Man’s Duty To Love God

Timothy Kidwell

Brother Kidwell has been working with the Rome church of Christ, Rome Georgia, since August 2007. Prior to this, he preached for the Buda–Kyle church of Christ, Buda, Texas. In his twenty-seven years of preaching, he has also served congregations in Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and Maryland. He received his formal education from Freed-Hardeman University (BS, 1981) and Alabama School of Religion extension classes. He spent seven years in the mission field of Damascus, Maryland, and has been on several mission trips to Guyana, South America. He and his wife, Robin, have three daughters.

In Mark 12, both the Pharisees and the Sadducees came to the Lord for the purpose of testing him. Their goal was to “catch Him in His words” (Mk. 12:13, NKJ). After easily answering the Pharisees’ question concerning paying taxes to Caesar, and then showing the fallacy of the Sadducees’ position on the resurrection, one of the scribes approached Jesus with a question. It appears that the man’s heart was honest because our Lord later said to this scribe, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mk. 12:34).

The scribe had heard the answers Jesus had given to those testing Him, and knowing that the Lord had “answered them well,” he asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?” (Mk. 12:28). A scribe’s job was to make copies of the written works that had been given by God to the Jews through inspired writers. He would be very familiar with all of the 613 commandments found in the Law, 365 negative and 248 positive (Wiersbe). Over time the Jewish leaders had also added hundreds of rules created from traditional interpret-ations of God’s laws. For example, a person could not spit on sand on the Sabbath Day because he might inadvertently plow a furrow and be guilty of working on the day of rest (cf. Ex. 35:2). To the religious leaders, these laws were just as important as all the ones given by inspiration.

Jesus gave an answer that took the focus of their faith off the ceremonies, rituals, traditions, burnt offerings, and sacrifices with which the Jews had preoccupied themselves. It was an answer that once given, “no man dared question Him” again (Mk. 12:34).
To the question, “Which is the first [most important] commandment of all?” (Mk. 12:28), our Lord answered, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12:30 cf. Deut. 6:5). Jesus, however, did not stop with that charge. He also gave the second greatest commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 22:39-40 cf. Lev. 19:18). Jesus was explaining, in very simple language, that if the Jews did not first understand and obey the first two commandments, then keeping the rest of the law would be of no profit to them. Why? Because the person who did not first love God and others would never fully understand how to live according to “the Law and the Prophets.” To obey these first two commandments was to fulfill all the others. The apostle Paul reaffirmed this when he wrote, “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10). Every other act of obedience is void if we do not first love God.

A few questions that might be asked at this point are: (1) Why should mankind love God? (2) How do people know if they love God? (3) What does it mean to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? (4) What are the blessings connected with loving God with all our being? (5) What are the consequences if we do not love God with all our being?

Why Should Mankind Love God?

John wrote, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 Jn. 4:19). Why does God love man? John answers this question with three words: “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16). Why does the sun shine and give forth light and warmth to both good and evil people (Mt. 5:45)? Because that is what the sun does. It is not possible for it to show partiality. Why does rain fall on the just and the unjust (Mt. 5:45)? Because that is what rain does. It is also impossible for rain to show favoritism. Why does God love every person who has ever lived, who is living now, and who will live in the future (Jn. 3:16)? Because love is what God is. Love is what God does. It is impossible for him to be a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35).

In what way did God first love man? During different stages of the week of creation God proclaimed his work to be “good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 18, 21, 25). On the sixth day, when God had completed all his work with the creation of humanity, he declared his results to be “very good” (Gen. 1:31). What made humans special? Only mankind was created in God’s image, and only mankind would have dominion over the rest of God’s creation (Gen. 1:26). The world and everything in it was created for mankind (Gen. 1:28-30).
Human beings, on the other hand, were created for God. They were created to be the objects of God’s love. Our sole purpose in existing is to be loved by God and to express our love for him. This is evidenced by the fact that God chose to create people, not machines. It may be possible for us to love machines, but they do not have the ability to love us in return. A machine can only do what it has been programmed to perform. Human beings are not machines. God did not program us to love him no matter what. Rather, he gave us freewill. Because of this ability God has created in mankind, our love for him is a choice. It is not forced upon us, and neither is it accidental. Mankind does not inadvertently “fall in love” with God. Loving God is a conscious decision. To love God “because He first loved us” is to make a decision to love him based upon factual truths that prick our heart.

Sin separated humanity from God (Gen. 3:6; Isa. 59:2). In order to live with God in heaven, mankind’s relationship had to be restored. We needed God’s forgiveness. However, to be allowed in the presence of a perfect God, we had to have a perfect sacrifice offered on our behalf. It would take more than the blood of animal sacrifices to make us pure and holy in God’s eyes (Heb. 10:4). It was impossible for mankind to offer any earthly thing to God that would bring sanctification.

God loved humanity. It was God’s desire for all people to live with him in heaven. He did not want any person to spend eternity in hell (2 Pet. 3:9). Because of his love, God provided mankind with the ultimate sacrifice (1 Jn. 4:9-10). Since this offering came from a perfect God, it was a perfect sacrifice. Because it was faultless, it would only have to be offered once for all humanity (Heb. 10:10, 18). It was a sacrifice that could take away every sin committed in the world—past, present, and future—by any and all people who humbly accept this gift from God (Heb. 10:12; Rom. 6:23).

Therefore, the foundation of our love for God should be firmly rooted in the sacrifice of love that God made for us. Jesus foretold the sacrifice his Father would provide, identified what that sacrifice would be, and made it clear who could be the benefactor of that sacrifice when he taught,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (Jn. 3:16)

Jesus, God’s Son, became God in the flesh (Jn. 1:14), lived a perfect life on earth (1 Pet. 2:22), and died that we might live (1 Jn. 4:12). We should love God because he first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19).

How Do People Know If They Love God?

In the Gospel of John, we have recorded a prayer on our behalf spoken by our Lord. In this prayer, Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jn. 17:3). A home in heaven is surely the goal of all God-fearing people, but to obtain eternal life, Jesus plainly declared that we must “know” God and Christ. There is a big difference between knowing a person and just knowing who he or she is. I know who the President of the United States is, but I do not personally know him. Therefore, let it be understood that it is not enough just to know who God is. Jesus said we must have a relationship with him in order to one day live with him in heaven. We must personally know God!

Since our relationship with God is spiritual (Jn. 4:23-24), and based upon faith in the unseen (Jn. 20:29; Heb. 11:6), how is it possible to know that we have a relationship with our heavenly Father and Christ? The apostle John, who recorded the Lord’s prayer, answered that question for us. He wrote, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 Jn. 2:3). To know that we know God and have a relationship with him, we must be obedient to him.

At this point someone might conclude that a proper relationship with God is simply the keeping of His rules. However, the keeping of rules does not necessarily make for a healthy relationship. An employee may keep the rules of his employer and all the while despise his boss. That is definitely not a healthy relationship, and there is certainly no love in that association.

For our relationship with God to be spiritually proper, our obedience must be sincerely motivated by a desire to please him. Jesus taught, “If you love Me, keep My com-mandments” (Jn. 14:15). Obedience without love is useless. Paul stated that if he gave all he had to help the poor and was even killed as a consequence of living the Christian life, these actions would be useless if they were not motivated by love (1 Cor. 13:3).

In order for us to have a home in heaven we must know God. To know that we know God is to keep his com-mandments, and we keep his commandments because we love him. Those who know God do not merely ask, “What must I do?” Instead, they ask, “What else can I do to express my love for God?”

The word “love” is used in different ways in our speech. Based upon the context of a conversation, the definition of the word will vary. A man might say, “I love my dog.” Later that same man might say, “I love my wife.” Do you understand this man to have the same degree of affection in both instances? Not if he has a proper relationship with his wife. It would be unnatural for people to feel the same way about their pet as they do their spouse. Certainly a healthy marital relationship will be seen by the man’s desire to please his wife more so than his dog.

Now consider this. The man says, “I love my wife.” Then, he says, “I love God.” Is it proper for this man’s words to have the same meaning in both these statements? Again, the answer is, “Certainly not!” At this thought, however, someone might point out that Paul instructed a man to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it (Eph. 5:23). How can a person love more deeply than that? The depth of love is based upon the motivation of love. Why should a man love his wife? Because God commanded it. Why should a man obey that command? Because he loves God. Therefore, his love for God will be the motivating force behind his love for his wife. This means his love for God will be at an even greater depth than his love for his wife.

In some relationships, a spouse might tempt his or her mate to sin. The mate must love God more than his or her spouse. Consider Adam and Eve. Adam loved Eve and that is why he probably followed her into sin (Gen. 3:1-6). His love for God should have been greater. Adam should have obeyed “God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). To love God is to love our spouse in a way that will always keep God pleased with our decisions, even if it makes our spouse unhappy (Mt. 10:35-37). Our God is one—undivided (Deut. 6:4)! Likewise, our love for him must be with complete allegiance.

What Does It Mean To Love God?

Love God With All Our Heart

Jesus said that there are four areas of mankind’s being that love for God must encompass. First, our Lord taught that we must love God with all our heart. Jesus is not talking about the organ that pumps blood through our body. The word “heart” is used here to describe the center of mankind. From the most inner depths of a person’s being, he or she is to love God.

According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life....The process of salvation begins in the heart by the believing reception of the testimony of God, while the rejection of that testimony hardens the heart. (Easton)

The heart not only includes our ability to show affection (Ps. 4:7), but it also includes our physical, moral, spiritual, and intellectual capacities. With the heart, humans think (Pr. 23:7), believe (Rom.10:9), understand (Pr. 2:2), trust (Pr. 3:5), and obey God (Pr. 3:1).
People may fool others by pretending to love God by their actions, but God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). God knows the secrets of a person’s heart (Ps. 44:21). One day, all people will be judged by their heart (1 Jn. 3:19; 1 Cor. 4:5).

Love God With All Our Soul

Second, Jesus instructed us to love God with all our soul.

“Soul” is often used to refer to the physical life and the self concept. To love God with all our soul or life means to be willing to give one’s life to God and to devote it all to Him. It means total commitment. In the word “soul,” we see the will choosing for God, giving one’s life to Him. (Keathley)

Those who give their life to God are totally dedicated to serving him with their life. It is impossible to serve and/or love two masters (Mt. 6:24).

Love God With All Our Mind

Third, in this command we are instructed to Love God with all of our mind.

“Mind” refers to our ideas, viewpoint, and perspective of life. To love God with all our mind means to submit our minds, thought patterns, opinions, and decisions to God’s Word. It means to lean not on our own understanding [Pr. 3:5] but to bring every thought into obedience and captivity of the Savior. This means we act then not on what we think or on how we feel, but in accord with the facts of the Word of God. (Keathley, emphasis in original)

To love God with all our mind is to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Feelings do not determine whether an action is right or wrong. The truth, God’s word, is what sanctifies us and establishes what is righteous (Jn. 17:17). Many think they can arrive at a godly decision by asking the question, “What would Jesus do?,” but unless we know how Jesus thinks, we cannot know what Jesus would do. We must have the mind of Christ as revealed in Scripture (1 Cor. 2:16), and then we can truly love God with our entire mind. To obtain the mind of Christ, Christians must be diligent to learn God’s word so that they will not be ashamed of the decisions they make (2 Tim. 2:15).

Love God With All Our Strength

Last in this command we are told to love God with all our strength.

“Strength” refers to all our abilities, talents, and physical powers. All of these are to be surren-dered and devoted to Him for His glory....Every fiber of our being, every aspect of our lives is to be caught up and focused on the majesty and essence of God and His matchless grace. He is to be the base and reason for our being and actions. (Keathley)

Many in the church are creatures of convenience. Their spiritual activity is based primarily around their worldly affairs. If they do not choose to work at their job, spend time on their hobby, watch television, cut the grass, eat, take a nap, or a host of other activities, then, if they are not too tired, they might pitch in to help with the work of the church. The apostle Paul taught that it is only “reasonable” for our lives to be a “living sacrifice” to God (Rom. 12:1). This is only possible if we are committed to a holy life—a life that is not conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). It will be a life of zeal based upon knowledge of God’s word as we take up our cross and follow the Lord daily.

What Are The Blessings Connected With Loving God With All Our Being?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the importance of putting God first: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Mt. 6:33). We cannot truly love God with all our being if he is not first in our life. Notice some truths concerning this verse. First, our Lord assured us that if we will seek the kingdom of God first, then he will supply our needs (cf. Mt. 6:25-31). Second, this does not mean that Christians will never face hardships, but when they do, they have the promise that God will help them endure (Heb. 13:5-6; 1 Cor. 10:13). Third, only those who love God have access to him (Eph. 2:18). Prayer is a privilege granted only to those who are striving to live a life of purity (Jn. 9:31). Fourth, those who love God are given redemption through the blood of Christ and forgiveness of their sins (Eph. 1:7). Fifth, if we remain faithful to our first love, we will be given a home in heaven one day (Rev. 2:10). These are some of the blessings that are guaranteed by God, but only to those who love him.

What Are The Consequences If We Do Not Love God With All Our Being?

There are many people in the world today who say that they love God, but sadly they are lost. How do I know this? Consider the words of our Lord in one of his descriptions of the Judgment:

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” 23 And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt. 7:21-23)

How is it possible that people can live a life sharing the message of the cross, doing good in the name of our Lord, and yet still be lost? They did not love the Lord with all their being. Remember, Jesus said, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments” (Jn. 14:15). Some will fall short of God’s glory because they failed to love God either by refusing to obey his commandments, by changing his instructions, or by leaving things undone. It does not matter how much good is done in the name of Christ if a person continues to live in sin (Rm. 6:1-2). God must receive our complete allegiance! Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Mt. 12:30). No one is going to “just barely” either make it to heaven or miss heaven. However, those who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength have nothing to worry about.

Conclusion

God must be the first and supreme object of our love. God must be loved with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mt. 22:39; Mk. 12:29-34). God is one, and our love for him must be indivisible (Deut. 6:4; Mt. 6:24). Godly love is not simply affection. It is evident in our obedience to God by keeping his commandments (Jn. 14:15). Those who love God will hate evil and all forms of worldliness, as exhibited in abstaining from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life in everything that we do (Ps. 97:10; 1 Jn 2:15-17). Our decisions will be consistently godly because we will have the mind of Christ as revealed in Scripture (1 Cor. 2:16). In so doing, the kingdom of God will be first in our lives, and the blessings promised by God will be ours to obtain (Mt. 6:33).

Works Cited

• All Bible quotations are taken from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
• Easton, Matthew George. Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Power Bible CD. Phil Linder, Online Publishing. CD-ROM Version, 2007.
• Keathley, J. Hampton III, “The Paramount Issues of Life (Mark 12:28-31).”Bible.org. 1 Aug. 2007 <www.bible.org/docs/ splife/misc/paramount.htm>.
• Wiersbe, Warren. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Quickverse CD-ROM Version 5.0.