Becoming A Great Lover Of God Series

PURSUING THE LOVE OF GOD Part 3

Topic: BECOMING A GREAT LOVER OF GOD

I. Introductory Remarks.

In this series of messages, we are looking at what it really means to pursue love in the various relationships God has established in our lives. It is something God wants us to pursue with all of our hearts. The Greek word for pursue, as we learnt in lesson 1, is "DIOKO", which is the same word Paul used in Philippians where he said, "I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me". It is a strong word that denotes to pursue without hostility and to seek eagerly after.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

In the previous message, lesson 2, we also leant about the supernatural power of love. In that teaching,we discovered that The Christian faith comprises of three basic things:

a. An encounter with the love of the Father as revealed through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.

b. The transforming power of that love in the believer to produce conformity and empowerment.

c. The third thing the Christian faith comprise of is an expression of that love through you to the world……..this is Christianity!

We also saw that love is the primary or preeminent quality or fruit that God is desiring from our lives. The Christian love or Agape love expresses the deep and constant love of a perfect being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them toward the giver, and a practical love towards those who are partakers of the same, and desire to help others to seek the Giver. It is an unselfish love, ready to serve. In summary,

a. Christianity is not limited to praying in tongues, revelation or display of physical results.

b. The apex of Christianity is love.

c. The summary of Christianity is the revelation of the love of God towards men.

d. The love of God unexpressed does not profit anyone.

e. When love is expressed to people, it is capable of healing, restoring and transforming lives.

In this message I want to talk about what it really means to love God or How to become a great lover of God. This is the first and foremost commandment that God has given to us as Christians to obey. Since this is so important, we ought to know how we should go about fulfilling this great commandment.

The Bible says we are to love Him, because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

II. The Great Commandment to Love God.

Matthew 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment.

Luke 10:27 So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' "

Four areas are given here as to how we are to show our love to God:

You shall love the Lord your God:

1. with all your heart – the emotional nature

2. with all your soul – the willing nature

3. with all your strength – the physical nature

4. with all your mind – the intellectual nature

The total person is to love God – mind, emotion, will and strength.

If we fail to love God in each of these areas we become unbalanced in our love towards God and it shows in our relationships with the people God has put in our lives.

For example if you love God with a strength of mind and the weakness of emotion you will become an intellectualist and a legalist in your approach to God and others.

If you love Him with a strength of emotion and weakness of mind you will be a sentimentalist in religion, governed by your feelings which will be expressed in an excess of affection or sentiment.

If you love Him with a strength of will and a weakness of emotion you will be a man of iron who is not very approachable.

When we love God with all of our strength of emotion, strength of will, physical strength, and strength of mind, we will be Christians, who have a balanced strength of character, who are truly loving God as He has commanded us to.

Therefore let's look at each of these areas and see how God wants us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.