3.12 The secret to loving God

In the Old Testament, the greatest commandment of the law demands that Israel love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength (Deut 6:5).

As spiritual bankrupts, we could not fulfill the law. In fact, Israel did the opposite by killing Jesus, their God. Jesus fulfilled that commandment on our behalf. He also gave us His love.

The New Covenant is really not about our love for God, but His love for us. I want you to see the contrast between Deut 6:5 with the following verse:

(1 John 4:10)
In this is love, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

In the New Covenant, we can truly love God because we have first received His love. Our ability to love is dependent on how much we have received and experienced God’s love.

(1 John 4:19)
We love Him BECAUSE He FIRST LOVED us.

Today, in the dispensation of grace, we no longer focus on our ability to love God. When we focus on God’s love for us and God’s love in us, we will find our love for God growing as a response. The Bible says that those who realize they have been forgiven much will love much.

If we have a problem with loving God, the real problem is a lack of revelation of His love for us.