The First and Greatest
…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22: 37-38 (NIV)
Jesus summarized the 10 commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17)into one word, Love. The underlying foundation of the Law, which Jesus fulfilled (Matthew 5:17), was Love. Why? Because only Love can keep us connected to God. Only Love can cover our sins (1 Peter 4:8). As Christians, in whom love has been poured, we are required to respond to Love by loving Love, that is, by loving God.
How do we Love God?
Loving God is not about a feeling. There are days you may wake up and feel like you love Him, other days you may question your love for Him, and on others…well…you just may not feel like even liking Him. Because of this, the Word has laid out a standard by which we love God:
If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:15 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
John 14: 23-24 (NIV)
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
1 John 5:3 (NIV)
The only way we can truly love God is by living in obedience to His Word.
Obedience is Love
The world would have you believe that this is a burden that God has placed on His children. The world would have you believe that a loving God would not put limitations and boundaries on what you should do. Well, the world does not know what it is talking about.
God is not this egomaniac looking for love. He is Love by Himself. He does not need our love. On the contrary, we are the ones in need of love. We are the ones who benefit from loving God. That is why the apostle John tells us that God’s commands are not burdensome.
In the beginning, Love (God) created the heavens and the earth. As the Creator, Love has the manual for the earth. He knows how it operates and how to get the most out of it. Love knows the traps that the (already defeated)enemy has set and how we can walk in the victory that He has gotten for us. And because He knows all these and more, because He cares for us and wants us to have the best of the land (Isaiah 1:19) He asks us to trust His leadership. And this can only be done by obedience.
You see, as long as you remain in obedience, you remain in the covering of Love. But once you walk in disobedience, you walk away from the covering. This is not to say He pulls away His Love. That is not possible. But it is to say that you knowingly choose to walk out of the hedge He has for you and straight into the path of danger (1 Peter 5:8).
Your Turn
Loving God is truly for your benefit.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:10-11 (NIV)
In the above mirror, Jesus highlights to His disciples the fruit of remaining in the Love of God.
Have you noticed that we are always the benefactors of love, even when a requirement is placed on us?
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.
John 15:10 (NIV)
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:7 (NIV)
Loving God is a privilege that benefits you. Will you make the decision to respond to His Love by actively loving Him back?