Our Lord Jesus Christ received these precious words from the Father, who commanded Him to speak them for our comfort (Ch. 12:49). They sweetly assure us of the Father’s love. We read of God’s love “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). We read also of Christ’s love— “Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:2525Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25)); and of the Father’s love, which is exercised toward those who, through grace, have been brought into relationship with Himself— “the Father Himself loveth you.”
The Father’s love has wrought for us in accomplishing redemption through the death of His Son, and in Him risen and ascended, according to His eternal purpose; thus giving us life in Christ, and bringing us into the relationship of children, as well as uniting us to Christ by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The Father’s love has wrought in us in revealing His Son unto us. When our Lord said to Peter “Whom say ye that I am?” and he replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus immediately said, “Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16:15-1715He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 16:15‑17)). Thus we see that everyone who has apprehended the person of “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” has only done so because of a distinct revelation of the Father to the heart. Without this, whatever else we may have known, we should have been in darkness as to the person of the Son, concerning whom it is said, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (John 5:1212Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? (John 5:12)). To apprehend the person of the Son of God is entirely beyond the scope of the natural man. He may have heard of His name and of His works, he may be acquainted with the external circumstances of His death on Calvary, and of the fact of His resurrection, and yet not know Him. Though to the natural eye Jesus was like another man, “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” yet Peter saw, by the revelation of the Father, that He was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The Father has also wrought in us in having drawn us to Christ as sinners to a Saviour. It is only by the working of the Father’s grace in our hearts that we have thus had to do with Him whom the Father sent. Unless the Father had specially wrought in us in this way it is certain we should never have found our true place, as hell-deserving ones, at the feet of a gracious Saviour. It is well to have the sense of this fact constantly fresh in our souls, for Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him;” and again, “No man can come to Me, except it were given to him of my Father” (John 6:44-6544No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (John 6:44‑65)). Thus we see that the Father’s love has accomplished redemption for us, brought us into nearness to Himself, called us into the relationship of children, given us the Spirit, revealed His Son to us, and drawn us to Him as our Saviour. How sweet to think of the various yet distinct actions of the Father’s love! Well might an inspired servant cry out, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us!”
How astonishing then is the fact that there are those on the earth who, though poor and feeble in their own eyes, sensible too of much failure, coldness, and forgetfulness of Him, are the constant objects of the Father’s love; those on whom. He ever looks with a Father’s watchful eye, and ministers unto with fatherly care. He is the perfect Father. He knows the state of heart, as well as the need, peculiarities, and circumstances of each child, and withholds or gives, sends adversity or prosperity, as is most for our real good. He disciplines and chastens for our profit that we may be in subjection to Him, and be partakers of His holiness. It is well that we should receive all from Him, for all is dealt out in infinite wisdom by the hand of perfect love for
“A father’s heart can never cause
His child a needless tear.”
He desires us to cast all our care upon Him for He careth for us, to make all our requests known unto Him by prayer and supplication; and in this our Lord encouraged us by saying, “If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?” (Matt. 7:1111If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11)).
But one of the children: of God may inquire, “How much does the Father love me?” We are told that the Father loves us as He loves Jesus (John 17:2323I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)). Our blessed Lord said to His disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you;” His love to us then is the same as the Father’s love to Him; and elsewhere we find. He prayed that by-and-bye the world may know that the Father loves us as He loves His Son. Thus we find that the infinite, eternal, unchanging love of the Father to the Son is the measure of His love to us His children. This too will be manifested ere long in answer to His prayer, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also that shall believe on me through their word... and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast loved then as thou hast loved me” (John 17:20-2320Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20‑23)). In perfect keeping with the activity of this infinite, eternal, unchanging love, “the Father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1. 3). Thus we are always before His eye in all nearness, acceptance, righteousness, and life of Christ, and blessed in Him with all spiritual blessings; and all this and more to be known now for our present enjoyment, and power for service and conflict. What a precious assurance for our poor hearts are in these few words of our adorable Lord— “The Father Himself loveth you.” It is indeed a great secret for our souls when such words are received in faith, and we grasp them as infallible and settled forever. We shall then be able to say in the hour of deepest sorrow and affliction
“Although my cup seems fill’d with gall,
There’s something secret sweetens all.”
But why do we not enjoy more than we do the Father’s love? Because the Holy Spirit which is given unto us, by whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts is grieved. When we walk obediently we abide in His love, and enjoy the presence of the Father and the Son. To be loved by the Father is a precious fact for every child of God; but to enjoy the Father’s love and presence is the privilege of those only who are walking obediently to His will, Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto Him and make our abode with Him” (John 14:2323Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)). Let no believer imagine then that he will have the comfort of the Father’s love if he is not walking in the truth according to the Father’s will. In the path of disobedience the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us, is grieved, and we are not in the place where the Father’s presence can be known. Our blessed Lord said to His own loved ones for their encouragement, “I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love” (John 15:1010If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:10)).
We are told here who are the objects of the Father’s love; all those who “have loved Jesus, and have believed that He came out from God.” Not those who say this and that, but those who have the two grand cardinal points of vital Christianity—faith and love. They always go together, when there is a divinely wrought work in the soul, for faith worketh by love. Every true believer loves. He loves the Lord Jesus and all that are His. He loves the brethren, the truth, the service of the Lord, and all that is in association with Him. The believer loves and He who loves believes. Without this love, whatever else he may boast of, he is as “a sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal.” Love is a vitally important point, for “If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha” (1 Cor. 16:2222If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. (1 Corinthians 16:22)). We love because we believe the love of God to us. “We love Him, because He first loved us.” We most certainly believe that Jesus came out from God. We have no doubt of it. We grasp the divine love that gave Him, and we cannot but love Jesus. We believe and love. Oh the preciousness of the Saviour’s words, “The Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”