HOW TO MANIFEST OUR LOVE TOWARDS GOD?
INTRODUCTION
Mark 12:29-31 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
From these verses, we know that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.
Rom. 10:2-3 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
The Jews do have zeal for God but not according to knowledge. They have not wholly followed the Lord God’s commandments. To love God with all our heart, mind and soul is to sincerely follow His teachings.
2John 1:6 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.
1John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
The story about how Abraham willingly sacrificed his one and only son Isaac is a good example. Abraham was called by God to take his son up to a mountain to be offered to Him as sacrifice. Abraham obeyed and when he was about to sacrifice his son, an angel called him not to proceed to sacrifice Isaac but instead to offer the ram that was caught in a thicket by its horns. (Gen. 22:1-19).
In Acts 5:1-11, we read about Ananias and Sapphira. Ananias sold a possession and kept back part of the proceeds and laid the rest at the apostle’s feet. However, Peter knew about Ananias misdeeds and voiced it out to him and after hearing it, he fell to his death. Three hours later, his wife Sapphira came and again lied to Peter and she too share the same fate as her husband.
A. CHARACTERS WHO MANIFESTED LOVE TOWARDS GOD.
CASE 1: KING DAVID
1Chron. 28:2-3 2Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building: 3But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
King David tried his best to prepare materials for the construction of the Temple of God. He even offered his own possessions to God. We must try our best to preserve ourselves in holiness as God’s temple.
CASE 2: JOHN THE BAPTIST
John 3:28-30 28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.
John the Baptist did not seek to glorify himself. He admitted that he was not the Christ. This showed that he glorified God’s name.
CASE 3: APOSTLE PAUL.
2Cor. 5:14-15 14For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
The Lord Jesus died for us. Those who live should henceforth live for the Lord Jesus. Paul manifested his love for Christ Jesus through sufferings and afflictions. He was also concerned and caring for the Church of God and His flock. We need to love God, care for the church and the flock of God and to live for Him.
Apostle Paul set a good example for us. He laboured whole heartedly for Christ. Despite having to face persecutions, he still continued to testify for the Lord Jesus.
Phil. 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Ultimately the Holy Spirit revealed to Apostle Paul that he had kept the faith and finished his course. We ought to have the mind of Apostle Paul to sacrifice for the Lord Jesus. We must not be like those who love the Lord Jesus in the flesh but not having the true knowledge to do the will of God.
CASE 4: DANIEL
Dan. 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Daniel continued to pray to God despite knowing that by doing so, he would be punished according to the decree of King Darius. God saved him from the mouth of the lions. The lesson is that in any adversities and tribulations, we need to be steadfast, and continue to obey God no matter what happens.
CASE 5: LORD JESUS CHRIST
Matt. 26:38-39 38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
The Lord Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He was exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Nevertheless He was obedient to the Heavenly Father’s will to fulfill the salvation plan of God. We need to learn to love God and do His will.
CASE 6: THE POOR WIDOW
Luke 21:1-4 1And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 2And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
The poor widow offered all that she had. She gave willingly to God. We too should love God and offer willingly to God.
CASE 7: KING SOLOMON
1Kings 3:3-9 3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
King Solomon loved God and prayed for wisdom to enable him to guide God’s people. The Lord Jesus had said to Simon Peter “If you love me tend my sheep”. To love God is to take care of God’s people and to keep His commandments.
CASE 8: THE GREAT LOVE OF A REMORSEFUL WOMAN
Luke 7:37-38, 44-48 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
The woman was forgiven because of her great love which was manifested by her actions. She offered the expensive ointment to Lord Jesus. She wiped the feet of Lord Jesus with her tears, and wiped His feet with her hair. Hair is the glory and honour for a woman.
CASE 9: QUEEN ESTHER
Esth. 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Queen Esther was prepared to risk her life when she approached the King to intercede for her people who by the king’s decree were to be destroyed. The lesson is that we must love our brethren even to the extent of sacrificing for them.
B. CHARACTERS WHO DID NOT MANAIFEST THEIR LOVE FOR GOD.
CASE 1: KING SOLOMON
1Kings 11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
Initially King Solomon was submissive and loved God. The Lord God had warned the Israelites not to intermarry with foreign women but Solomon disobeyed God’s commandments (1Kings 11:4). His wives turned away his heart from fearing God.
Though King Solomon received wisdom from God he did not know how to rely on the wisdom to love God and to guide His people. Instead he committed great sin when he turned to worship idols. King Solomon’s downfall was due to him not having served God fully.
King Solomon built a temple for idols worshipping in the hill that is before Jerusalem and he burnt incense unto his wives’ idols. (1Kings 11:7)
The Lord God was furious and said to Solomon that since you have not obeyed My commandments I will rend your kingdom from you. (1Kings 11:11)
Exo. 23:33 God had once said that the foreign people should be banished from among them for God said that they shall be a snare unto his people to serve their idols.
1Kings 11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
CASE 2: KING SAUL.
God had commanded that he utterly destroy the Amalekites and all that they have and not to spare them. (1Sam. 15:3, 9, 12, 22)
Prophet Samuel rebuked King Saul for failing to obey God’s instruction. King Saul had kept back the fatlings. (1Sam. 15:18-19)
Samuel reminded Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice (1Sam. 15:22). What we think is correct may not be what is deemed righteous in the eyes of God. Our ways may not be God’s ways. Love means complete obedience to God. God had already initially decided He will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek (Exo. 17:14). However Saul spared the best of the sheep and oxen and fatlings. By doing so, he had already transgressed against God (1Sam. 15:9).
CASE 3: NADAB AND ABIHU
The sons of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord for which God had specifically commanded them not to do. There was fire out from the Lord and it devoured them. (Lev. 10:1-2)
These above verses tell us that to love God is to completely obey His commandments.
CASE 4: KING UZZIAH
2Chron. 26:3-4 3Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.
King Uzziah did what was right in the sight of God initially. God helped him against the Philistines and the Arabians and he triumphed over them.
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction.
2Chron. 26:16-18 16But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense. 17And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: 18And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
He insisted on burning incense which was the priest’s duty. He was struck with leprosy until the day of his death. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land (2Chron. 26:18, 21).
CASE 5: CAIN
1John 3:11-12 11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
1John 4:20-21 20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
We must not be like Cain who hated his brother, Abel and killed him. To love God is also to love our brethren. We must not harbour hatred in our hearts.
CASE 6: JUDAS ISCARIOT
Matt. 27:3, 5 3Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.5And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
When Judas saw that the Lord Jesus was condemned, he repented. He then threw the 30 pieces of silver into the temple and hanged himself.
Judas agreed to deliver the Lord Jesus into the hands of the chief priest for 30 pieces of silver. This showed that his greed had overwhelmed his love for the Lord Jesus. We cannot love the wealth of this world. Judas Iscariot was made use of by the devil (Matt. 26:14).
Luke 22:3-4 3Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. 4And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
This verse stated how Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus.
Mark 14:10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
CASE 7: WARNING TO THE CHURCH OF EPHESUS
Rev. 2:4-5 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
This was a message to the Church at Ephesus that they had forsaken their first love. They were advised to remember where they had fallen and to repent quickly or else God would remove their candlestick from its place.
We are reminded from these characters that we must love the Lord God fully, wholeheartedly to the end just as we have loved Him when we first believed in Him.
(Religious Education Unit – Sharing Session-Acts-12-0506)