The Infinite Heart

The other Charles in your life used to say it like this: “God loves the church with a love too deep for human imagination; He loves her with all His infinite heart.” That was Charles Spurgeon, in case you’re unfamiliar with the quote.

I don’t know about you, but that thought thrills me! Here we are – rebels and hypocrites to the core – and yet the Lord of the universe has chosen to lavish upon us a grace of inestimable value and limitless power. Simply stated, Christ loves you and me for two reasons, and for two reasons only: 1) It is His very nature to love because He is love, and 2) He has chosen to love us. Christ’s love for us has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with our behavior or performance. Nothing.

At first, I’m humbled by that reality. It puts me in my proper place, and fast. There is no room for my foolish pride. But beyond that initial reaction on my part, the truth of God’s grace sets me free! It enables me to pursue God for who He is because I recognize that He has already pursued me. I don’t have to wonder about whether or not He wants to hang out with me: He does!

But you and I tend to be so darn nearsighted. We’re such a foolish people. Let’s get real for a minute … knowing what we know about the foibles of the church – any church – is it not tempting to wonder why in the world God didn’t commission angels to do our job? Angels seem much more reliable, and much less prone to wander. They seem much less likely to fight over the color of the carpet, and much less likely to embarrass the Lord by their rude and ungracious behavior. Yet, Christ didn’t choose the angels to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. He chose us. We are His people. His body. His bride. His church.

And the most amazing part of all: we’re loved! Deeply, deeply loved. In spite of a billion flaws, and worse, God simply loves the church. That’s what the great preacher from London was trying to communicate.

It was the “Lord Protector” of the British Isles, Oliver Cromwell, who commissioned the painter to portray Cromwell with all of his facial blemishes and imperfections. That’s where we get the English expression “warts and all,” and you and I ought to be so glad to discover that we don’t have to impress God. He already loves us. Our desire should be to please Him, but not to earn His favor. That acceptance and approval, for which we all secretly or not-so-secretly long, have already been accomplished in and by the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-6).

So, in Christ, you and I are free. Free to live our lives, and to run our race. Free to love. Free to serve. Free to give ourselves away for a higher glory. I don’t have to impress you. You don’t have to impress me. We don’t have to impress God.

Because of Jesus, you see, our Heavenly Father is already impressed. Just let that sink in for a second.

Friends, the love of God makes all the difference in the world! I’ll hop the pond one more time and share a soul-stirring quote from John Owen: “A man may love another as his own soul, yet his love may not be able to help him. He may pity him in prison, but not relieve him, bemoan him in misery, but not help him, suffer with him in trouble, but not ease him. We cannot love grace into a child, nor mercy into a friend; we cannot love them into heaven, though it may be the greatest desire of our soul … But the love of Christ, being the love of God, is effective and fruitful in producing all the good things which He wills for His beloved. He loves life, grace and holiness into us; He loves us into covenant, loves us into heaven.”

Just a few minutes ago, I was thinking about getting upset over some very upsetting things. What a waste of time that would be! So I will let that go, and instead, I will rest in the undeserved Love that is writing the story of my life. Do that with me, will you? Let it go! For, in its place, infinite love awaits. Infinite – infinite – love from the God of the infinite heart.

In 2022 and for eternity, may such grace lead us home.

Pastor Charles