Getting wrecked by Calvin's On the Christian Life as I'm understanding what a self-denying love not only for God, but for my neighbors really means. When I've read "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13), my mind has always gone to the most extreme case: could I, in cinematic glory, take a bullet for my dear mother? Sure. But when I'm running late and she is nagging me for my lack of punctuality and goes on to begin criticizing various other errors in my character do I talk back and feel justified in telling her she's taking it way further than she needs to? .. Yes.
John 15:13 tells us that self-denial is to approach every situation with brothers and sisters in the posture of Christ at Gethsemane. Beyond suppressing feelings of righteous indignation, see Christ laying down His righteous Godly self in the face of immeasurable wrath and pain for the sake of unworthy, sleeping men. And he calls us friend.
So friend, who has received such grace - in the heat of argument, in the desire for lazy complacence, in the hurt of injustice, will you follow Christ and take up your cross in true self-denial? Will you obey the Lord, die to yourself, and put on His righteousness in loving your neighbor?
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Side note, the more I understand God's commandments and the impossibility of my obeying them apart from His Spirit, the more I grow in respect and awe for Jesus Christ. Who could be so holy and yet subject himself to such horrible punishment for a worm as I? Who could love the widow and orphan, while going and sending, and maintaining the pure simplicity of the gospel while teaching clear doctrine? Who could so perfectly obey God's command, but the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets Himself: the perfect Lamb.
I will love you Lord, help me not to love myself.
