God’s Nature is His Love: Part Two

The commandants God gave us is for our own good, when asked which is the greatest of the commandments Christ told them, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”  When we love God we are putting our trust and faith in God.  God did not make up these rules to make your life hard but He gave them so you could live life to the fullest.  He tells you, you can have a great marriage and children that love and respect you, but do not cheat on your spouse or lust after others.  Why did He say this? Because He knows that if you go and cheat on or lust after others, it is going to cause problems for your marriage.  But if you first love God, and worship Him, then that love is going to overflow into you marriage and then into other parts of your life.  God wants us to have a life of abundant life, John 10:10 tells us this, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  God’s commandments are given to us for our own good.  So we can live a richer and deeper life with God. 

In his book Experiencing God Richard Blackaby explains God’s commands.  “God's commands are designed to guide you to the best He has to offer. You will struggle to obey Him, however, if you do not trust Him. You will not trust Him if you do not love Him. And you will not love Him unless you know Him. But if you come to know Him as He reveals Himself to you, you will love Him, trust Him, and obey Him. The Bible is crystal clear at this point: if you love God, you will obey Him! If you do not obey Him, you do not really love Him, regardless of what you may claim (see John 14:24).”  Christ tells us if we love Him we are to follow Him and obey, but God’s love is so deep for us that He has given us help.  John 14:23-26 Christ says this; ““All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them. ²⁴ Anyone who doesn’t love me will not do what I say. And remember, my words are not my own. This message is from the Father who sent me. ²⁵ I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative—and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.”

The writer of Hebrews tells us this; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don’t become weary and give up.”(Heb 12:1-4)

A.W. Tozer wrote, “The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.”

Blackaby, Richard (2008-09-01). Experiencing God (p. 16). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition

Tozer, A.W.; Tozer, Aidan; Tozer, Aidan Wilson (2011-01-31). The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer (p. 20). Christian Miracle Foundation Press. Kindle Edition.