"MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE"

 

"We love Him, because He first loved us." 

1 John 4:19

This amazingly beautiful song reminds us of Jesus' love for us.  Because of Jesus' love, He became our Redeemer and Savior to save us from the slavery of sin and its consequences (1 Tim. 1:15).  He redeemed us by His own blood and reconciled us back to God so that we might receive adoption as sons of God (Gal. 4:4).  He is the Savior who takes away our sins (Matt. 1:21).  He showed the depth of His love when He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16).  Because of such deep love for us, He purchased our pardon on Calvary's tree (Lk. 23:33, 1 Pet. 2:24).  Because of His love, He wore a crown of thorns.   

"And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters),[a] and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him."'  (Mark 15:16-20)

Since He loves us, He has promised to be with us both in life and death.  Therefore, we must love Him by living for Him and dying to self.

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  (Gal. 2:20)

Since Jesus love us and died for us, we must manifest our love for Him every step of our way whether in life or death.

"As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death."  (Phi. 1:20)

Because He loves us, we have the hope of heaven.  He's now preparing for us mansions of glory in endless delight.

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."  (Jn. 14:1-3)

Because Jesus loves us, we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us, mansions in heaven so bright (1 Pet. 1:3-4).  

And when we get to heaven, we will sing with the glittering crown on our brow.

"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."  (Rev. 2:10)  

This beautiful song moves me deeply and compels me to love, and to praise my Lord, saying, 

"My Jesus, I Love Thee."

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 

~Luci