THE WHOLE HEART by M. C. Wilcox

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 27, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 20.

THE WHOLE HEART.

By M. C. Wilcox

THE Lord asks of his people the whole heart. Nothing less will suffice. He freely gave his only begotten Son a ransom to save them from eternal death. He did all that he could do; and in return he asks those who have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ to give him the whole heart. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might," is the teaching of the Levitical dispensation. Deut. 6:5. No less is asked in the Christian dispensation. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment," is the teaching of our Saviour. Matt. 22:37, 38. God's plan for saving men has always been the same.

Love to God is not an emotion or feeling; it is a controlling, moulding principle, born of the Spirit of God, and acting as the mainspring of all true motives. Feelings of joy and peace are realized by those who have this love; but they are the results of the exercise of that love rather than constituent and ever-present elements. Sometimes feeling departs, joy is dead, hope is well-nigh gone; but love shines still, believes God still, trusts him still. It hates sin, but loves the sinner, and would save him, not in sin, in man's way, but from sin, in God's way.

True and whole-hearted love to God does not rest in word alone, but in deed as well. It does not depend upon a misguided conscience; it is in accordance with truth. 1 John 3:18. If it is a whole-hearted love, there will result from it a whole-hearted service. It will count God's honor and the integrity of his righteous law above all things else. All affections and desires will be brought into submission to the one great principle, love to God. It will not question the wisdom of his plans, nor will any of his commands be grievous; but it will co-operate with him in the salvation of souls, and render cheerful obedience to all his requirements. It will not seek excuses from duty in dishonest interpretations of Scripture, nor seek justification of unlawful conduct from unwarrantable inferences drawn from the word of God. It will not plead, "I pray thee have me excused" from any duty, however irksome or humbling it may be to the proud heart; but it will ask the question, with full purpose to obey, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" It will not only lead to obedience to God, but it will lead to a willing obedience. If we possess this love, we will not be content with doing for God just the duties that are brought before us; but we will seek to know his whole will. In short, it will lead to the devoting of all our powers to God. Our words, our acts, our deeds, our means, our talents, will be used to glorify him and advance his cause. Obedience to God and his holy will will be the first object in life to a heart which truly trusts God. Bonds and affliction will not move it; life itself will not be counted dear. Instead of shirking the cross to avoid suffering, it will rejoice that it is "accounted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Such is the love which the Lord asks of those whom the blood of his Son has purchased—a love that "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

This love was perfectly exemplified in the life of our Saviour. He could say at the close of his earth-life, with all confidence, "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." John 17:4. The examples of faithful men of God in the past manifest the same principles. Love to God manifested itself in obedience to all God's commandments. Says the psalmist: "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Ps. 119:97. And this love led him to obey God. He says, "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." Verses 59, 60. The apostle Paul, in harmony with the psalmist, exclaims, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." Rom. 7:22. In the next chapter he states that those who walk in the Spirit are fulfilling the righteousness of the law. Rom. 8:4. Those who do not delight in the law, or walk in obedience to its just and holy claims, have not been transformed by the grace of Christ, but are carnally minded. Verse 7. Says the beloved apostle, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous."

Here are tests, dear reader, which point out infallibly the true condition of the heart. Are God's commandments grievous, burdensome, irksome? Does the cross cause you to murmur? Is the way too straight? Then the heart is carnal; the love and sacrifice of Christ are but little appreciated. But if, with a heart cleansed by divine grace, you delight to do his will, and are willing to forsake all for him, if you follow not in your own ways, but willingly in his ways, then you can, with confidence in him and faith in his Son, "have boldness in the day of Judgment." May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ develop such love in the hearts of those who shall peruse these lines. M. C. W.