CHAPTER III.—Of the peculiar and distinct communion which the saints have with the Father
Thirdly, the Spirit does it through immediate efficacy. Romans 8:11 says, "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you." Here we see all three— the Father's authoritative quickening, for He raised
Christ from the dead and He will quicken you; the Son's mediatory quickening, for it is accomplished through the death of Christ; and the Spirit's immediate efficacy, as it will be done by the Spirit that dwells in you. Those who wish to further explore this entire matter can refer to what I have written elsewhere on this subject. Thus, the distinct communion that we are discussing has been both proven and demonstrated.
CHAPTER III
The Peculiar Communion with the Father To further clarify the distinct communion we have discussed concerning the Father, Son, and Spirit, it is necessary to provide specific instances that demonstrate how the saints hold this communion with each person. However, before doing so, I will make some observations that need to be considered beforehand, as promised, to provide clarity to what has been discussed. These observations are as follows:
1. When I mention something as peculiar in which we hold distinct communion with a specific person, it does not mean that the other persons are excluded from communion with the soul in
the same regard. Rather, I mean that primarily, immediately, and in an eminent way, we have communion with one particular person in that specific thing or manner, and then, secondarily and consequentially, we have communion with the others based on that foundation. It is important to note that the person, as a person, of any one of them is not the primary object of divine worship, but rather as it is identified with the nature or essence of God. The outward works of God (referred to as "Trinitatis ad extra") that are commonly said to be common and undivided are either entirely common in all respects, such as works of common providence, or if they are common in terms of their acts, they are distinguished based on the principle or immediate source of operation. For example, creation is attributed to the Father and redemption to the Son. This is the sense in which we discuss these matters.
2. There is a collaboration of the actions and operations of the entire Deity in the dispensation of salvation, where each person contributes to the work of our salvation and to every act of our communion with each individual person. No matter which act of communion we have with any person, there is an influence from every person in the manifestation of that act. For instance, if we consider the act of faith, it is given to us by the Father, as it is not of ourselves but the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). It is the Father who reveals the gospel and Christ in it (Matthew 11:25).
It is also granted to us for the sake of Christ to believe in Him (Philippians 1:29). We are blessed with spiritual blessings in Him (Ephesians 1:3), and He bestows and increases faith within us (Luke 17:5). Furthermore, faith is worked in us by the Spirit, who administers His exceeding greatness of power to those who believe, according to the working of His mighty power displayed
in raising Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20; Romans 8:11).
3. When I mention a specific aspect in which we have communion with a person, I do not do so to exclude other means of communion. Instead, I provide it as a notable and prominent example to prove and demonstrate the previous general assertion. In reality, there is no grace or duty in which we do not have communion with God in the manner described. In everything we partake of the divine nature, there is a communication and receiving between God and us. Such is our closeness to Him in Christ.
4. By affirming this distinct communion that specifically relates to the order in which God reveals His grace through the gospel, I do not in any way intend to confine all communion with God within these boundaries. God's ways are vast and encompass a perfection that has no end. Furthermore, I do not mean to undermine the holy fellowship we have with the entire Deity as we walk before Him in covenant obedience. I will address this matter with God's help in the subsequent discussion.
These few observations having been stated, I will now declare what it is in which the saints particularly and significantly have communion with the Father. It is LOVE—free, undeserved, and eternal love. The Father specifically directs this love towards the saints, and they are to focus on it, receive it from Him, and respond to it in ways that please Him. This love is the great revelation of the gospel. While the Father, as the source of the Deity, is known only for His wrath, anger, and indignation against sin, and this is the only view that humanity has of Him (Romans 1:18; Isaiah 33:13-14; Habakkuk 1:13; Psalm
5:4-6; Ephesians 2:3), He is now specially revealed as love,
abounding in love towards us. The manifestation of this love is a unique work of the gospel (Titus 3:4).
1. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Here, the term God is used personally to refer to the person of the Father, not essentially. This is evident from verse 9, where He is distinguished from His only begotten Son, whom He sends into the world. Therefore, the Father is love, not only in terms of having an infinitely gracious, tender, compassionate, and loving nature, as He has proclaimed
Himself to be (Exodus 34:6-7), but also in terms of uniquely and remarkably bestowing Himself upon us in free love. The apostle further emphasizes this in the following verses, stating that we should take notice of the fact that He demonstrates His love by sending His only begotten Son into the world so that we may live through Him (verse 9). Additionally, verse 10 declares, "He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
The Holy Spirit plainly indicates that this love should be primarily regarded in our communion with the Father, as it precedes the sending of Christ and all the mercies and benefits received through Him. This love, in itself, existed before the purchase made by Christ, although its entire fruit is realized through Him (Ephesians 1:4-6).
2. In the apostle's solemn parting benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14, where he attributes various things to the distinct persons, he specifically assigns love to the Father. The fellowship of the Spirit is mentioned alongside the grace of Christ and the love of God because it is through the Spirit alone that we have fellowship with Christ in grace and with the Father in love, even though we also have unique fellowship with the Spirit, as will be explained.
3. Our Saviour states in John 16:26-27, "I say not that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you." It may seem contradictory that our Saviour says, "I say not that I will pray the Father for you," when in Chapter 14, He plainly declares, "I will pray the Father for you." However, the disciples, through all the gracious words, comforting and faithful promises of their Master, had already become fully convinced of His dear and tender affections towards them. They were also assured of His continued care and kindness, knowing that He would not forget them when He physically departed from them, as He was about to do. However, their concerns shifted towards the Father and how they would be accepted by Him and what regard He had for them. Our Saviour reassures them, saying, "Do not worry about that, and do not burden me with the task of securing the Father's love for you. Know that the Father Himself loves you in a special way. It is true that I will pray to the Father to send you the Spirit, the Comforter, and all the gracious fruits of His love. But in terms of love itself, free love, eternal love, there is no need for any intercession. The Father Himself loves you in an extraordinary manner. Be certain of this, so that you may have communion with Him in His love and cease to be troubled about it. In fact, your lack of belief in His love is the only way you can truly trouble or burden Him." This is inevitably the case when sincere love is questioned.
4. The apostle affirms the same in Romans 5:5, stating that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." It is clear that the God whose love is being referred to is distinct from the Holy Spirit, who pours forth that love. In verse 8, God is also distinguished from the Son, as it is from God's love that the Son is sent. Therefore, the apostle is specifically referring to the Father in this passage.
What does he attribute to Him? Love. In verse 8, he commends this love to us, presenting it in a significant and remarkable manner so that we may take notice of it and embrace it. To emphasize this further, there are not only frequent references to the love of God where the Father is particularly intended and explicit mentions of the love of the Father, but He is also called
"The God of love" (2 Corinthians 13:11) and is said to be love itself. Thus, whoever desires to know Him (1 John 4:8) or abide in fellowship or communion with Him (verse 16) must do so as He is love.
5. Moreover, while there are two types of divine love—beneplaciti (love of good pleasure and destination) and amicitiæ (love of friendship and approbation)—both are specifically attributed to the Father in an exceptional manner.
(1) John 3:16 states, "God so loved the world, that he gave," etc. This refers to the love of His purpose and good pleasure, His determined will to do good. It is specifically attributed to Him as the cause of sending His Son. Similarly, Romans 9:11-12, Ephesians 1:4-5, 2
Thessalonians 2:13-14, and 1 John 4:8-9 affirm this truth.
(2) In John 14:23, the other kind of love we are discussing is mentioned. Jesus says, "If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him." This refers to the love of friendship and approval that is particularly ascribed to the Father. Jesus says that both the Father and the Son will come to those who love Him and dwell with them, primarily through the work of the Holy Spirit. However, it is important to note that in terms of love itself, the Father possesses a unique prerogative: "My Father will love him."
Furthermore, as this love is specifically to be focused on in relation to the Father, it should be considered as the source of all subsequent gracious dispensations. Christians often walk with troubled hearts, uncertain about the Father's thoughts towards them. They may be fully convinced of the Lord Jesus Christ and His goodwill, but the difficulty lies in understanding their acceptance with the Father and His disposition towards them. They may say, "Show us the Father, and it will be enough for us" (John 14:8). However, it should be understood that His love should be viewed as the fountain from which all other blessings flow. The apostle expresses this in Titus 3:4, where he speaks of "the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man" as originating from the Father. He emphasizes that the Father abundantly sheds forth and reveals His love to us through Jesus Christ our Saviour. This love serves as the turning point for the great transformation and restoration of the saints. As the apostle states in verse 3, we were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. We were completely corrupt and wretched. How, then, is our redemption possible? It is solely due to God's love, which is manifested through the ways described. When the kindness and love of God appeared—referring to their fruits and expressions—this transformation occurred. To assure us of His love,
God compares Himself to all things in the world that have a loving and tender nature. Despite any weaknesses or imperfections they may possess, they still bear great impressions of love. He is likened to a father, a mother, a shepherd, a hen with her chicks, and more
(Psalm 103:13; Isaiah 63:16; Matthew 6:6; Isaiah 66:13; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 60:11; Matthew 23:37).
There is no need to provide further evidence. It has been demonstrated that love, peculiarly emanating from the person of the
Father, is held out to the saints as the means through which they can have communion with Him.
To fully engage in communion with the Father in love, believers are required to do two things: (1) receive His love and (2) offer suitable responses in return.
(1) Believers are to receive His love. Communion involves both giving and receiving. Until the love of the Father is received, there can be no communion with Him in this aspect. So, how is the Father's love to be received in a way that fosters fellowship with Him? The answer is through faith. Receiving His love is synonymous with believing in it.
God has fully and prominently revealed His love, and it can be received through faith. In John 14:1, the phrase "Ye believe in God" refers to the Father. And what are we to believe about Him? We are to believe in His love because "God is love" (1 John 4:8). It is true that we do not immediately place our faith in the Father directly but through the Son. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). He serves as the merciful high priest who grants us access to the throne of grace.
Through Him, we have our introduction to the Father, and through Him, we believe in God (1 Peter 1:21). When we have access to the Father through Christ, we can behold His glory and see His unique love for us, and we can exercise faith in response. We should focus on, believe in, and receive His love through Christ, knowing that its outcomes and fruits are made manifest to us solely through Christ.
Although we perceive the sun's light only through its rays, we can still see the sun itself, the source of that light. Though all our refreshment lies in the streams, they lead us back to the fountain.
Jesus Christ, in terms of the Father's love, is like a beam or a stream, in which our light and refreshment are found, yet through Him, we are led to the fountain—the eternal sun of love itself. If believers were
to practice this, they would experience significant spiritual growth in their walk with God.
This is the goal. Many dark and troubling thoughts may arise regarding this matter. Only a few can elevate their hearts and minds to such heights of faith as to find rest for their souls in the love of the Father. They often dwell in the troublesome region of hopes and fears, storms and clouds. However, they do not know how to reach this level of communion with Him. Yet, it is the will of God that we always regard Him as benevolent, kind, tender, loving, and unchanging, particularly as the Father—the great source and origin of all gracious communications and expressions of love. This is what
Christ came to reveal: God as a Father (John 1:18). He declares this name to those who are given to Him out of the world (John 17:6).
Through Himself, as the only means of approaching God as a Father —specifically as love—Christ effectively leads us to this understanding. By doing so, He grants us the rest He promised, for the love of the Father is the soul's only true rest. As previously mentioned, we do not initially reach this level of communion formally at the very moment of believing. We believe in God through Christ (1 Peter 1:21), and faith seeks rest for the soul. Christ presents this rest as the only means of attainment. Although we do not remain there, through Christ, we gain access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)
—access to His love. We discover that He is love and that He has eternally purposed love, good pleasure, and a benevolent disposition towards us. All causes for anger and aversion are removed. Through faith and by means of Christ, the soul is brought into the embrace of God, where it experiences a comforting persuasion, a spiritual perception, and a sense of His love. It rests and finds solace in this reality. This is the first step that believers take in their communion with the Father, and further improvement in this regard will be discussed later.
(2) As for the suitable response that is required, it mainly consists of love. God loves us so that we may love Him in return. When He commands us to reciprocate His love and complete our communion with Him, He says, "My son, give me thine heart" (Proverbs 23:26)— your affections, your love. The greatest commandment is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind" (Luke 10:27). This is the response that God demands. When the soul perceives God, in His expression of love, as infinitely lovely and loving, it rests in and delights in Him accordingly. In faith, the soul recognizes that God first loved us, and in response, we love Him. I will not delve into an extensive description of divine love at this time. In general, love is an affection that unites and draws us near, and it finds complacency in that nearness. When the Father is seen under any other perception apart from Him acting in love towards the soul, it evokes fear and aversion.
This is why sinners in the Scriptures tend to flee and hide from Him.
However, when the Father is viewed as a Father who lovingly acts upon the soul, it stirs the soul to love Him in return. In this dynamic, faith becomes the foundation of all acceptable obedience (Deuteronomy 5:10; Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 10:12, 11:1, 13,
13:3).
Thus, the entire matter is explained by the apostle in Ephesians 1:4:
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."
It begins with the love of God and culminates in our love for Him.
This is the ultimate purpose and effect of God's eternal love for us. It is true that our overall obedience falls under the scope of our communion with God, but in our communion with Him as the Father, the blessed sovereign, lawgiver, and rewarder, we do so in love. And by love, I do not merely refer to the love that is the essence and foundation of all moral obedience, but also a particular delight
and contentment in the Father who is effectively revealed as love to the soul.
To further clarify and illuminate this communion with the Father in love, I will present two points: (1) the areas in which God's love for us and our love for Him share some semblance and similarity, and (2) the ways in which they differ, which will shed light on the nature of each.
(1) They share commonalities in two aspects: Firstly, they are both loves of rest and complacency. Regarding God's love:
Zephaniah 3:17 states, "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing." Here, God's love is characterized by REST and DELIGHT. The Hebrew phrase used is ְּבַאֲה ָבתֹו ַיֲח ִריׁש (yacharish b'ahavato), which can be translated as "He shall be silent because of his love." Rest with contentment is denoted by silence, indicating an absence of complaint or discontent. God, in His perfect and complete love, does not complain about anything concerning those whom He loves. Alternatively, "rest in his love" signifies that He will not remove or seek another object of His love. Once it is fixed, His love will abide in the soul forever. Furthermore, there is
DELIGHT and COMPLACENCY. God "rejoices with singing," expressing His complete satisfaction in the object of His love.
Two words, ָיִׂש יׂש (yasis) and ָיִגיל (yagil), are used here to depict the delight and joy that God experiences in His love. The former denotes an inward joy of the heart, intensified by the phrase
ְּב ִׂש ְמ ָחה (besimchah), which means "in gladness" or "with joy."
To have joy of heart in gladness is the utmost expression of delight in love. The latter word, ָיִגיל (yagil), conveys the outward
manifestation of joy: exultation or leaping in response to overwhelming joy. This is akin to the concept of "tripudiare," to leap or dance due to joyful surprise. Therefore, God is said to rejoice "with a joyful sound" or singing. Rejoicing with gladness of heart and exulting with singing and praise signifies the highest form of delight and complacency. Conversely, when referring to the absence of this love, it is said that God "was not well pleased" (1 Corinthians 10:5) or "takes no pleasure"
(Hebrews 10:38; Jeremiah 22:28; Hosea 8:8; Malachi 1:10). God finds pleasure in those who remain with Him. He sings to His church, saying, "I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day" (Isaiah
27:2-3; Psalm 147:11; 149:4). There is rest and complacency in His love. Interestingly, in Hebrew, there is a mere metathesis of a letter between the word signifying a love of will and desire
(ָאַהב, aheb) and the word denoting a love of rest and acquiescence (ָאָבה, avah), and both are ascribed to God. He wills good for us so that He may rest in that will. Some say that ἀγαπᾷν (to love) is derived from ἄγαν πόθεσθαι, meaning "to perfectly acquiesce in the thing loved." When God calls His Son
"beloved" (Matthew 3:17), He adds, as an explanation, "in whom I am well pleased."
Regarding our response to God's love:
The love we offer in return, to complete our communion with Him, shares a certain resemblance to His love, as it is also a love of rest and delight. David implores, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul" (Psalm 116:7). He makes God his rest, indicating that his soul finds rest in God alone, without seeking any other object.
He declares, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee" (Psalm 73:25). In this
way, the soul gathers itself from all its wanderings and turns away from all other beloveds to find its rest solely in God. The soul chooses the Father as its present and eternal rest.
Moreover, this love is accompanied by delight. The psalmist declares, "Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee" (Psalm 63:3). The phrase "better than life"
(ֵמ ַחִּיים, mecha-yim) emphasizes that God's lovingkindness surpasses all aspects of life, encompassing every aspect that makes life meaningful. Though he finds himself on the brink of death, amidst countless troubles, he discovers more sweetness in God than in a long and prosperous life filled with all the pleasures and comforts that make it enjoyable. Hosea 14:3 captures this sentiment of forsaking all other sources of rest and contentment, declaring, "Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, 'Ye are our gods.' For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy." The people reject the enticing appearances of rest and satisfaction, choosing instead to find all they need in God, upon whom they cast themselves as helpless orphans.
Secondly, the mutual love between God and the saints is characterized by the fact that the communication of the outcomes and fruits of these loves occurs solely through Christ. The Father communicates His love to us only through Christ, and we offer our love to Him only through Christ. Christ is the storehouse in which the Father dispenses all the riches of His grace, drawing from the boundless depths of His eternal love. Christ is also the priest to whom we entrust all the offerings we return to the Father. Therefore,
Christ is said to be loved by the Father not only as His eternal Son, who was the delight of His soul before the foundation of the world
(Proverbs 8:30), but also as our mediator and the means through which His love is conveyed to us (Matthew 3:17; John 3:35, 5:20,
10:17, 15:9, 17:24). Through Christ, we believe in God and have access to Him.
Firstly, the Father loves us and "chose us before the foundation of the world," but in the pursuit of that love, He blesses us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-4).
From His love, He pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:6). In the pouring out of His love, not a single drop falls apart from the Lord Christ. Just as the anointing oil was poured on the head of Aaron and flowed down to the skirts of his clothing (Psalm 133:2), love is first poured out on Christ, and from Him, it drips like the dew of Hermon upon the souls of His saints. The Father desires Christ to have preeminence in all things (Colossians 1:18). He is pleased that in Christ, all fullness should dwell (verse 19), so that "of His fullness we might receive, and grace for grace" (John 1:16). Although the Father's love of purpose and good pleasure originates solely from His grace and will, its accomplishment is solely through Christ. All its fruits are first given to Him, and it is in Him alone that they are dispensed to us. Thus, while the saints may indeed perceive an infinite ocean of love towards them in the Father's bosom, they should not expect a single drop to come directly from Him except through Christ. Christ is the sole means of communication. The Father's love is like honey in a flower—it must be in the comb before it is usable. Christ must extract and prepare this honey for us. He draws this water from the fountain through the union and dispensation of His fullness, while we, by faith, draw from the wells of salvation that exist in Him. This was partly explained earlier.
Secondly, our returns of love are all through Him and in Him. It is indeed for our benefit that this is the case, for otherwise, we would present lame and blind sacrifices to God. Christ bears the iniquity of
our offerings, and He adds incense to our prayers. Our love is directed towards the Father, but it is conveyed to Him through the Son of His love. He is the only way for our graces, as well as our persons, to reach God. Through Him, all our desires, delights, complacency, and obedience pass. More will be discussed on this matter later.
In these two aspects, there is some resemblance between the mutual love of the Father and the saints, which facilitates their communion.
Furthermore, there are several points of difference between them:
Firstly, the love of God is a love of bounty, whereas our love for Him is a love of duty.
Firstly, the love of the Father is a love of bounty—a love that extends towards us, motivating Him to do good things for us, great things on our behalf. His love underlies all His dealings with us, and wherever it is mentioned, it is portrayed as the cause and source of some freely given gift. He loves us and sends His Son to die for us; He loves us and blesses us with all spiritual blessings. Loving involves choosing
(Romans 10:11-12). He loves us and disciplines us. It is a love similar to that of the heavens for the earth, which, filled with rain, pours forth showers to make it fruitful. It is like the sea that bestows its waters upon the rivers out of its own abundance, and they return to it only what they have received from it. It is the love of a spring, of a fountain—always pouring forth, a love from which springs every lovely thing in its object. It infuses goodness into and creates goodness within the beloved. This aligns with the philosopher's description of love: "To love," he said, "is to will what one deems good for someone and to practically act accordingly to the best of one's ability." God's power and will are commensurate—what He wills, He accomplishes.
Secondly, our love for God is a love of duty—a love befitting a child.
His love descends upon us with bounty and fruitfulness, while our love ascends to Him with duty and gratitude. He enriches us through His love, and we have nothing to offer Him through ours. Our goodness does not extend to Him. Though our love is directly fixed on Him, no fruit of our love reaches Him directly. While He demands our love, He is not benefited by it (Job 35:5-8; Romans 11:35; Job
22:2-3). Our love consists of four elements: rest, delight, reverence, and obedience. Through these, we engage in communion with the Father in His love. This is why God refers to the love due to Him as a father as "honour" (Malachi 1:6): "If I am a father, where is My honour?" It is a deserved act of duty.
Secondly, they differ in this: The love of the Father towards us is a love that precedes, while our love towards Him is a love that follows.
Firstly, the love of the Father towards us is a preceding love, and it can be understood in two ways:
Firstly, it precedes our love. As stated in 1 John 4:10, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us." His love comes before ours. The father loves the child even when the child does not know the father, let alone love him. By nature, we are haters of God.
However, God, in His own nature, is a lover of humanity. Therefore, any mutual love between Him and us must originate from His side.
Secondly, it precedes all other causes of love. It precedes not only our love, but also any loveliness within us. Romans 5:8 says, "God commendeth his love towards us, in that whilst we were yet sinners
Christ died for us." Not only does His love exist, but its remarkable manifestation is directed towards sinners. Sin represents all that is unlovely and undesirable in a creature. The mention of sin removes all causes and incentives for love. Yet, even as sinners, we receive the
commendation of the Father's love through an extraordinary testimony. He loves us not only when we have done no good, but when we are in a state of spiritual filthiness. He loves us not because we are better than others, but because He Himself is infinitely good.
His kindness is revealed even when we are foolish and disobedient.
Hence, it is said that "God so loved the world" — that is, those who possess nothing but what is worldly, those whose entire portion lies in evil.
Secondly, our love is consequential in both respects:
Firstly, it follows the love of God. No creature ever turns their affections towards God unless God's heart has first been set upon them.
Secondly, it follows sufficient causes for love. God must be revealed to us as lovely and desirable, as a fitting and suitable object for our souls to find rest in, before we can bear any love towards Him. The saints (in this sense) do not love God for nothing, but because of the excellency, loveliness, and desirability that reside within Him. Just as the psalmist states in one instance, "I love the LORD, BECAUSE!"
— so we can say in general, "We love the Lord, BECAUSE!" Or, as David says in another case, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" If anyone were to inquire about our love for God, we could say, "What have we now done? Is there not a cause?"
Thirdly, they also differ in the following way: The love of God is like Himself—equal, constant, and not capable of being increased or diminished. On the other hand, our love is like ourselves—unequal, fluctuating, growing, waning, increasing, and declining. God's love, like the sun, is always the same in its light, though occasionally obscured by clouds. Our love, like the moon, experiences phases of enlargement and constriction.
Firstly, the love of the Father is equal, etc. When He loves someone, He loves them to the end, and His love for them remains constant.
"The Strength of Israel is not a man, that he should repent." Once He sets His love upon someone, it is unchanging. His love is eternal, having no beginning and no end. It cannot be heightened by our actions or diminished by anything within us. In itself, His love remains constant. However, in two regards, it may be subject to change:
Firstly, in relation to its fruits. As mentioned before, it is a fruitful love, a love of bounty. In regard to these fruits, it may sometimes be greater, sometimes lesser, as its manifestations vary. Among the saints, how often do we witness varying degrees of life, light, and strength! God, according to His good pleasure, either bestows or withholds the fruits of His love. All the graces of the Spirit within us, all sanctified enjoyments, are fruits of His love. These are dispensed in different ways and at different times to the same individuals, as ample experience can attest.
Secondly, in relation to its revelations and manifestations. God "sheds abroad his love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost," as mentioned in Romans 5:5. He gives us a sense of His love and reveals it to us. This sense of His love is subject to change—it may be more or less intense at times. He may shine upon us, and then momentarily hide His face, according to His purposes for our benefit. Our Father does not always rebuke us, lest we be cast down; nor does He always smile upon us, lest we become complacent and neglectful.
Nonetheless, His love in itself remains the same. Even when He momentarily hides His face, He gathers us with everlasting kindness.
Objection: But you might say, "This comes close to the blasphemy that God loves His people in their sinning as much as in their strict
obedience. If that is the case, who will bother to serve Him more or to walk with Him to please Him?"
Answer: Few truths of Christ have not encountered similar objections from someone or other. Terms and appellations are imposed at the whim of the individual; however, they do not alter the essence of things. The love of God, in itself, is an eternal purpose and act of His will. It is no more changeable than God Himself. If it were, no flesh would be saved. But His love does not change, and we are not consumed. Does He love His people in their sinning? Yes, He loves His people—not their sinning. Does He alter His love towards them? Not the purpose of His will, but the dispensations of His grace. He rebukes them, chastens them, hides His face from them, afflicts them, and fills them with a sense of His indignation.
However, woe unto us if He were to change His love or withdraw His kindness from us! The very things that appear to be demonstrations of a change in His affection towards His people also proceed from love, just as much as those things that appear to be its most genuine expressions. "But doesn't this encourage sin?" Anyone who seriously raises this objection has never truly tasted the love of God. The doctrine of grace can be perverted into licentiousness, but the principle itself cannot. I will not offer another response to this objection, as it would be unfair to the saints. Detestation of sin in anyone can coexist with the acceptance of their persons and their designation for eternal life.
However, our love for God ebbs and flows, waxes and wanes. We lose our initial love, only to experience its resurgence—there is scarcely a day of stability. How feeble we are! How unlike the Lord and His love! We are as unstable as water, unable to excel. At times, we declare, "Though all men forsake Thee, I will not." Yet, in an instant, we deny, "I know not the man." One day we claim, "I shall never be