The last two articles in this series on Christian love have addressed the love that God and Jesus have for us. In each of these articles, our reaction to their love was mentioned. In this article, we want to focus in more detail on our love for our God and Savior.

1 John 4:19 says, "We love Him because He first loved us." This comes in the midst of a passage about God's love. It is a statement that summarizes what our attitude toward God ought to be. The word for love in this text is AGAPE, which means caring enough about someone to sacrifice for him. God so loved us to this degree that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. Jesus loved us so much that willingly came and died. Because of this great love, we are naturally moved (at least we should be) to love Him in return. So how do we show our love for God and Jesus? The New Testament tells us a number of ways.

We show our love for God and Jesus by putting them first

When asked on one occasion what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40) The point Jesus was making is that with everything we are and have, we must love God. This demands that He be first in our life. And Jesus demands the same for Himself. He said on another occasion, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:37-39). Consider also 1 John 2:15 which says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." This text shows that if we prefer the world (or anything in the world) above Him, that a true love for God is not there. Truly, love for God and Jesus means that they must be a priority in our lives.

John 14:15 records Jesus teaching His disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Later in the discourse, He said to them, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (vs.21). Note the blessing He promised to those who love Him and keep His commandments. Later in his life, John tied together love for God and obedience. He said, "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." (1 John 2:3-6). A little later in this same epistle, he wrote, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3). Note in this verse that John says obeying God's commands are not burdensome. This does not mean that everything we do will be easy or even pleasant, but if we truly love God, we will gladly do whatever He tells us to do, simply because He tells us too. Our personal feelings about His commands are irrelevant. In these verses, we can clearly see that we show our love for God by obeying Him. This also means that if we do NOT keep His commandments, we do NOT really love Him. Disobedience shows a lack of love.

On the same occasion that Jesus taught His disciples to keep His commandments He told them about how important loving one another would be. He said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35). John emphasized this too. 1 John 4:20-21 says, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also." Note the emphatic equation between our love for our brethren and God. Truly, we show God how much we love Him by preferring to be with other of a like precious faith.

If you love someone, you want others to know about him or her. One who loves his parents, will proudly tells others about them. He who truly loves his wife, will want others to know about her. He wears a ring and puts her upon a pedestal. Such is also true if we love God and Jesus. We will want to let others know that they are a part of our life. In Acts 8:4, we read of persecuted brethren who, "were scattered (and) went everywhere preaching the word." Their love for Christ compelled them to tell others about Him. Paul spoke of His love for Christ compelling him in 2 Corinthians 5:14. A study of the context shows that he and those with him were interested in persuading men (vs. 10-11) to believe in Jesus. Jesus taught His disciples, "Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33).

The point here is that when we act because we love God, in time it will lead to a relationship that is much deeper than merely obeying. We will have feelings (love - PHILEO) for God. John 16:27 says, "For the Father himself loves (Phileo) you, because you have loved (Phileo) Me, and have believed that I came forth from God." Paul commanded, "If any one does not love (Phileo) the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord come." (1 Corinthians 16:22). These verses talk about the affection we ought to develop when Jesus and God become the influencing factors they should be in our lives.

There are other ways that we demonstrate our love for God and Jesus, but these are sufficient to give us an idea of exactly what it involves. John gave this consolation concerning our love for Them. "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16) James said, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12). In these verses we see the reward we have if we truly love God and Jesus as we ought to. What about you? Do you love God and Jesus as you ought to?