Part 13 of 31 from "Christ our Righteousness".
By Carl Oluf Rosenius.
(1816-1868)
Translated from ekris.net
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love”. Revelation 2:4
The first love mustn’t be mistaken for the first overflowing emotions. In addition to the love which sprang up in the heart of the prodigal son, when his father so undeservedly embraced him, a day of rejoicing were made ready in the home, Jesus tells us. There the fattened calf was killed and eaten. There they had a feast with music and dance. But this day of rejoicing couldn’t last for ever. The son also had to take part in the work and be content with usual everyday food.
That's exactly what God usually does with his children. First he gives a wonderful glorious time, in which our emotional life is rich and warm.
´How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them` - but ´ the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast,` says Jesus. And Luther says that the emotions decrease, to the same extent as the faith increase.
But when we have to distinguish between these first emotions and the first love, what, then, is this last one?
As mentioned above it came to us, because our many sins were forgiven. And it consists in exactly this, that the Saviour for the sake of our grief for our sins, and for the sake of the forgiveness of sins, became to us so infinitely indispensable, precious and dear.
And this love remains and increases in us even though the emotions decrease – to the same extent as the Saviour becomes precious and indispensable to us.
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Translation Gert Gravgaard
