Topical Bible: Love to God: They Who Have are Known of Him

◄ Love to God: They Who Have are Known of Him ►

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The concept of love to God is a central theme in Christian theology, reflecting the relationship between the Creator and His creation. This love is not merely an emotional response but a profound commitment and devotion that encompasses the entirety of a believer's life. The Bible emphasizes that those who truly love God are known by Him, indicating a reciprocal relationship that is both intimate and transformative.

Biblical Foundation

The command to love God is foundational in Scripture. In Deuteronomy 6:5, the Israelites are instructed, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This command is reiterated by Jesus in the New Testament as the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). Love for God is not optional but is the essence of the believer's duty and privilege.

Characteristics of Love to God

1. Wholehearted Devotion: Love to God requires the totality of one's being. It involves the heart, soul, mind, and strength, signifying that every aspect of life should be oriented towards God. This comprehensive love is a response to God's own love, as seen in 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us."

2. Obedience: True love for God is demonstrated through obedience to His commandments. Jesus states in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Obedience is not a burdensome duty but a joyful expression of love and gratitude.

3. Sacrificial Living: Love for God often requires sacrifice, as believers are called to deny themselves and take up their cross (Luke 9:23). This sacrificial love mirrors the love of Christ, who gave Himself for humanity.

4. Pursuit of Holiness: Those who love God strive for holiness, seeking to reflect His character in their lives. As 1 Peter 1:16 declares, "Be holy, because I am holy." Love for God compels believers to live in a manner that honors Him.

Known by God

The reciprocal nature of love to God is highlighted in 1 Corinthians 8:3, "But the one who loves God is known by God." This knowledge is not merely intellectual but relational and intimate. To be known by God is to be in a covenant relationship with Him, marked by His favor and presence.

1. Intimacy with God: Being known by God implies a deep, personal relationship. It is an assurance of His attention, care, and guidance. Psalm 139 beautifully illustrates this intimate knowledge, where the psalmist acknowledges God's complete understanding of his thoughts and actions.

2. Security and Assurance: Those who are known by God have the assurance of His love and protection. Romans 8:28-29 speaks of those who love God being called according to His purpose, highlighting the security found in being part of God's sovereign plan.

3. Identity and Belonging: To be known by God is to have one's identity rooted in Him. Galatians 4:9 contrasts knowing God with being known by Him, emphasizing the transformation from slavery to sonship, where believers are adopted into God's family.

Implications for the Believer

The love for God and being known by Him has profound implications for the believer's life. It calls for a life of worship, service, and witness. Believers are to love God supremely, above all else, and this love should overflow into love for others, as commanded in the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39).

Furthermore, being known by God provides comfort and strength in trials, as believers trust in His sovereign care and purpose. It also motivates a life of holiness and mission, as those who love God seek to glorify Him in all they do and to make His love known to the world.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 8:3
But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Wesley -- God's Love to Fallen Man
... GOD'S LOVE TO FALLEN MAN. ... To assert a gracious Providence, And justify the ways of
God with men: ... of being more happy in heaven than otherwise they could have ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/wesley gods love to.htm

Latimer -- on Christian Love
... They remember not that Christ commanded us, saying, "This I command you, that ye
love one another ... Moses, the great prophet of God, gave many laws, but he ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume i/latimer on christian love.htm

Robert Hall -- Marks of Love to God
... tenderness and reverential fear, be assured you can not love God; you have no
experience of those Scripture declarations: "They shall fear the ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/robert hall marks of.htm

Thy Rod and Thy Staff they Comfort Me.
... chastises those whom He loves with a special love. ... The devoted friends of God and
the ardent lovers of ... They have known that the passing present is the price of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/callan/the shepherd of my soul/viii thy rod and thy.htm

Answer to Mr. W's Third Objection.
... satan to God: We had also lost that, eminent and undeniable proof they now afford ...
as we now are, of that unspeakable instance of the love of God, in sending ...
/.../section iii answer to mr.htm

The Prisons at Alcala and Salamanca
... desirous of suffering imprisonment for the love of Our ... between mortal and venial
sin, until they should have ... Recommending the affair to God, Ignatius began to ...
/.../loyola/the autobiography of st ignatius/chapter vi the prisons at.htm

The Test of Discipleship
... There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ ... character is imperfect,
their life faulty, and they are ready ... is at the right hand of God, who also ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 7 the test of.htm

Obedience: Its Place in Holy Scripture.
... patience of the saints (14:12), Here are they that keep ... known it, have you heard
it preached, have you believed ... is the key to a place in God's love in heaven? ...
/.../murray/the school of obedience/i obedience its place in.htm

The Privilege of Prayer
... manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants ... and yet they pray so little
and have so little ... The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 11 the privilege of.htm

"Their Eyes were Opened, and they Knew Him. "
... they can get with their Bibles, and who love nothing so ... Thank God, Christ can by
the power of the Holy ... this assurance, "Their eyes were opened and they knew Him ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/jesus himself/i their eyes were opened.htm