O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
S. Trevor Francis

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

I love this hymn for the picture it paints in my mind - floating in a sea of God's love. His love is all around us, as if a current of water. It is vast, unmeasured, boundless, free. I want to love like that!

As I was listening Proclaim this morning on the radio, I started thinking about how I can love more like Jesus. On the program, Dr. Easley has been preaching through Romans, and today was a review of chapters 5-8. One word provided the answer to how, in my life, I can manifest His love toward others. Demonstrate.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

There is a lot of theology in that one short verse, but I got really hung up on the “demonstrates.” It wasn’t enough that God said He loved us, instead He showed that love by sending His Son to the cross on our behalf. He proved it through the sacrifice of Jesus. As this hymn says, He died to call each one of us His own.

So then I started thinking about my own life. How do I demonstrate love to the people around me? Do I say I love someone but my actions show otherwise? I don’t want my words to be empty. I want my life to demonstrate love - my own, and Christ’s love through me, to those around me. We are called to love one another. Indeed, one of our distinguishing marks as Christians should be our recognizable love for those around us.

Father, help me to love as you love, not just with words but with my actions. Pour your love through my heart and enable me to demonstrate my love for others, so that they will see You through me.

This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
I John 3:23