The Power of God's Word: What Love has to do with it

Scripture teaches believers to love God and shows how such love should be expressed in worship and practical service.

I. Our Love God

A. Believers’ response to God’s love

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 KJV 1900

7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Psalm 116:1 KJV 1900

1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard My voice and my supplications.

John 15:16 KJV 1900

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Ephesians 2:4–5 KJV 1900

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

1 John 4:10 KJV 1900

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:19 KJV 1900

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

B. Love for God is commanded

Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV 1900

5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deuteronomy 10:12 KJV 1900

12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Deuteronomy 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Joshua 22:5 KJV 1900

5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Joshua 23:11 KJV 1900

11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.

Psalm 31:23 KJV 1900

23 O love the Lord, all ye his saints: For the Lord preserveth the faithful, And plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Matthew 22:37–38 KJV 1900

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.

C. Loving God involves loving Jesus Christ

John 8:42 KJV 1900

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

John 15:23 KJV 1900

23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

II. Expressing love for God

A. Delight in worship and in God’s house

Psalm 27:4 KJV 1900

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

Psalm 43:4 NKJV

4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.

Psalm 84:2 KJV 1900

2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Psalm 122:1 KJV 1900

1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.

D. Love for God’s word

Psalm 1:2 KJV 1900

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 19:10 KJV 1900

10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Psalm 119:16 KJV 1900

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalm 119:35 KJV 1900

35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; For therein do I delight.

Psalm 119:72 KJV 1900

72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me Than thousands of gold and silver.

Psalm 119:97 KJV 1900

97 MEM. O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:163 KJV 1900

163 I hate and abhor lying: But thy law do I love.

Jeremiah 15:16 KJV 1900

16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

C. Obeying God

Psalm 40:8 KJV 1900

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: Yea, thy law is within my heart.

John 14:15 KJV 1900

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:23 KJV 1900

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 15:14 KJV 1900

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

1 John 5:3 KJV 1900

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

2 John 6 KJV 1900

6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

B. Loving others

John 13:35 KJV 1900

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:12 KJV 1900

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

1 John 4:11 KJV 1900

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 John 4:21 KJV 1900

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.