1.
VERY human being is either with Christ or against Christ in the great battle between good and evil in this world. Neutrality when Christ is in question is impossible. “He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth” (Luke 11:23), are His own words. Every true Christian is on Christ’s side in the battle, even though he may be weak, and at times almost afraid to witness for his Lord.
2.
A very important word of Christ’s mercy to us is this: “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me” (John 13:8); but He did wash His disciple’s feet, and what He did for Peter, He does for us all. That is, He removes the defilement which we contract during our walk through this world, and renders us clean, so that He may sit down with us and open out our hearts to His words, in order that we may have part with Him in His ways and words of love for us. Thus we are enabled to have communion with Him respecting His thoughts about His love.
3.
“Rejoice with Me” (Luke 15:6) were the words to his friends of the shepherd who had found his sheep which had been lost. Deep was his own joy in the finding and the home-bringing of the wanderer―so deep that he would not have it merely to himself, and therefore he called together his friends to share his joy. Jesus is the Shepherd of whom the parable speaks, and He calls us who love Him to rejoice with Him in His joy in saving the lost. Let us seek more and more to enter into this His joy. It is the essence of true evangelic fervor.
4.
Yet one more of Christ’s words, with Me, shall fill our hearts. “Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me” (John 17:24). In these words we read again our Lord’s love. Our highest joy in glory will be to behold His glory, and He wills that this portion shall be ours. There will be many grand things in heaven for the eye to see and the ear to hear, hut the grandest sight of all will be the glory bestowed by the Father upon the Man Christ Jesus. He was despised and rejected of men on earth, He shall have the highest place in heaven. Every sorrow, every shame, borne here will be answered by a fresh glory there.