28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions." Mark 12:28-34
What is Love? To the world it is eros/romantic love -- based in emotions and feelings. Once the feelings are gone, the love is gone.
God's love is not based in emotion. It is constant, never-ending, always consistent. It is called Agapao = preference for; prize above all else; to be unwilling to abandon EVER.
So, how are we to love God?
Loving God with our hearts:
"Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23
"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12:34
What is in you is what will come out of you.
Loving God with our souls:
"For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things." Psalm 107:9
Our souls belong to God. The soul is the spirit of life (from God) breathed into us. The souls want to go back to God.
"The law of the Lord is perfect,[a]
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;" Psalm 19:7
Loving God with our minds: Imagine, think, reason
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ," 2 Corinthians 10:5
How can you do this if you don't know the Word. Your brain needs to be engaged. A trained reaction. We learn to do and practice at this -- the more we practice the better we get at it.
1. Exclusive love -- You can't love God partially.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.[a]" Matthew 6:24
God or the World -- not both. Only God.
(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), Exodus 34:14
2. Love that Surpasses all others.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39
He has to come first if you are going to live for him. Jesus doesn't come second to anyone. God gives ultimate love -- total love, unconditional love. That is how we are to love.
"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." 1 John 2:15
If things are more important than Jesus, than you don't know Jesus.
3. Obedient Love.
"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21
23 Jesus answered him, “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 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." John 14:23-24
The only things we can give God are our love and obedience. Receive his grace; be grateful; love and obey.
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 1 John 2:4-6
4. Love that perseveres.
No matter what is happening, our love for God needs to be constant.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12
Love God with intention and effort. Persevere through the fires of life.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
1 Peter 1:6-9
More fire, more refinement. The best for us is heaven. The best for us is our salvation. We will be tested. Persecution is on the horizon. Celebrate the trial, the challenge. He is testing you to refine you.