Love to Christ not Unselfish – Charles Spurgeon

THERE are two gentlemen of equal rank in society, and the one is not at all obliged to the other; now, they, standing on an equality, can easily feel a unselfish admiration of each other’s character, and a consequent unselfish affection; but I, a poor sinner, by nature sunk in the mire, full of everything that is evil, condemned, guilty of death, so that my only desert is to be cast into Hell, am under such obligations to my Savior and my God, that it would be idle for me to talk about a unselfish affection for him, since I owe to him my life, my all. Besides, until I catch the gleams of his mercy and his loving-kindness to the guilty, his holy, just, and righteous character are not lovable to me, I dread the purity which condemns my defilement, and shudder at the justice which will consume me for my sin. Do not, O seeker, trouble your heart with nice distinctions about unselfish love, but be you content, with the beloved disciple, to love Christ because he first loved you.