We immediately would imagine what we thought of Christ. That, however, would not be the natural human response. Augustine was right. We would immediately think of what Christ thought of me. For at that instant I would know the Savior sees all my sins and those sins would fill me with shame, especially seen against the perfect love of his open wounds.
Love is empty without such gestures of one's self.
It is no different when we are dealing with God. He expects gestures of love - some offering of ourselves. Or else our love will seem hollow. Abel offers a sign of himself in the first fruits of his harvest. Abraham is prepared to make the consummate sacrifice of his son Isaac.