Lovest thou Me?

— John 21:17

Peter declares nothing now (cf. Matthew 26:33-35). Natural
individuality professes and declares; the love of the personality is
only discovered by the hurt of the question of Jesus Christ. Peter
loved Jesus in the way in which any natural man loves a good man.
That is temperamental love; it may go deep into the individuality,
but it does not touch the centre of the person. True love never
professes anything. Jesus said – “Whosoever shall confess Me before
men,” i.e., confess his love not merely by his words, but by
everything he does.

Unless we get hurt right out of every deception about ourselves, the
word of God is not having its way with us. The word of God hurts as
no sin can ever hurt, because sin blunts feeling. The question of the
Lord intensifies feeling, until to be hurt by Jesus is the most
exquisite hurt conceivable. It hurts not only in the natural way but
in the profound personal way. The word of the Lord pierces even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, there is no deception left.
There is no possibility of being sentimental with the Lord’s
question; you cannot say nice things when the Lord speaks directly to
you, the hurt is too terrific. It is such a hurt that it stings every
other concern out of account. There never can be any mistake about
the hurt of the Lord’s word when it comes to His child; but the point
of the hurt is the great point of revelation.

On this day...

• April 21, 2014 - 2014
• A Living Message - 2012
• Our dependence upon God will increase - 2012
• Our evangelism is a fool's errand unless God moves upon the hearts of men - 2012
• Praying earnestly - 2012
• The message is not a compromise but an ultimatum - 2012
• The Christianity that saves - 2012
• Friendship of naked personalities - 2012
• Psalm 37:39-40 - 2011
• Wild-eyed Fanatics - 2009