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What is your desire this evening? Is it set upon heavenly things? Do you long to enjoy the high doctrine of eternal love? Do you desire liberty in very close communion with God? Do you aspire to know the heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths? Then you must draw near to Jesus; you must get a clear sight of him in his preciousness and completeness; you must view him in his work, in his offices, in his person. He who understands Christ, receives an anointing from the Holy One, by which he knows all things. Christ is the great master-key of all the chambers of God; there is no treasure-house of God which will not open and yield up all its wealth to the soul that lives near to Jesus. Are you saying, “O that he would dwell in my bosom”? “Would that he would make my heart his dwelling-place forever”? Open the door, beloved, and he will come into your souls. He has long been knocking, and all with this object, that he may sup with you, and you with him.
*Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). Morning and Evening: Daily Readings.
British, Reformed Baptist. Known by many as the Prince of Preachers. One of the most prolific authors in Church history, founder of "Spurgeon's - a worldwide work with children and famalies -, and founder of the famed Spurgeon's College.
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John of the Cross, like Spurgeon above, reminds us of the centrality of the Person of Christ in experience of God and divine graces given us to enjoy. John points to the invitation Christ offers us in the Revelation:
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3.20, NAB)
But, how can this be so? For the resurrected Christ comes to us as Spirit, inwardly. He fills all things, for Jesus is a spiritual Essence:
9 When it says, "He went up," what does it mean? It means that he first came down to the earth.10 So Jesus came down, and he is the same One who went up above all the heaven. Christ did that to fill everything with his presence. (Ephesians 4.9-10, NCV)
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