How do we know we love God?

How do we know we love God?

There are many facets to this answer…

But let us highlight some of the truths we are given from the Word of God, the Bible; the living Word will set us free if we learn to apply it into our lives.

It is important that we accurately consider the training from God’s Word so that we can hunt out His grace to correct whatever needs correcting, which is the purpose of any instruction manual! We are told “that in the last days the love of many will wax cold”; hate which hinges off a lack of tolerance will sadly be the norm. It is evident that this has already begun like never before, not in my lifetime anyway! Road rage is common news, just the other day a man fatally shot another man in peak hour traffic. There he was on his way to work and an hour or so later in jail with his life now turned upside down. Was he married, did he have children? If so, not only his life, but others who depend upon him now also suffer from the effects of his outburst. No matter how hard he wills things to be different; that is now engraved in the history books of time.

With the intolerance of hate lurking in the shadows, deep within the recesses of men’s hearts, no differently to a pit-bull waiting to pounce on its next victim, we as Christians must pay notice to this warning. Here is a clear instruction from the Apostle John; “If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1John 4:20-21) –intolerance for whatever reason will not cut it, if our reasoning supersedes the Word of God, it makes us a liar and the act of repentance must follow. If not we must then conclude that we cannot claim to love God! May I remind you as I firstly remind myself; If I do not find repentance and forgive my brother for any indifference I may have with him, I then cannot claim to love God, all it proves is that if I say I love God I am a liar! A stern warning from the beloved disciple, but it is imperative for us to pay careful attention to it! Let us be careful not to look for justification and not to reason with our carnal minds. Let us rather come to the throne of grace with boldness, seeking out resolve to make straight our crooked paths.

The next test is also found in the epistle of John and it proves not only to the believer but to other believers, whether or not, we truly are the children of God. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.” (1John 5:2-4) – Here we see that our faith, which is a gift from God, equips us to overcome the world. This is a lot harder to settle in our minds, for we all have a “thorn in the flesh”, an achilles heel that seems to plague us, I am aware that we have different struggles with sin, but we all have them! Nevertheless we must learn to find grace to overcome the various temptations we face as pilgrims here on earth. If not, we cannot with any assurance claim to be children of God! Oh how we need God’s intervention in our lives to be victorious Christians, but triumphant we need to be, we must learn to walk by faith! Yet we must find tolerance with a meek and gentle spirit when we see our brother straying, lest we fall into the same temptation and be found wanting. How we need you intersession my dear beloved Saviour! The Lord Jesus taught us to pray like this; “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) – Just as the Lord has considered us, we must also learn to ponder others and put them before our own needs. This then is true love!  

And finally we know that we love God when we can begin to accept that whatever may happen throughout the day, regardless of tragedy as we would understand it, we must be settled by this truth, that our God is in perfect control and it is not our place to second guess Him. Two days ago the main house was flooded, but I am convinced it was needful for all, if not it would not of happened! The Apostle Paul teachers us this truth; “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) – This applies to God’s children and not to those outside of His family, it is the called that God is fashioning into the image of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! We must learn to rest in the wise Master Builder’s ability as He fashion and moulds us, remember Job!  

Help us find rest in whatever it is we need to face so that we may bring glory to you marvellous name Father God and thank you Lord Jesus for your High priestly role you play in our lives. You are touched with the feelings of our infirmities and for this we are grateful!

Signing off

Tyrone