What Does it Actually Imply to Love God?

As soon as once more, we now have a coronary heart subject.  God sees previous so known as “good deeds” that on the floor may say ‘I like God’, however on the coronary heart degree might reveal one thing else.

4. Loving God is NOT Simply Loving His Blessings

It’s straightforward for anybody to assert a love for God when good issues are taking place to them (getting a elevate, a present, excellent news from a good friend, celebrating a milestone, and so on).  And once more, it’s not unsuitable to specific like to God for His blessings in your life.  The issue is once we equate loving the blessings with loving the blesser (God).

Shortly after Jesus miraculously fed the group of 5,000 individuals with solely 5 loaves of bread and a pair of fish, they adopted him to the opposite facet of the lake:

After they arrived and located him, they stated, “Sir, how did you get right here?” Jesus replied, “The reality of the matter is that you simply need to be with me as a result of I fed you, not since you imagine in me. However you shouldn’t be so involved about perishable issues like meals. No, spend your power looking for the everlasting life that I, the Messiah, can provide you. For God the Father has despatched me for this very goal.” 

John 6:25-27 TLB

Jesus goes on to speak with them additional about accepting Him as Lord, dwelling for God, and what the Christian life would seem like.  Their response afterward was as follows:

Lots of his disciples stated, “That is very arduous to grasp. How can anybody settle for it?” Jesus was conscious that his disciples have been complaining, so he stated to them, “Does this offend you?”  At this level a lot of his disciples turned away and abandoned him.

John 6:60-61, 66 NLT

It says “many” of his disciples turned away.  They’d been following Jesus throughout city, observing miracles, and even reaping the blessings from them, however on the finish of the day they ONLY needed his blessings.  They didn’t need Him.  They didn’t love Him. 

Solely those that actually love Him can and can reply as Peter (a true disciple) did:

Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and requested, “Are you additionally going to go away?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You might have the phrases that give everlasting life. We imagine, and we all know you’re the Holy Certainly one of God.” 

John 6:67-69 NLT

So, if loving God is NOT feelings, lip service, good deeds to win His favor, or just loving His blessings, then what’s it?  What does it seem like in on a regular basis life? Let’s dig into the Bible and see.

What Does the Bible Say About Loving God?

Though we might most likely provide you with 100 totally different meanings of what loving God is or methods to like God, basically, there are 5 keys issues that the bible teaches about loving God.

1. Loving God is the Biggest Commandment

When requested level clean, ‘What’s the biggest commandment,’ Jesus was very clear:

‘Trainer, which is the best commandment within the Legislation?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all of your coronary heart and with all of your soul and with all of your thoughts. That is the primary and biggest commandment.’  

Matthew 22:36-38 NIV

Above the whole lot else, loving God is absolutely the, at the beginning, prime of the checklist, most essential, primary precedence, and biggest commandment there’s for each true Christian. 

Once we perceive the significance that God locations on this, that ought to actually drive us to raised be taught and perceive what it means to like Him.  And the reply to that query is throughout the identical verse.

2. Loving God is a Coronary heart Posture of Dedication

Jesus doesn’t simply say ‘love God’.  He tells us how to like God – with all our coronary heart, soul, and thoughts! 

Some bible academics will describe coronary heart, soul, and thoughts as three separate issues.  Nonetheless, Scripture really makes use of the phrases interchangeably to indicate the identical factor.  In reality, the unique Hebrew phrase for coronary heart in Scripture is lêb, which implies the inside individual, the seat of thought and emotion, the conscience, the thoughts, and our understanding. 

Our hearts are who we’re on the very core. While you see the three phrases used collectively like this, it’s meant to put emphasis. 

The Greek phrase for love within the passage is agapao which implies to present ourselves over to fully.  This love has nothing to do with the nice and cozy fuzzies and even intense emotions.  It’s about absolutely committing to God from our core being and placing him first in each space of our lives.  It’s a coronary heart posture of devotion and dedication.  In any case, that’s what it means to just accept Jesus as your private Lord and Savior.  That’s what you comply with once you say ‘sure’ to Christianity.

Sadly, just like the disciples we examine who turned away from Jesus, many individuals are saying ‘sure’, however their hearts aren’t actually dedicated.  And God might care much less about what we are saying as a result of He’s ONLY involved with what’s in our hearts:

• However the Lord stated to Samuel, “Don’t take into account his look or his peak, for I’ve rejected him. The Lord doesn’t have a look at the issues individuals have a look at. Folks have a look at the outward look, however the Lord appears to be like on the coronary heart.”  I Samuel 16:7 NIV
• An individual might imagine their very own methods are proper, however the Lord weighs the guts. Proverbs 21:2 NIV
• O Lord, you will have examined my coronary heart and know the whole lot about me. You recognize once I sit down or arise.  You recognize my ideas even once I’m distant. You see me once I journey and once I relaxation at residence.  You recognize the whole lot I do.  You recognize what I’m going to say even earlier than I say it, Lord.  Psalm 139:1-4 NLT

The excellent news is that God equips all true Christians with the potential to like Him in the way in which He requires.

3. The Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Love God

We should all the time bear in mind what the Bible teaches about love:  God Himself is the definition and epitome of affection, the creator and supply of it, and the last word demonstrator of affection! 

Expensive associates, allow us to love each other, for love comes from God.  Everybody who loves has been born of God and is aware of God.  Whoever doesn’t love doesn’t know God, as a result of God is love. That is how God confirmed his love amongst us:  He despatched his one and solely Son into the world that we’d reside by way of him.  That is love:  not that we cherished God, however that he cherished us and despatched his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

1 John 4:7-10 NIV

Our love for God begins by encountering His wonderful, sacrificial, and overwhelming love for us.

And it’s ONLY by the ability of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us that we now have the potential to like in the way in which that God requires us to.  We CANNOT actually love God, others, and even ourselves, on our personal. 

• We love as a result of he first cherished us.  1 John 4:19 NIV
• However the Holy Spirit produces this sort of fruit in our lives:  love, pleasure, peace, endurance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There isn’t any regulation towards these items!  Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
• For God has not given us a spirit of concern and timidity, however of energy, love, and self-discipline.  2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

As a result of the Holy Spirit equips us to like God, we’re subsequently empowered to display that love.  And the bible offers us a transparent reply to what that appears like each day.

4. Love for God is Demonstrated by Obedience to His Phrase

I like how sensible and clear Jesus made it for his followers on the subject of loving God.  He had already advised them that loving God was the best commandment and that it was one thing to be exhibited from a coronary heart degree.  To ensure they fully understood what that ought to seem like in on a regular basis Christian dwelling, he made the next assertion:

Jesus stated to his disciples: When you love me, you’ll do as I command.

John 14:15 CEV

It doesn’t get any plainer than that.  If we actually love God, we are going to obey His Phrase! 

Once we perceive that Jesus was God and that he was the Phrase made flesh, we perceive that Jesus and His Phrase are one and the identical. 

At first was the Phrase, and the Phrase was with God, and the Phrase was God.  The Phrase grew to become flesh and made his dwelling amongst us. We’ve seen his glory, the glory of the one and solely Son, who got here from the Father, stuffed with grace and reality. 

John 1:1, 14 NIV

Can we understand that we will’t love God however NOT love His Phrase?

Keep in mind, loving God is a coronary heart posture of dedication.  And since God is His Phrase, we should always have that very same coronary heart posture of dedication in the direction of His Phrase as effectively.  When that is the case, obedience outcomes naturally.

The query is, what’s your coronary heart posture towards the Phrase of God?  Do you’re keen on spending time studying your bible? Do you get pleasure from devotional time?  Or is it a non-existent precedence in your life? 

Do you end up with no need or curiosity within the bible?  Or possibly you query its reliability and divine authority.  Are you afraid to be confronted with the reality?  Or possibly you can care much less about what the bible says.

Regardless of the case, it’s critical for each Christian to truthfully assess and acknowledge his/her perspective towards Scripture as a result of once more, the Bible is evident:

• In reality, that is love for God: to maintain his instructions. And his instructions usually are not burdensome.  1 John 5:3 NIV
• And that is love: that we stroll in obedience to his instructions. As you will have heard from the start, his command is that you simply stroll in love.  2 John 6 NIV

This doesn’t imply when you don’t completely obey God on a regular basis then you definately don’t love God.  That’s unattainable on this facet of heaven.  What it does imply is that if we need to love God higher, we have to develop a love for His Phrase.

Similar to cultivating another relationship requires spending time with the opposite individual, so it’s with God. God’s Phrase teaches us about His character and His kingdom. The extra time we spend with Him in His Phrase and in prayer, the extra we are going to get to know Him. And, as our relationship with God grows, the extra we are going to start to naturally need to know Him higher and to please Him by obeying His Phrase.

I take pleasure in doing all of your will, my God, on your directions are written on my coronary heart. 

Psalm 40:8 NLT

As Christians, we now have two opposing mindsets which are all the time at struggle with one another (our pure sinful mindset and our religious mindset):

So I say, let the Holy Spirit information your lives. Then you definitely received’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  The sinful nature needs to do evil, which is simply the other of what the Spirit needs. And the Spirit offers us needs which are the other of what the sinful nature needs. These two forces are consistently combating one another, so you aren’t free to hold out your good intentions. 

Galatians 5:16-17 NLT

Our pure, sinful mindset needs nothing to do with God or His Phrase.  This is the reason we now have to deliberately select to stroll within the Spirit every day to like God and obey His Phrase.

Allow us to not be like our non-Christian counterparts or different “faux” Christians who need nothing to do with God’s Phrase.  Jesus known as out any such coronary heart posture usually:

• I do know that you’re Abraham’s descendants. But you might be searching for a technique to kill me, as a result of you don’t have any room for my phrase.  John 8:37 NIV
• So why do you retain calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ once you don’t do what I say? Luke 6:46 NLT

Keep in mind, on the finish of the day, our feelings, lip service, and good works can and will accompany our love for God.   However God has made it very clear, even from Outdated Testomony instances, that the very best demonstration of our love for Him is obedience to His Phrase:

• Love the Lord your God and hold his necessities, his decrees, his legal guidelines and his instructions all the time.  Deuteronomy 11:1 NIV
• However be very cautious to maintain the commandment and the regulation that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to like the Lord your God, to stroll in obedience to him, to maintain his instructions, to carry quick to him and to serve him with all of your coronary heart and with all of your soul.  Joshua 22:5 NIV
• However Samuel replied, “What’s extra pleasing to the Lord: your burnt choices and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Hear! Obedience is healthier than sacrifice, and submission is healthier than providing the fats of rams.”  1 Samuel 15:22 NLT
• Now all has been heard; right here is the conclusion of the matter:  Concern God and hold his commandments, for that is the obligation of all mankind.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV

And Jesus doesn’t inform us something to do this He didn’t mannequin for us Himself:

While you obey me you might be dwelling in my love, simply as I obey my Father and reside in his love.

John 15:10 TLB

5. We Can’t Love God and Love the World

We’ve already seen in Scripture that loving God is the best commandment and a coronary heart posture of dedication in the direction of Him.  As a result of that’s the case, it will be significant that we understand that our love for God should be solely above all different issues and beings. Lukewarm, half-hearted, or apathetic fondness for God received’t do. Our coronary heart posture of dedication should be certainly one of complete allegiance.  

The principle motive for it is because God is aware of that so many different issues can be competing for a similar affection and place that He has in our lives.  And the bible is evident that nothing and nobody else is worthy of the love and worship that belong particularly and solely to God.

• You should not have another god however me. You should not make for your self an idol of any sort or a picture of something within the heavens or on the earth or within the sea. You should not bow right down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who is not going to tolerate your affection for another gods.  Exodus 20:3-5 NLT
• Expensive kids, avoid something which may take God’s place in your hearts.  1 John 5:21 NLT

Our largest impediment to our love for God is love for this world and the issues it has to supply.  Once we love issues apart from God, we work towards His needs for us:

• Cease loving this evil world and all that it presents you, for once you love these stuff you present that you don’t actually love God; for all these worldly issues, these evil needs—the craze for intercourse, the ambition to purchase the whole lot that appeals to you, and the delight that comes from wealth and significance—these usually are not from God. They’re from this evil world itself. And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden issues will go along with it, however whoever retains doing the desire of God will reside endlessly.  1 John 2:15-17 TLB
• Nobody can serve two masters; for both he’ll hate the one and love the opposite, or he can be dedicated to the one and despise the opposite. You can’t serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].  Matthew 6:24 AMP

Even on the subject of the individuals in our lives that we’re supposed to like, our love for God needs to be prioritized and superior to our love for them.  Try Jesus’ phrases under:

• When you love your father or mom greater than you’re keen on me, you aren’t worthy of being mine; or when you love your son or daughter greater than me, you aren’t worthy of being mine.  Matthew 10:37 NLT
• If you wish to be my disciple, you have to, by comparability, hate everybody else—your father and mom, spouse and youngsters, brothers and sisters—sure, even your individual life. In any other case, you can’t be my disciple.  Luke 14:26 NLT

Our love for God needs to be positioned at such a excessive degree that, by comparability, our love for our family members and even ourselves ought to appear to be hate.  Wow!

I don’t learn about you, however are you beginning to understand that possibly, simply possibly, you don’t love God as a lot as you suppose you do?

The excellent news is we will all develop in our love for God. 

Heaven just isn’t for people who find themselves afraid of hell.  It’s for individuals who love God.  When you don’t love Him right here on earth, you wouldn’t get pleasure from heaven anyway.

Pray to Love God Extra and Extra

We’ve seen clearly from Scripture, that as Christians, the best commandment we’re known as to obey is to like God.  And loving God is a coronary heart posture of dedication in the direction of Him, merely due to who He as our Lord and Savior. 

He has graciously and absolutely geared up us to like Him by way of the ability of the Holy Spirit that lives inside us.  So, there aren’t any excuses on our half.

Our love for God is demonstrated in our every day lives by our perspective and obedience to His Phrase.  Though we are going to by no means love God completely on this facet of heaven, it needs to be our main objective to like God increasingly more day by day.

The extra we spend time with God in His Phrase, the extra we are going to get to know Him, and the simpler will probably be to like Him.  Allow us to all pray to like God extra.  Pray for a need to spend extra time with Him.  Pray for a renewed coronary heart posture towards His Phrase.  Pray for obedience.

Let’s cease letting our love for God merely be simply an emotion we expertise when one thing good occurs to us or simply informal lip service on particular events.

Don’t let our love for God simply be exhibiting up at church often, giving a giant providing annually, or volunteering in our neighborhood as soon as a month.  Let’s cease solely loving all of the blessings in our lives and neglecting to spend time with the blesser.

Let’s not even make it a comparability sport or a query of who loves God extra.  Once we go earlier than the judgment throne, there can be no comparisons, simply one-on-one with God.  And every of us has to verify our personal coronary heart posture is correct earlier than Him.

Allow us to love God even once we don’t really feel prefer it, once we’re having a nasty day, or once we don’t see any blessings. 

Allow us to love God each single day, just because He’s God and since He alone deserves our reward.

• Because the deer longs for streams of water, so I lengthy for you, O God.  Psalm 46:1 NLT
• I lengthy, sure, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.  With my entire being, physique and soul, I’ll shout joyfully to the dwelling God.  Psalm 84:2 NLT
• “Who’s such as you among the many gods, O Lord— wonderful in holiness, superior in splendor, performing nice wonders?  Exodus 15:11 NLT
• “You’re worthy, O Lord our God, to obtain glory and honor and energy.  For you created all issues, they usually exist since you created what you happy.”  Revelation 4:11 NLT

And lastly, just like the psalmist, allow us to pray for a coronary heart posture of dedication to obeying God’s Phrase:

Educate me your decrees, O Lord; I’ll hold them to the tip. Give me understanding and I’ll obey your directions; I’ll put them into observe with all my coronary heart.  Make me stroll alongside the trail of your instructions, for that’s the place my happiness is discovered.  Give me an eagerness on your legal guidelines reasonably than a love for cash! Flip my eyes from nugatory issues, and provides me life by way of your phrase.

Psalm 119:33-37 NLT

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Demetra is a busy, self-employed, single mother who loves Jesus and is a fanatic about prioritizing her time with God!  She created Within the Mirror of God to assist different Christian ladies learn the way frequently trying into our religious mirror (the Bible) equips us to domesticate a deeper relationship with God, suppose biblically about the whole lot, conquer the challenges of on a regular basis life, and actually get pleasure from life to the fullest, the way in which God supposed.  Go right here to be taught extra about her story, or go to her contact web page to ship a fast message.

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