When is the starting point over?
Never.
We should constantly receive, and want to receive, God's love.
When something starts with a matter, after a time one needs to MOVE ON FROM THE STARTING POINT.
Move on from receiving God's love?
Tell him that we have received enough, don't need any more and can do things on our own, and in our own strength, from now on? Impossible.
Some do stay there though. They actually never do move on to anything but the start.
I am certain that if someone KNOWS, really knows, how much God loves them with all their sins, bad thoughts, wrong motives and messed up past - and begins to RECEIVE his love with thanks and gratitude; they will respond, and want to respond, in love and obedience.
"Love one another
as I have loved you", John 13:34.
If someone doesn't know how God has loved, and does love, them, how will they be able to love in the same way?
Does not require being filled to obey. Not at all.
So how do you suggest we obey God if we do not have, and are filled with, his love?
What are we obeying?
His command to love our enemies? How would we do that, on our own, without having received, and been filled with, God's love?
His command to love as he loves us? If we don't know how God loves us, how can we obey the command to love in the same way?
His command to go into the world, preach the Gospel and make disciples? How do you suggest we preach about God's love if we don't know that love for ourselves?
Does not require an attitude or emotion or feeling good or ready.
That's not what love is.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - where does it say anything about "feeling good", "having nice, warm feelings"?
It requires a determination to obey and asking for grace to help in the moments of choice.
We love BECAUSE he first loved us.
Waiting for feeling love by God will not happen if we do not obey.
It does with me - it happens every time I think about his love, shown on the cross.
Love is much more than feeling and nice emotions.
"God has
poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit", Romans 5:5.
"See how much love the Father has
lavished on us", 1 John 3:1
"
This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us", 1 John 3:16
"There is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God", Romans 8:39
Where, in any of those verses, and others, are the words "have nice, gooey feelings towards God"?
Jesus said those who love him keep his teaching
Jesus said that those who love him will keep his commandments.
He has commanded us to love as he loves - how do you suggest we keep that if we don't know how much he loves us?
Well, Jesus said that if we keep his teaching, that is, obey his commands to us, then the Father and He will come and take up residence in us.
How do we keep God's commands to love if we don't know what love is?
The business of knowing Christ is not a matter of merely receving something.
But we can't give until we have received. We can't share what we don't have.
I took part in a beach mission, years ago. It wasn't my choice, I was doing a Christian voluntary work scheme and everyone had to do one. I didn't enjoy it, and was unable to go to people to tell them how much God loved them; I had no assurance of that love in my own life - it would have been like someone dressed in rags offering designer clothes. Ok, granted the people on the street could not see at a glance that I didn't know, or have, God's love, but they would have done if they had asked any questions, and I could not have said "I KNOW God's love; I have received it."
We cannot be passive hoping He is doing it all.
He IS doing, and HAS done, it all.
He created us - without our knowledge, help or permission.
He saved us - without our knowledge, help or permission.
He has made it possible for us to know him, receive his forgiveness, his Son, his Spirit, reconciliation with him, peace, eternal life and every spiritual blessing - all without our help, obedience or co-operation.
Saying "well I can't leave it all to him; I can't sit back and receive,
I must show
I am worthy", is pride.
The wages of sin is death, Romans 3:23.
Unless we accept that we cannot save ourselves and that Jesus has done so, we cannot come to God, pray, receive from him or love him. Without forgiveness and reconciliation with God, we are dead in our sins, godless, walking in the dark etc.