Love God

Introduction

It seems as though our culture has confused the definitions for the words ‘lust’ and ‘love.’

What is Love for God?

Commitment - “love me and keep my commandments” (Deut 5:10, 6:5, 7:9, 10:12, 11:1, 11:13, 11:22, 13:3, 19:9, 30:6, 30:16, 30:20, Josh 22:5, etc. ) Every time in Deuteronomy that Israel is commanded to love God, it’s always clarified that this means to WALK, OBEY, SERVE.

Reinforced by Jesus’s words in John 14:15 - “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” ALSO look at John 14:21

Commitment as Obedience

Commitment as Walking with God

Commitment as Serving

Why Do We Love God?

Deuteronomy 1-5 recounts all that God has done for Israel. He wants them to have a clear understanding of God’s love for them...

God chose them. Deut 4:37

God delivered them. Deut 4:37

God led them to the Promised Land.

God gave them victory after victory.

This is why Deut 5:6, as Moses begins recounting the Ten Commandments, he begins with these words: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

God is reminding Israel of who they are… and who he is (and what he’s done for them)

In other words, God has already revealed his love by his actions of deliverance, salvation, and provision.

Jesus provides us with a NEW Passover and deliverance from spiritual Egypt - slavery to sin, Satan, and death

This is why Paul says “God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 - We were SINNERS - that’s how we were defined.

Our problem is that we don’t recognize our own slavery to sin...

Slavery to our own desires...

Slavery to the opinions of others...

Slavery to our addictions and habits...

Slavery to ways of living that destroy and lead to death...

Slavery to death...

We’re told that things are NATURAL and can’t be controlled - that we’re wrong for even trying. Think of the recent talk about evangelical Christians and people struggling with pornography.

We don’t see our need because we’ve been fooled by a world that claims we really aren’t all that bad. Israelites in Egypt understood their plight. We don’t see it. So we don’t even know we need deliverance. And when we do go down and get deliverance, we quickly lose sight of just how much we’ve been saved.

But when we see it… when we see God’s grace in saving, providing, and leading... it motivates us to love.

Loving God in the Here and Now

Repenting - Turning away from our selfish ways.

Trusting - Putting our faith - not just for salvation but for all of life - in Jesus.

Following...

First, in baptism - symbolizes our death and resurrection in Jesus.

Second, in worship - not just here but in all of life; Christ becomes the goal of all things (Whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do, do all to the glory of God). But we also recognize that we learn to worship in these walls.

Third, in the Word - hearing the Word, meditating on the Word, and living out the Word.

And it’s a constant cycle… of reorienting ourselves back to God, trusting him with each day, worshiping, and being immersed in the Word. Again and again and again.

It’s a process that never ends… we never finish… because each day brings new temptations and new challenges. But it also brings a consistent, faithful God who never fails.