Tuesday, October 16, 2012

We know of no other way

From an essay entitled The Expulsive Power of a New Affection by Thomas Chalmers:

We know of no other way by which to keep the love of the world out of our heart, than to keep in our hearts the love of God - and no other way by which to keep our hearts in the love of God, than building ourselves up on our most holy faith. That denial of the world which is not possible to him that dissents from the Gospel testimony, is possible even as all things are possible, to him that believeth. To try this without faith, is to work without the right tool of the right instrument. But faith worketh by love; and the way of expelling from the heart the love which transgresseth the law, is to admit into its receptacles the love which fulfilleth the law.

How do we desist from loving the world? Not by preaching a negative description of the world in order to convince ourselves of its unworthiness. Rather, we nurture the love of God in our hearts through the apostolically affirmed tools for "building up our most holy faith." That is, we pray, read our Bible, fellowship, and participate in the sacraments among other things. Inundating the heart with the superior object of desire, that being God, will displace the love of an inferior object of desire, the world.

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