Loving God

[meirou]

Hey guys, I was just pondering. I was thinking about my love for Jesus. It's there, honest, and pure. I love Jesus and I'm so happy what he did for us. Sometimes when I think of him, it makes me want to cry with happiness.

However, I don't feel that same love for God. Now, I know Jesus IS God but it feels like 2 different beings (hear me out, I'm new to all this, hehe). I have a separate relationship with both. I know the bible says to love God with all your heart, but I don't. (yet) Will this effect my chances of getting into heaven? I just can't seem to form a strong relationship with Him, although I do want to!

Cheers.

Claire

 

[heymikey80]

Yes, it's easier to relate to Jesus' human side.

Jesus is Who reconciles you to God. He's drawing near to you and God is drawing near to your through Him. So I don't think you can really treat God apart from Jesus, or Jesus apart from God. You're connected to God.

In some ways God is not comprehensible -- and often tough to "relate" to. That's simply the case, it's not fatal. But there are other senses in which it's important to get past "issues", such as the issues of God's and Christ's justice, and the issues of God's Personhood and intense love for you.

If you considered what God the Father went through to get to you with Jesus, it might make an impact. God is the one interested in getting closer and closer to you.

There will be a whole lot of things Jesus will do for reasons of justice, too, not simply grace. So keep in mind, Jesus' sense of justice is just as great as the Father's is.

So for both, their love for you and their sense of justice are equal.

Finally, the Father is a Person, too. He's not a physical Being, but Spirit. However, He's still a Person.

When you put all this together, it's a very -- "intense" is all I can think of for a word -- intense environment we live in: that the God Who created a billion billion suns, Who created the tiniest bosons and quarks making up the universe -- that this God of the big and small, the close and far away, Who sustains your every breath of existence -- He also wants to be Personally close to you. And He's willing to pay what He ought not need to pay justly, simply to achieve that closeness with you.

 

[insurchoftruth]

Love is looking for fellowship, in order to express itself. Agape is a decision or a desire.

Genesis 1:31, Deuteronomy 6:5, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 John 1:3, 4:16, Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Psalm 25:6, 7, 8, 10, Psalm 27:13, Psalm 28:9, Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 12:7, 14:3, 1 Peter 2:3, Hebrews 6:5, John 17:23, 26, Psalm 48:9, Psalm 145:7-9, Psalm 36:5, 7, 10, Psalm 33:18, 22, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 73:1, Hebrews 12:5-11, Matthew 5:45, 1Corinth 13:5, Acts 20:35, Luke 14:12-14, John 15:13, Matthew 7:12, John 3:16, Luke 15:20, 22, Revelation 3:20, 1 Peter 5:7, James 4:8, 1 John 4:7-21, Romans 11:22, Revelation 3:19

 

[sbbqb7n16]

dga - that's probably a helpful list of links, but that's overload. I'd probably not read them all. In the future could you narrow it down? or give a top 3 with a list of others for future study if you have the time? That just seems like too much, and they're all over the place.

Claire - have you read through the gospel of John? I'd recommend it as it deals alot with the whole Jesus being God thing.


Although I am kinda curious though - what is it about God you don't like? What is different in your mind about Him, than Jesus?

 

[Criada]

I think a lot of us find it much easier to relate to Jesus, simply because He came as a human, we can read the words He spoke and the things he did, and He is somehow accessible. I can relate to Jesus having compassion on the sick and healing them in a way that I can't relate to God the Father creating stars and planets.
But.. the bible says to love God with all your heart, I think that loving Jesus counts, as you say, he is God!
And it certainly won't affect your salvation - if you believe that Jesus is Lord and that He rose from the dead, then you are reconciled to God, irrespective of feelings.

 

[Peripatetic]

If anything, I find it hard to separate the trinity. When I pray, I tend to just pray to "God" or "Lord", which encompasses all of them. I understand that they are separate persons, so I do try to remember to talk to them individually... yet I always figured you can't talk to one without the other two anyway. :shrug:

 

[meirou]

I think a lot of us find it much easier to relate to Jesus, simply because He came as a human, we can read the words He spoke and the things he did, and He is somehow accessible. I can relate to Jesus having compassion on the sick and healing them in a way that I can't relate to God the Father creating stars and planets.
But.. the bible says to love God with all your heart, I think that loving Jesus counts, as you say, he is God!
And it certainly won't affect your salvation - if you believe that Jesus is Lord and that He rose from the dead, then you are reconciled to God, irrespective of feelings.

Hello again my friend! You know, I think you can read my mind! How I can relate to Jesus and not God - you have it spot on. I wasn't so sure myself why I felt that way until you mentioned that.

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I'm on a spiritual journey and I'm starting to love God more and more everyday.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

Hmmm ok interesting. I always saw Jesus as doing on earth everything God wanted to do Himself.

When Jesus healed the sick, it was because God saw their suffering and God used Jesus to heal them. When Jesus fed the 5000, it was because God saw the hungry and desired them to be well fed and taken care of, so Jesus asked God to bless the loaves and fish and God made them available to all.

I have always seen Jesus as God's example of who He really is.

And one of the main purposes of Jesus' ministry was to make a way for us all to come to God - because God loves us.

8. Philip *said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."9. Jesus *said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'?10. "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.11. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
John 14:8-11 (there's alot of good stuff like ^this^ in John)

14. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.15. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.16. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16

 

[meirou]

I'm gonna get out my bible tomorrow morning and read John. I've never read it before so thanks for the reccomendation.

 

[GaryP]

Go to Mark 15:38, There you will find the Temple of the Father in Heaven. It is opened
if you think like a child, Go in and be with the Father in Heaven. This is the path.
very simple. Your answers are inside.
The Son loves the Father and goes to Him, You love the Son, So go with him to the Father. Love the Father in Heaven as Jesus loves Him.