Articles

Growing In Love

It is a vital fact of our growth as Christians in Christ that the more we love him, the more we want to love him even more – and the more we love him, the more grieved we are by lapses in our love for him.

Jonathan Edwards, writing in the eighteenth century, understood this as well as anybody.

‘The more a true Christian loves God, the more he desires to love him, and the more uneasy is he at his lack of love for him. And the more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it, and laments that he has so much remaining love of sin. The more he mourns his sin, the more he longs to mourn; the more his heart is broken, the more he desires it should be broken. The more he thirsts and longs after God and holiness, the more he longs to long, and breathe out his very soul in longings after God. The kindling and raising of his gracious affections are like the kindling of a flame; the higher it is raised, the more ardent it is; and the more it burns the more vehemently does it tend and seek to burn. So that the spiritual appetite after holiness, and in increase of holy affections, is much more lively and keen in those that are eminent in holiness.’