LOVING GOD
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
16:16)
Intro:
Paul asked the Romans, "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Romans 8:35). He then proceeded to
answer the question by saying, “… Yet in all these things we are
more than
conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor
things
to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be
able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans
8:37-39).
In this passage, we see the greatness of the love of God, which is
found in
Christ Jesus our Lord. In Ephesians 3:19, speaking of the love of
Christ, Paul
said it "passes knowledge." The point is that God’s love for
us is so great that we cannot totally comprehend it with our limited
human
reasoning. Thus, we can see that the scriptures teach of the love of
God. Jesus
said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). The
inspired John wrote, "For this is the love of God, that
we
keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous" (1
John
5:3). The only possible way to be a friend of the Lord is
to obey
Him (John 15:14). And only those who obey Him love Him (John 14:15).
For the next few moments, we want to share with you five things that
will be
evident if you truly love God. More could be added, but these five are
paramount.
1. Loving God Causes Us To
Love His Church
We were called
by the
Gospel into one church (2 Thess. 2:13-14); into one body (Col.
3:15); into
God’s one kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:12). When one obeys the
Gospel the
Lord adds him to the church (Acts 2:37-47). We should then be thankful,
and
walk worthy of God in love for His church. There are many Bible
examples of
Christians showing their love for God by their love for the church. One
such
example is seen in Priscilla and Aquila. These two helpers of the
apostle Paul
willingly laid down their own necks for him and the church that met in
their
house (Romans 16:3-5). Paul himself greatly longed after the church at
Philippi
(Phil. 1:8; 4:1).
Today, we too can show our love for God by loving His church. When we
faithfully support the various programs of the church we are displaying
our
love for God and His church. Conversely, our brethren who are “too
busy” to
attend and support the activities of the church are proving their lack
of love
for God & His church.
2. Loving God Causes Us To Worship God
True worship is
defined by
Jesus: "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in
spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). God must be the ONLY object
of
our worship (Rev. 22:9). Our worship must be "in spirit" –
that is, sincere and earnest. We must also worship God "in
truth" – that is, according to His word. For Jesus said, God’s “word
is truth" (John 17:17). We are told to “present (our) bodies a
living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is (our) spiritual
service
of worship” (Romans 12:1). If you love God you will worship God.
3. Loving God Causes Us To Love The Brethren
Loving God
is so important that Jesus COMMANDED us to
love one another: “These things I command you, that you love one
another” (John
15:17). He commanded this because love is our badge of discipleship.
He
said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one
another; as I
have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all
people
know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another”
(John
13:34-35). From our first acquaintance with Christianity we have
been
taught to love one another: "For this is the message which you
heard
from the beginning, that we should love one another" (1 John 3:11).
God is love and He loves and values everyone. He has given human beings
a
loving nature like his own. To be happy we must love and be loved, for
without
love, life is not worth living. Love is like a rope that binds brethren
together in perfect unity (Col. 3:14).
It is love of the brethren that distinguishes between the children of
God and
the children of the devil. John wrote, “We know that we have passed
out of
death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love
abides in
death” (1 John 3:14). Loving God causes us to show evidence of our
love for
the brethren, even to the point of being willing to give our life for
another.
Jesus gave us the example: “Hereby we know love, because He laid
down His
life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1
John
3:16).
Again, the Holy Spirit says: “But whoever has this world's goods,
and
beholds his brother in need, and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little
children, let
us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and in truth”
(1 John
3:17-18). We simply do not love God if we fail to love our
brethren: "If
a person says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he
who does
not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not
seen.
And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loves God love his
brother
also" (1 John 4:20-21). With these words in mind it is not
surprising
that Peter wrote, "Above all things being fervent in your love among
yourselves; for love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet. 4:8).
Do
you shout out loud that you love God? Then prove it by loving your
brethren in
Christ.
4. Loving God Causes Us To Love His Word
David, the King of Israel, loved God and he loved God's word. He said, "My tongue shall speak of Your word; for all Your commandments are righteousness" (Ps. 119:172). David loved God’s word more than gold (Ps. 119:127). He said, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). Again he wrote, “God’s word is very pure; therefore (His) servant loves it” (Ps. 119:140). The true lover of God will “delight in the law of the Lord; and in His law he meditates day and night" (Ps. 1:2). Like David, when we love God, we will hide His word in our heart, so that we will not sin against Him (Ps. 119:11).
5. Loving God Causes Us To Obey His Word
Multitudes of
so-called
“religious” people disregard the Lord's commandments. Ignorantly, they
teach that
compliance with the precepts of men will bring salvation. However, if
one
follows the doctrines and commandments of men his worship is in vain
and
brings condemnation (Matt. 15:8-9; 2 Thess. 2:10-12). Peter and the
other
apostles said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
You
see, it is absolutely worthless for one to profess to love the Lord
while
refusing to do His will (Matt. 7:21). Jesus made it so plain that a
blind man
can see it in the dark. He said: “If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My
word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make
Our
home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep
My words;
and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Fathers who sent Me”
(John
14:23-24).
Below are several people from the Bible who loved God enough to obey
His word.
Please take some time and study their lives: Noah, Abraham, Joshua,
Hezekiah,
Joseph and Mary, Paul, and Christ Himself (Heb. 5:8). God has promised,
and He
cannot lie (Titus 1:2), that all who do His work will be
blessed in his
deed (James 1:25). The Holy Spirit brought God’s written word near to
an end by
saying: “Blessed are those who do His commandments,
that
they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the
gates
into the city” (Rev. 22:14).
Before closing this lesson we desire to give two warnings to all who
fail to
love God by faithfully obeying His teachings. First, please remember
that you
will “reap what you sow” (Gal. 6:7). And second, the apostle
Paul said
by the Spirit: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the
Lord
Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming
fire
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2
Thess.
1:7-9).
Conclusion
Loved ones, in this lesson we have seen that those who love God:
will Love His church…
will Love to worship God…
will Love the brethren…
will Love His word…
and will Love to obey His word.
Do you love God? If not, why not?