a sense of free grace we begin to love our Lord; and in the same way we go on to love him more.

The more clear our sense of sinnership, and the more conscious our obligation to free grace, the more likely are we to love much.

II. WE MUST AIM AT A DEEP SENSE OF SIN.

1. It was the consciousness of great indebtedness which created the great love in the penitent woman. Not her sin, but the consciousness of it, was the basis of her loving character.

2. Where sin has been open and loud, there ought to be this specially humbling consciousness; for it would be an evidence of untruthfulness if it were not manifest (1 Cor. 15:9).

3. Yet is it frequently found in the most moral, and it abounds in saints of high degree. In fact, these are the persons who are most capable of feeling the evil of sin, and the greatness of the love which pardons it (1 John 1:8).

4. It is to be cultivated: The more we bewail sin the better, and we must aim at great tenderness of heart in reference to it.

In order to cultivate it we must seek to get—

A clearer view of the law's requirements (Luke 10:26,27).

A fuller idea of God's excellences, especially of his holiness (Job 42:5-6).

A sharper sense of sin's tendencies in ourselves, towards God, and towards men; and also a more overwhelming conviction of its dreadful punishment (Rom. 7:13; Ps. 51:3-4; John 5:28-29).

A deeper consciousness of the love of God to us (1 John 3:1-2).

A keener valuation of the cost of redemption (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

A surer persuasion of the perfection of our pardon will also help to show the baseness of our sin (Ezek. 16:62-63).

By these means, and all others, we must endeavor to keep our conscience active, that our heart may be sensitive.

III. THIS WILL LEAD TO A HIGHLY LOVING CARRIAGE TOWARDS OUR LORD.

We shall so love him as to behave like the penitent in the narrative.

1. We shall desire to be near him, even at his feet.

2. We shall make bold confession, and shall do this at all risks; honoring him before gainsayers, and doing so though it may cause others to make unkind remarks.

3. We shall show deep humility, delighting even to wash his feet.

4. We shall exhibit thorough contrition, beholding him with tears.

5. We shall render earnest service; doing all that lies in our power for Jesus, even as this woman did.

6. We shall make total consecration of all that we have: our tears, our eyes, our choicest gifts, our hearts, ourselves, etc.

Thus shall we reach the goal we desire.

A company of those who "love him most", dwelling in any place, would give a tone to the society around them.

We have enough of head-workers; now for heart-lovers.

Why should we not aim to be among the closest followers of our Lord, loving most, and living specially consecrated lives?