How many times have you heard that you need to love God? This popular phrase is often heard when referring to Christian living and the Christian life, and is used in an attempt to conjure up reciprocal love for God.
However, when a person is trapped in legalism, with the burden of religion weighing them down, this phrase “you need to love God” takes on a heavy meaning which causes people to be introspective and focused on their own ability to love, rather than focusing on the root of the issue, which is God’s love for them.
I’ve spoken with a great number of people (and been one in the past as well) who were so consumed with trying to love God, that they completely missed His love for them – and in reality, the only way that we can truly love God at all, is by receiving His love for us in the first place!
So today in this study, we will be exploring the topic of how to truly love God, not by trying harder, but by receiving His love for you.
The typical religious idea is that we need to love God first, in order to receive anything from Him – and this is the man-centered, self-focused idea that places a burden on people to perform, and tells them that unless they perform properly first, they will never receive any help or love from God. It is religious legalism at its finest, and it keeps many people in bondage and cuts off their source of real strength and help – not realizing that they really have no power to perform at all, apart from God!
Furthermore, the scriptures are quite clear that it is God who loves us first even before we knew who He was – let alone, loved Him back.
Take for example one of the most famous stories in scripture: the story of the Prodigal Son. Most people know the basic details of this story already, but there’s one detail in-particular regarding the love of God to us, in relation to our love for Him. So let’s read the story, which is found in Luke 15:11-32:
“And he said, A certain man had two sons:
And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And he divided to them his living.
And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
And he would gladly have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave to him.
And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you,
And am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him
And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
And bring here the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
And he said to him, Your brother is come; and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.
And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
And he answering said to his father, See, these many years do I serve you, neither transgressed I at any time your commandment: and yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
But as soon as this your son was come, which has devoured your living with harlots, you have killed for him the fatted calf.
And he said to him, Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours.
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
Now the interesting point here that people sometimes miss is found in verse 17. Take notice of this, my friend, because this will show you something amazing and wonderful about the love of God, and His character that a lot of people need to see.
In verse 17, the son reasons to himself, why should I be starving when my father’s house has plenty of food?
Then he decides to go back to his father, and rehearses an apology speech.
But do you see it?
The son is not returning to his father because he loves his dad… nope!
The son is returning because he is hungry!
Catch this, my friend and don’t let it slip away… the son’s motivation to return home is not love – it’s hunger!
Yet even so, the father still accepts his son back, with rejoicing!
We can see in verse 20, the father noticing his son from far away – which tells us that the father was watching and waiting for his son to come home. The father ran to meet his son… not to punish him, or to ridicule him, but to hug and kiss his son and welcome him back home!
In verse 22, the father doesn’t even let the son finish his rehearsed apology speech, but gives his son, not only a replacement robe, but the best robe. And He also puts a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. And in verse 23 they kill the fatted calf and have a party.
All of these things represent an aspect of Jesus’ redemption:
– His righteousness
– His authority and position
– His possession and protection from the dust of the ground
– His provision and joy
All of it represents Jesus Christ and His redemptive work for you.
The key here for our study today though, is recognizing that the father gave his returning son all of these blessings, not based on the son’s love for the father, but based on the father’s unconditional love for his son!
This gives us insight into the character of God, and what He actually expects from us: nothing – except to come to Him!
This is why the lie of religion: that we must love God first, or clean ourselves up first, is so damaging – because it stops people from simply coming to God to receive His love and be cleaned up by Him!
I encourage you today to receive this truth my friend. I encourage you to stop trying to love God, and to start receiving His unconditional love for you!
You will be amazed at the life-changing effects of simply resting in His love, free from the burden of religious performance.
As 1st John 4.19 says: We love, because He first loved us.
It is His love for us, that enables us to have any capacity to love. That statement is devastating to our human pride, but never-the-less is absolutely true.
Receive His love for you my friend; and be blessed.
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