HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU LOVE GOD?
Hello, this is Pastor Mark wishing you a happy and healthy day!
How do you know if you love God? Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. I guess the ones who asked him that expected him to rank the 10 commandments in order of importance. Instead, he said the greatest command was to love the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul and mind and strength.
So, how do you know if you love God? Let’s go back a few hundred years to the time of Thomas Watson. He was educated at Cambridge and was a Westminster Preacher and author of the 1600s. He pastored Puritan (Presbyterian) churches until his reformed doctrine was too much for the church at-large and he left to continue preaching and writing privately as opposed to being connected to one specific church.
You can find a lot of his writings for digital or re-printed books at “Puritan Publications” or on-line you can read some of his published theology at www.doctrineandlife.co. The 14 tests of love for God is Part 6 of 9 of his published doctrines you can find on that website.
Reverend Watson suggested 14 signs to know if you love God. They are timeless for they come from the same Bible he used 400 years ago that we use today:
1. Do you delight in the Lord? (Psalm 10:4)
2. Do you prize communion with Him? (Psalm 143:7)
3. Do you grieve over any unkindness to Him? (Psalm 143:7)
4. Do you stand up for Him? (Acts 4:20)
5. Are you sensitive to any dishonor you have done? (2 Peter 2:7)
6. Do you hate sin? (Hosea 14:8)
7. Will you crucify any loves you have over Him? (Galatians 6:14)
8. Do you fear the presence of God turning from you? (1 Samuel 4:13)
9. Do you love what God loves?
10. Do you have a mind-frame that sees all God does as good? (1 Corinthians 13:5)
11. Do you obey in difficult and dangerous situations? (John 14:21)
12. Do you work to influence others for Him and His glory?
13. Do you long for His appearance and your union with Him? (Revelation 22:17-20)
14. Do you humbly and willingly lower yourself and submit to do whatever it takes to do His will?
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and the second one is, love your neighbor as yourself. How did you score? According to T. Watson, a 14 would be a pretty good sign that you do love the Lord our God. Now, love your neighbor as yourself.
See you in Church!
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