How Do We Know That We Love God?

[Overaged]

Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12)

There seems to be a connection here between loving God and enduring temptation. What is the nature of this connection; and how can one tell when they really and truly love God?

[Gerr]

How do we know that we love God?

"Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 Jn 4:21 ESV.

"The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome." 1 Jn 5:3 Message

[Guest]

How do we know that we love God?

"Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 Jn 4:21 ESV.

I love you brother Gerry...

[Guest]

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.

1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Joh 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

[Overaged]

John 14:15 is a very interesting text. It is my understanding that the most accurate rendering of this text would actually tell us: "If ye love Me; [ye will be able to] keep My commandments.

[Robert]

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.

1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Joh 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

What commandments?

[Gerr]

Originally Posted By: Richard Holbrook

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.

1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Joh 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

What commandments?

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 Jn 2:7-11 ESV.

you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. LEV 19:18 ESV.

[Gerr]

What commandments?

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the great and first commandment.

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Mt 22:34-40 ESV

[Robert]

okay....The same thing Paul says in Gal 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free [free from under the jurisdiction of the law - see verses 1-4]. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love [agape]. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Gerry Cabalo

How do we know that we love God?

"Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 Jn 4:21 ESV.

I love you brother Gerry...

Hey Gerry ... I'm doing my best.

[Gerr]

Quote:

I love you brother Gerry...

Hey Gerry ... I'm doing my best.

Woody, under grace, that's all God asks! Rom 13:10

[Dr. Rich]

The question should be "How does God know that we love God?" Jesus answered this question by saying he who loves God obeys God's commands. Trust and Obey, for there is no other way..."

[Dr. Shane]

I love you all,

[Guest]

God bless us, everyone.

[Overaged]

The question should be "How does God know that we love God?" Jesus answered this question by saying he who loves God obeys God's commands. Trust and Obey, for there is no other way..."

"John, realizing that brotherly love was waning in the church, urged upon believers the constant need of this love. His letters to the church are full of this thought. "Beloved, let us love one another," he writes; "for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." {AA 548.2}

Of the special sense in which this love should be manifested by believers, the apostle writes: "A new commandment

549

I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." "This is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." {AA 548.3}

It is not the opposition of the world that most endangers the church of Christ. It is the evil cherished in the hearts of believers that works their most grievous disaster and most surely retards the progress of God's cause. There is no surer way of weakening spirituality than by cherishing envy, suspicion, faultfinding, and evil surmising. On the other hand, the strongest witness that God has sent His Son into the world is the existence of harmony and union among men of varied dispositions who form His church. This witness it is the privilege of the followers of Christ to bear. But in order to do this, they must place themselves under Christ's command. Their characters must be conformed to His character and their wills to His will.

550

{AA 549.1}

"A new commandment I give unto you," Christ said, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34. What a wonderful statement; but, oh, how poorly practiced! In the church of God today brotherly love is sadly lacking. Many who profess to love the Saviour do not love one another. Unbelievers are watching to see if the faith of professed Christians is exerting a sanctifying influence upon their lives; and they are quick to discern the defects in character, the inconsistencies in action. Let Christians not make it possible for the enemy to point to them and say, Behold how these people, standing under the banner of Christ, hate one another. Christians are all members of one family, all children of the same heavenly Father, with the same blessed hope of immortality. Very close and tender should be the tie that binds them together. {AA 550.1}

[Dr. Rich]

Well this is all fine and dandy. Can anyone identify one of my brothers? Lets see now, Jesus also said that those who believe in and practice a lie are the children of Satan--didn't He? Well then, as a truth seeker and following the truth as Jesus spoke and taught, then my brothers must be doing the same and that singular and absolute truth would bring true unity and love--right?

Those 7 trumpets you can read about in Revelation are to wake people from every religion and cause them to search for the real truth. If you knew that a train was going to crash and if you had time to warn them, wouldn't warning them be an act of love? Parents who love their children would YELL at them if they saw danger coming at them.

Then couldn't that 'YELL' of danger be a sign of love? Yes, kids do cry when they are yelled at for things like this, but it is an act of love.

Jesus came to this world as an act of love to warn us the same way by telling us everything we need to understand for salvation. Isn't that the real gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven?

[Guest]

Thank you for yelling at us Rich. I didn't know you cared.

[Gerr]

John 14:15 is a very interesting text. It is my understanding that the most accurate rendering of this text would actually tell us: "If ye love Me; [ye will be able to] keep My commandments.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

ESV, NASB

“If you love me, you will obey what I command." NIV, NCV, NLT

Keep = Gk 5083 τηρέω [tereo /tay·reh·o/] v. From teros (a watch, perhaps akin to 2334); TDNT 8:140; TDNTA 1174; GK 5498; 75 occurrences; AV translates as “keep” 57 times, “reserve” eight times, “observe” four times, “watch” twice, “preserve” twice, “keeper” once, and “hold fast” once. 1 to attend to carefully, take care of. 1a to guard. 1b metaph. to keep, one in the state in which he is. 1c to observe. 1d to reserve: to undergo something

Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G5083). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.

I don't find "will be able to keep". The promise is that we will keep/obey his commandments.

[Overaged]

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

ESV, NASB

“If you love me, you will obey what I command." NIV, NCV, NLT

I don't find "will be able to keep". The promise is that we will keep/obey his commandments.