How do we suppose to love God, according to the Bible?

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bro.tan

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One will find in the scriptures that the fundamental duty of man is to love God as well as to love his neighbor. Man has not understood the significance or the implications of not adhering to this duty. The word love in itself is beyond definition and it implies different things to different people. And because of this ambiguity man has decided to apply his definition of love to God’s commandment to love rather than finding out the meaning of love according to God’s standards. Man as a whole has never fully understood the word love as God defines it in His commandments and one can confirm that by simply looking at the condition of the world. People relate love to emotions and they base it on terms of feeling. The problem with this is when feeling change so does ones love. The love that God requires of man is one of will. And this love is a deliberate attitude whereas circumstances and changes in situations do not impact ones actions. In examining the scriptures one will find that God is clear in describing how man is to love Him. And while the bible shows a broad spectrum of love the love that God requires from man is well defined and is based on obedience.


In the days of Jesus, the religious leaders were constantly questioning Jesus in order to test Him and on this occasion a lawyer asked Jesus what is the great commandment?


Matthew (22:35) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
(36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?


Jesus reply was the 1st great commandment was to love God and the 2nd was to love ones neighbor. These were given as a commandment for man to love.


Matthew (22:37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.


(38) This is the first and great commandment.


(39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.


One should note that by following the 1st and 2nd great commandment they will be adhering to the 10 commandments issued by Moses. If they love the Lord they won’t have any other Gods before him, or make any graven images or take his name in vain, they will remember his Sabbath and if they love their neighbor they will honor their Father and Mother and they won’t kill or commit adultery or steal or bear false witness nor will they covet. This is why Jesus goes on to state that on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets. Because by fulfilling these two commandments one fulfills the law.


(40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


Jesus stated that these 2 commandments where the 2 great commandments however the following verses will show that these commandments were not new and that the Jews and Jesus was speaking to were aware of them. These were the same ones issued to Israel by Moses.


Deuteronomy (6:5) And thy shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.


Leviticus (19:18) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Now that it has been established that man was commanded to love one needs to examine the scriptures to get an understanding of the love required in these great commandments.

In the following verses Moses is telling the Israelites that God chose them strictly out of His love for them.Deuteronomy (7:7) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

(8) But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

(9) Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Note in verse (9) Moses states a condition that God requires in order for Him to keep covenant and have mercy. And that is an individual must love God and keep His commandments. The scriptures will show that there is only one way to love God and that is by keeping His commandments.

Note that Jesus states in the following verse that in order to love Him one has to keep His commandments.

John (14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
 

Bob Estey

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One will find in the scriptures that the fundamental duty of man is to love God as well as to love his neighbor. Man has not understood the significance or the implications of not adhering to this duty. The word love in itself is beyond definition and it implies different things to different people. And because of this ambiguity man has decided to apply his definition of love to God’s commandment to love rather than finding out the meaning of love according to God’s standards. Man as a whole has never fully understood the word love as God defines it in His commandments and one can confirm that by simply looking at the condition of the world. People relate love to emotions and they base it on terms of feeling. The problem with this is when feeling change so does ones love. The love that God requires of man is one of will. And this love is a deliberate attitude whereas circumstances and changes in situations do not impact ones actions. In examining the scriptures one will find that God is clear in describing how man is to love Him. And while the bible shows a broad spectrum of love the love that God requires from man is well defined and is based on obedience.


In the days of Jesus, the religious leaders were constantly questioning Jesus in order to test Him and on this occasion a lawyer asked Jesus what is the great commandment?


Matthew (22:35) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
(36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?


Jesus reply was the 1st great commandment was to love God and the 2nd was to love ones neighbor. These were given as a commandment for man to love.


Matthew (22:37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.


(38) This is the first and great commandment.


(39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.


One should note that by following the 1st and 2nd great commandment they will be adhering to the 10 commandments issued by Moses. If they love the Lord they won’t have any other Gods before him, or make any graven images or take his name in vain, they will remember his Sabbath and if they love their neighbor they will honor their Father and Mother and they won’t kill or commit adultery or steal or bear false witness nor will they covet. This is why Jesus goes on to state that on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets. Because by fulfilling these two commandments one fulfills the law.


(40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


Jesus stated that these 2 commandments where the 2 great commandments however the following verses will show that these commandments were not new and that the Jews and Jesus was speaking to were aware of them. These were the same ones issued to Israel by Moses.


Deuteronomy (6:5) And thy shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.


Leviticus (19:18) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Now that it has been established that man was commanded to love one needs to examine the scriptures to get an understanding of the love required in these great commandments.

In the following verses Moses is telling the Israelites that God chose them strictly out of His love for them.Deuteronomy (7:7) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

(8) But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

(9) Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Note in verse (9) Moses states a condition that God requires in order for Him to keep covenant and have mercy. And that is an individual must love God and keep His commandments. The scriptures will show that there is only one way to love God and that is by keeping His commandments.

Note that Jesus states in the following verse that in order to love Him one has to keep His commandments.

John (14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
I think 1 Thessalonians 5:17 helps us understand how to love the Lord: Pray constantly.
 

bro.tan

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I think 1 Thessalonians 5:17 helps us understand how to love the Lord: Pray constantly.
Well...that's good communication, and I agree if a person doing the will of God they should pray always.
One does not have to guess at Jesus definition of love He made it clear in John (14:21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. How does one love Jesus? by keeping His commandments and Moses said God will keep covenant and have mercy with those who keep His commandments. So therefore by following Jesus one shall receive love from Him as well as mercy from the Father.
Note in these scriptures it did not say those who profess their love for Jesus or those that claim that Jesus knows what in their heart. Jesus made a clear and direct statement if one has His commandments and keeps them they are the ones who love Him. The statement that Jesus made as well as the condition Moses gave in Deuteronomy verse (9) were based on behalf of an individuals actions not their feeling or emotions or conditions. To exhibit love towards Jesus one must engage in a specific action and that action is being obedience to the word of God. And one will see that they are to be obedient regardless of their feeling or the surrounding circumstances.

Jesus states again in the following verses what is required of an individual to receive His love.

John (15:9) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Notice Jesus use the word if ye keep my commandments, so what happen if ye do not keep his commandments. The above verse shows to be loved of Jesus one needs to be obedient. Jesus also states in verse (10) that He was obedient to the Father by keeping His commandments and therefore abides in His love. Now Jesus is the example man is to follow and just as He was obedient to the word of God we have to be obedient to God’s word.
 

bro.tan

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Remember Jesus walked this earth as a man and as human nature He did not want to die but he was obedient to the will of God even until death. The following verses show that Jesus dying on the cross was God’s will.

Matthews (26:36) Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
(37) And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

(38) Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.


(39) And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. God in His plan for the salvation of man had decided to offer Jesus as a sacrifice.