“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. This is the first and great commandment.” - Matthew 22:37-38
After His resurrection, Jesus asked Simon Peter three identical questions, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” What if the Lord asked you the same question. How would you respond?
I think most believers would like to give a positive answer to the Lord's question. No doubt about it, we love the Lord. But do we really?
It is one thing to know the Lord, it is another thing to love Him. While it is good to cultivate a greater knowledge of the Lord, it is even better to have a deepening love for Him.
For many believers, their love for Jesus began with great intensity, but slowly the love has declined. The church at Ephesus had this problem. The Lord said to them, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Notice that the Ephesian church didn't lose their first love. They left it.
What about you? Perhaps you can talk about the love you once had for Jesus, but what about right now? Do you love Jesus with all your heart?
Jesus taught us, “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. This is the first and great commandment.” Notice that this is more than a suggestion, it is a command.
Let's be honest about it. Most American Christians struggle with the idea of obeying commands. We don't like being told what to do. We tolerate this on the job, but resist it elsewhere. Even at church, we enjoy hearing about God's love, but we tend to get uncomfortable when challenged to repent of sin, surrender to the Lordship of Christ and obey His commands. Our lack of obedience to God demonstrates our lack of faith and devotion. It is a serious matter. Somehow, we've turned the commands of God into options.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment of all is to love God. Thus, if we fail to keep this commandment, it is a serious matter. If we fail to love God, it is because we love something or someone else more. We are guilty of idolatry and spiritual adultery when we exalt something or someone above God Himself. Only God is worthy of our ultimate love and devotion.
When Jesus commanded us to love God, He said we should love God,”... with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” We should love Him from the heart. Loving God is more than an intellectual exercise. It is an emotional experience. Love should come from the very core of our being. It is more than “going through the motions.” It is the engagement of our heart.
Secondly, we are to love with all of our soul. It is a spiritual experience. Only a born-again believer can love God properly. A lost person is spiritually dead and unable to love God fully. A follower of Jesus can love God because he has had a life-changing experience of grace. He has been given a new heart … a heart that loves God.
Third, we are to love with all our mind. It is a mental experience. Loving God is not an “out-of-body” experience. As our minds are renewed by the power of the Word, we learn more about our Lord, causing us to love Him more and more. Worship is more than an emotional event. Genuine worship includes the involvement of our minds as we meditate on God. Our love for Him grows day by day.
If you feel that your love for Jesus has weakened, let me suggest that you block off all distractions and read Isaiah 53. Slowly meditate on the chapter. Think about the cross and its implications for your life. Mentally picture the Lord dying on the cross for your sins. Think seriously about the love that motivated Him to sacrifice everything for your sake. Consider the fact that you were the reason He willingly endured such agony. Consider how He rescued you from sin. Think about how He saved you and changed your life. You owe Him everything. Such a long session of meditation will cause love to grow in your heart for Him.
Let your love grow even deeper by expressing your love to Him. When it comes to loving God, speak it. Verbally tell the Lord that you love Him. Secondly, show it. Obey His commands. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Finally, share it. Tell others that you love the Lord. Share with them why you have genuine affection for the Lord Jesus. These three things will cause your love to reach new levels of intensity.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. Through Him, we have eternal salvation.
Do you love Him?
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