How to Know if You Love God

March 14, 2022 Post a Comment

7 Visible Signs of our Dear to God

past Thomas Watson

Earlier all else let u.s. remember, our dear to God is a sign of his dear to us. 'We honey him because he first loved usa.' I John 4: xix. By nature we take no love to God; nosotros have hearts of rock. Ezek 36: 26. And how tin can any love be in hearts of stone? Our loving him is from his loving us. If the drinking glass burn, it is because the sun has shone on it; so if our hearts burn down in love, it is a sign the Dominicus of Righteousness has shone upon u.s..

The Commencement Sign. If we love God, our want will exist after him. 'The desire of our soul is to thy proper noun.' Isa 26: eight. He who loves God, breathes after communion with him. 'My soul thirsteth for the living God.' Psa 42: 2. Persons in love desire to be often conferring together. He who loves God, desires to be much in his presence; he loves the ordinances: they are the glass where the glory of God is resplendent; in the ordinances we come across with him whom our souls dear; we have God's smiles and whispers, and some foretastes of sky. Such as take no desire afterwards ordinances, have no love to God.

The second visible sign is, that he who loves God cannot detect contentment in whatsoever thing without him. Give a hypocrite who pretends to love God corn and vino, and he tin be content without God; but a soul fired with love to God, cannot be without him. Lovers faint abroad if they have not a sight of the object loved. A gracious soul can do without health, merely cannot do without God, who is the health of his countenance. Psa 43: v. If God should say to a soul that entirely loves him, 'Accept thy ease, swim in pleasure, solace thyself in the delights of the world; but 1000 shalt not bask my presence:' this would non content it. Nay, if God should say, 'I will let thee be taken up to heaven, but I will retire into some other room, and k shalt not run across my face;' it would not content the soul. Information technology is hell to be without God. The philosopher says there can be no gold without the influence of the dominicus; certainly there can be no golden joy in the soul without God's sweet presence and influence.

The third visible sign is that he who loves God, hates that which would separate betwixt him and God, and that is sin. Sin makes God hide his face; information technology is like an incendiary, which parts master friends; therefore, the keenness of a Christian's hatred is set against it. 'I hate every false way.' Psa 119: 128. Antipathies can never be reconciled; i cannot love health but he must detest toxicant; so we cannot beloved God but nosotros must hate sin, which would destroy our communion with him.

The quaternary visible sign is sympathy. Friends that love, grieve for the evils which befall each other. Homer, describing Agamemnon's grief, when he was forced to sacrifice his daughter, brings in all his friends weeping with him, and accompanying him to the cede, in mourning. Lovers grieve together. If nosotros have true dear in our heart to God, nosotros cannot merely grieve for those things which grieve him; we shall lay to heart his dishonours; the luxury, drunkenness, contempt of God and religion. 'Rivers of waters run down mine eyes,' &c. Psa 119: 136. Some speak of the sins of others, and laugh at them; but they surely take no love to God who can express mirth at that which grieves his Spirit! Does he love his father who can laugh to hear him reproached?

The fifth visible sign is, that he who loves God, labours to render him lovely to others. He non simply admires God, merely speaks in his praises, that he may allure and draw others to be in honey with him. She that is in love will commend her lover. The lovesick spouse extols Christ, she makes a panegyrical oration of his worth, that she might persuade others to be in love with him. 'His head is as the most fine gold.' Deceit 5: 11. True love to God cannot exist silent, information technology volition exist eloquent in setting forth his renown. There is no better sign of loving God than to brand him announced lovely, and to draw proselytes to him.

The sixth visible sign is, that he who loves God, weeps bitterly for his absenteeism. Mary comes weeping, 'They have taken away my Lord.' John twenty: xiii. 1 cries, 'My health is gone!' another, 'My estate is gone!' but he who is a lover of God, cries out, 'My God is gone! I cannot enjoy him whom I love.' What tin can all worldly comforts do, when once God is absent-minded? It is similar a funeral feast, where at that place is much meat, just no cheer. 'I went mourning without the sun.' Job 30: 28. If Rachel mourned greatly for the loss of her children, what vail or pencil tin shadow out the sorrow of that Christian who has lost God's sugariness presence? Such a soul pours forth floods of tears; and while information technology is lamenting, seems to say thus to God, 'Lord, thou art in heaven, hearing the melodious songs and triumph of angels; simply I sit here in the valley of tears, weeping considering thou art gone. Oh, when wilt thou come to me, and revive me with the light of thy countenance! Or, Lord, if thou wilt not come up to me, let me come up to thee, where I shall take a perpetual smile of thy face in heaven and shall never more than complain, 'My beloved has withdrawn himself.'"

The 7th visible sign is, that he who loves God is willing to do and suffer for him. He subscribes to God's commands, he submits to his will. He subscribes to his commands. If God bids him mortify sin, dear his enemies, be crucified to the earth, he obeys. It is a vain thing for a man to say he loves God, and slight his commands. He submits to his volition. If God would take him endure for him, he does non dispute, only obeys. 'Love endureth all things.' 1 Cor xiii: 7. Love fabricated Christ endure for us, and love will brand us endure for him. It is truthful that every Christian is not a martyr but he has a spirit of martyrdom in him; he has a disposition of heed to suffer, if God call him to it. 'I am fix to be offered.' 2 Tim four: half-dozen. Not merely the sufferings were ready for Paul, but he was gear up for the sufferings. Origin chose rather to live despised in Alexandria, than with Plotinus to deny the faith, and be great in the prince's favour. Rev 12: 11. Many say they honey God, but will not endure the loss of anything for him. If Christ should accept said to usa, 'I honey you well, you are dear to me, but I cannot suffer for you, I cannot lay downward my life for you,' we should take questioned his dear very much; and may not the Lord question ours, when we pretend love to him, but volition endure nothing for his sake?

Use 1. What shall we say to those who have not a drachm of honey in their hearts to God? They have their life from him, yet practise not love him. He spreads their tabular array every day, yet they do not love him. Sinners dread God as a judge, but exercise not love him every bit a father. All the strength in the angels cannot make the heart love God; judgements will non do it; omnipotent grace simply can make a stony middle melt in love. How distressing is it to be void of love to God. When the torso is cold, and has no heat, it is a sign of expiry; so he is spiritually dead who has no heat of love in his centre to God. Shall such live with God that do non beloved him? Volition God lay an enemy in his bosom? They shall be bound in chains of darkness who will non be drawn with cords of honey.

Use two. Let the states exist persuaded to dear God with all our heart and might. O let united states of america have our love off from other things, and identify it upon God. Love is the heart of religion, the fat of the offer; it is the grace which Christ inquires virtually after. 'Simon lovest thou me?' John 21: fifteen. Love makes all our services acceptable, it is the musk that perfumes them. It is not so much duty, equally love to duty, God delights in; therefore serving and loving God are put together. Isa 56: 6. It is better to love him than to serve him; obedience without love, is like vino without the spirit. O so, be persuaded to love God with all your eye and might.

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Adjusted from The Ten Commandments past Thomas Watson (free eBook)