Does God demand that we love Him?
 

OK, there was some controversy about the consequences of not loving God. But this one should be easy. Should be. :thumbsup

Does God demand that we love Him?

By "demand" I mean "require" or "command". It is mandatory, in other words. Ignore what consequences (if any) there will be for disobeying, or how the consequences (if any) will come about. The question is what it is, and nothing else. Oh, and it shouldn't matter what my "angle" is! It's a very simple question, and I think I've seen it answered many times on this forum, anyway. Just want to get it on record.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Don't be skeered. Vote!

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

In the Old Testament (Old Covenant), God gave Moses the ten commandments written
in stone. (representing stony/hard hearts. The law was added for trangressions until the
"Seed", Jesus Christ should come to whom the promise was made. The law commanded or
demanded!! But after the "Seed" came, and the Promise was received, and a heart of flesh given to us, we did not have to be "commanded/or forced" to love GOD. The LOVE
OF GOD came by the HOLY GHOST/Promise of the Father! The Love of GOD was shed
abroad in our hearts by the HOLY GHOST! Romans 5:5
What the Law could not do, the PROMISE of THE FATHER did for us! GOD IS LOVE!!

Hugs,
Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Thanks! Could this also be said of the other commandments? E.g., do we no longer have to be commanded not to commit adultery, or murder?

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

IF we love HIM with the love of GOD shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, we WILL KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS! We will not hate our brother, kill, steal, commit adultery, or any of the other commandments! Jesus said we would receive POWER AFTER that the HOLY GHOST IS come upon us. Power to live an overcoming life. To run a new lawn mower effectively, you should read the "instruction" book. You should have fuel and oil in it, among other things.
If you don't have POWER to live an overcoming life, SOMETHING IS MISSING! Check your "Instruction" Book, then go from there. Search me, O, God and see if there be any wicked way in me....! Create in me a clean heart, O, God....!


Blessings,

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Does God demand love?

In my opinion Its a yes and no answer but for the sake of the poll I answered no!

Yes, we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, body, and soul! But it is not something that He will force us to do!

Will there be consequences for not loving him? yep, theres gonna be hell to pay (no pun intended) but it is still something you will choose for yourself because He doesnt want forced worship but worship that is genuinely given!

He expects us to return the love he gives to us! Like any husband or wife... if you are gonna love someone you are gonna want them to love you back... in a sense you demand thier love because you give them yours but you know you cant force em too! And if they dont the consequence is separation from them. YOu may always love them but you know you cant be in a relationship if that love isnt returned!

so... those are my thoughts... hope they make sense!

:bliss:didimiss:bdayparty

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Matthew 22:36-40 (King James Version)

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 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.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

John 1:17,
For the law was given by Moses. but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:16,
The law and the prophets were until John: (in part)

1John 5:3,
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: an His command-
ments are not grievous.

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

The question said "demand", not "force". Guess it wasn't clear enough. ;)

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

So, ummm, do you want to change your vote? ;)

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

No, God commands, not demands. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.

1 John 4:19 (King James Version)

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Ohhhhhh, commands! Not demands! Got it!

(:blink)

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

When God gave Moses the 10 commandments they were given in the context of God delivering them from slavery and coming into a covenant relationship with Him. God showed to the nation of Israel that He loved them and wanted to be their God. The covenant relationship between God and Israel is compared to a marriage. God wanted faithfulness on their part to Him. Isn't that what is done when wedding vows are exchanged? God commanded that Israel love Him. That should have not been that difficult to do considering what God had just done for them.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

OK. But that was then, and this is now. And I'm a Gentile. ;)

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

From Post#3
In the Old Testament (Old Covenant), God gave Moses the ten commandments written
in stone. (representing stony/hard hearts. The law was added for trangressions until the
"Seed", Jesus Christ should come to whom the promise was made. The law commanded or
demanded!! But after the "Seed" came, and the Promise was received, and a heart of flesh
given to us, we did not have to be "commanded/or forced" to love GOD. The LOVE
OF GOD came by the HOLY GHOST/Promise of the Father! The Love of GOD was shed
abroad in our hearts by the HOLY GHOST! Romans 5:5
What the Law could not do, the PROMISE of THE FATHER did for us! GOD IS LOVE!!

HE came unto His own, (first) and His own received Him not. But as many as
received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of GOD, even to
them that believe on His name.
At Pentecost, Peter preached to the Jews. Some believed. Later Paul told
some Jews that since they didn't count themselves worthy, he now turned
to the Gentiles, for they WILL hear.
Since the middle wall of partition has been torn down between Jew and Gen-
tile, whosoever can come and drink of the Water of Life freely.

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

God does command us to love Him with all our heart (emotions), soul (eternal part), mind (intellect) and body (physically).

Since His commandments are also His enablements He makes it possible.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

oh nice... so because you are a Gentile you don't need to follow the foundation of all law right? Mark 12:29-31

[B]Mar 12:29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Mar 12:30 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.'
Mar 12:31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."


God I am a gentile... I am not under law. NO LAW... isn't that what Paul said God?

:rolleyes:

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Didn't say that. Was just addressing Miz's post.

As for what law applies to me, I guess it's found in Acts 15:28-29?

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

BTW, that's TIC. I do understand the context, and I do understand that Mark 12:29-31 would be intended for everyone, Jew and Gentile. :thumbsup

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

:blink

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Belief in God is a huge spectrum. I'm just trying to get an understanding of which God you guys believe in.

You edited to add "irresistably", so thanks for the clarification. But the question was not about force, but about demand or command. (Apparently, there is some shade of meaning between even those two words, but I haven't got a handle on it yet. ;))

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

oh yeah... you can steal, murder, and a whole bunch of stuff. Love is even limited in that. GREEEEAAAAAAAAAT!

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Sigh.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

When I heard how much HE loved me and what HE did for me,
I was smitten. I love HIM because HE first loved me. Didn't know
how to love until HE showed me. With His Hands outstretched as
if to say, "THIS MUCH", HE died in my place that I might go free.

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

I can certainly understand that, saving you from His wrath and all, and maybe working a miracle for you now and then. I suppose this is kinda why I love some of the people I do, because of what they do for me, but others (like my kids!) I love just because. And it doesn't matter if they repay in kind or not. (They generally do, but I'm just sayin'! :lol)

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Wrath never was intended for the righteous, but for the unbelieving unrighteous.
When I think of HIM, I never think of wrath or fear of Him as a destroyer. I think
of Him as a loving, yet disciplining Father who loves me enough to correct me.

And no, we have no righteousness of our own. It is HIS Righteousness IN us.
Christ in us, the hope of glory. In the OT, God said, "Their righteousness is of Me". :nod

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Right. But He did save you (who have no righteousness of your own) from His wrath (by imputing His own righteousness to you), correct? And isn't that one of the reasons you love Him? Just sayin'.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Which is better: loving God because He does a lot for you, or loving God in obedience to the command?

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Which is better:

serving a spouse

because of love

or

because it is commanded?

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Not quite the same, is it?

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

GOD IS SPIRIT! GOD IS LOVE! When we received the SPIRIT of GOD, we
received HIS LOVE in our hearts, by the HOLY GHOST (SPIRIT). Sent down
from heaven, which things the angels DESIRE to look into. BUT some humans
don't want HIS SPIRIT, HIS LOVE. THEY DON'T WANT/DESIRE GOD, even
though HE created them. They depend on HIM for their next breath!

Timmy, not directing this at you at all. IF you weren't interested, you
wouldn't be asking all these questions and posting all these polls, would
you!:thumbsup

Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

:thumbsup

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

It is not necessary for Him to "demand" because He is irresistable!!!! No person can "know" God and not love Him.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Amen, Brother,

To know HIM is to LOVE HIM! GOD IS LOVE!!!

Hugs,
Falla39

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

But He did, anyway. Weird.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

Religion makes demands, Jesus says, "Come, and I will give you rest." My yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

:blink Jesus demanded!

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

The idea of this "demand" is actually a requirement for devotion or holiness toward "the Lord thy God" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and other passages).

The concept of "holiness" to the Lord is the idea of singular devotion dedicated to the One. Whenever we as humans set a utensil or tool aside for a particular purpose we are saying that this item is "dedicated" for just this one use.

So it is with our "earthen vessels." We are dedicated to just a single purpose in life - to serve and worship the Lord our God. This is the fundamental basis for every aspect of holiness.

Though at times our lives may be bitter and we may struggle against severe odds, all that the Lord requires of us is that we struggle and fight through adversity with Him in mind and keep the concept that He is a faithful and nurturing God always in the fore.

This command to love the Lord our God is based solely upon the idea that He is alone, in a sense. He is alone among all the objects worthy of such devotion. He was also alone before the foundation of His creative work and is thus the only source of our life and being. By "commanding" our love He is merely seeking our acknowledgement that the struggles and suffering in this life have some meaning and purpose; and that there is meaning and purpose for every aspect of our existence.

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

That's not what I said, please reread and understand! :foottap

Re: Does God demand that we love Him?
 

You didn't say it, I did. You said religion makes demands, and I replied that Jesus (also) demands. He said it was one of the two greatest commandments. It seemed you were implying that it's a bad thing to make demands. Just sayin'.