We
are commanded to love God. It is the first and greatest
commandment. Love is more than an emotion; it is an act of
the will. A mother loves her child constantly, though she
may not always experience the emotions of love. Her care
for her child is a proof of her love. We may not always
experience a feeling of love toward God, but we can always
love him. Our love is measured, not by our emotions, but
by our obedience our service. We labor for those we love,
and the love makes the labor light. It is not an irksome
thing to obey God when we love him.
It is possible to make a profession
to love God and not really love him. It may be that many
are deceived at this point. One Scripture says, "If
any man love God, the same is known of him." Jesus
says, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the
things which I say?" Love is something more than mere
words. It is useless to make a profession of love to Jesus
and not do what he says. A husband can not convince his
wife of his love by a mere profession of love, but he can
convince her by his acts. We are to love, not in word and
tongue only, but also in deed and in truth. Again, Jesus
says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words."
Here is an unfailing test of love. If you will not obey
God, he knows you do not love him, no matter how much you
may profess to love him.
So again we are reminded by the
Holy Bible that, in order to spend this brief life of ours
as we should, we must keep the commandments of God. No
other life will find acceptance with God. No other life
will please Him. He desires your love most certainly, but
He wants such love as will prompt you to obey Him. Do not
measure your Christian experience by your feelings, but
measure it by your obedience as proceeding from an
internal principle. When you find something in your heart
that causes you to obey God no matter how you feel, you
have good reason to hope that you are a Christian.
In subsequent chapters I will tell
you something of what God's Word teaches, but, first of
all, I desire to fully convince you, and help you to feel,
that the right and true way of life is in obedience to its
teaching.
