Oh, to Be With Christ
To rest on the loving heart of Christ, we must be transformed into His image through constant contemplation and a deep desire to emulate His character.
Mary Wilder Tileston, preaching on the transformation into the image of Jesus Christ, emphasizes the importance of hearts and souls that reflect the love and truth of Christ, as seen in Acts 4:13 where people recognized the disciples had been with Jesus. To rest on the loving heart of Jesus like St. John, one must contemplate Christ's meekness, humility, love for friends and foes, and obedient resignation to God's will. By earnestly seeking to be transformed into the likeness of Christ through deep contemplation and self-reflection, one can find solace and richness in Christ's image.
Text
They took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
ACTS 4:13
O HEARTS of love! O souls that turn
Like sunflowers to the pure and best!
To you the truth is manifest;
For they the mind of Christ discern
Who lean like John upon His breast.
JOHN G. WHITTIER
WILT thou with St. John rest on the loving heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou must be transformed into the beauteous image of our Lord by a constant, earnest contemplation thereof, considering His holy meekness and humility, the deep, fiery love that He bore to His friends and His foes, and His mighty, obedient resignation which He manifested in all the paths wherein His Father called Him to tread. And now ye must gaze much more closely and deeply into the glorious image of our Lord Jesus Christ than I can show you with my outward teaching, and maintain a continual, earnest effort and aspiration after it. Then look attentively at thyself, how unlike thou art to this image, and behold thy own littleness. Here will thy Lord let thee rest on Him. In the glorious likeness of Christ thou wilt be made rich, and find all the solace and sweetness in the world.
JOHN TAULER
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Rest on Christ
- Transformed by Contemplation
- The Image of Christ
- A Life of Humility and Love
Key Quotes
“WILT thou with St. John rest on the loving heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou must be transformed into the beauteous image of our Lord by a constant, earnest contemplation thereof” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“In the glorious likeness of Christ thou wilt be made rich, and find all the solace and sweetness in the world” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Make a conscious effort to contemplate Christ's character and seek to emulate His humility and love.
- Recognize your own littleness and find solace in the glorious likeness of Christ.
- Cultivate a deep desire to be transformed into Christ's image and maintain a constant, earnest effort to achieve this goal.