With all your heart?

[returntosender]

1 Corinthians 13 New International VersionI

I love this almost more than anything else in the bible.

"13 If I speak in the tonguesa]">[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,b]">[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing."............and so it goes on about love.

 

[fhansen]

Can we, in our fallen-but-redeemed state here on Earth, love God with all of our heart? Or does our flesh prevent us from doing so?

It’s a tall order, and achievable only with grace. And when we love in that way we’ll know it, with no doubt. And with no distractions to other, lesser, created things before Him first, above all else.

But the more we know God, the more we love Him; that cannot be helped. And the more we love Him the greater our perfection, the closer, IOW, we are to our purpose and the perfection that He has in mind for us, the reason we were made, and, incidentally, the less inclined to sin we’d be. And love of neighbor goes hand in hand with this love of God.

Either way, we know only partly now whereas in the next life we’ll know fully and be fully known, when we meet Him “face to face”. (1 Cor 13). I can’t help but believe that our love for God would have to reach its zenith then. Either way, it’s the goal for everyone now.

 

[Aussie Pete]

Can we, in our fallen-but-redeemed state here on Earth, love God with all of our heart? Or does our flesh prevent us from doing so?

Love is a choice that we make. Our natural love is inadequate, but God has put His love in our hearts. We can love God with the love that He gives us to love Him with. That love is as good as it gets!

 

[Hammster]

Love is a choice that we make. Our natural love is inadequate, but God has put His love in our hearts. We can love God with the love that He gives us to love Him with. That love is as good as it gets!

Okay, but is that loving Him with all of our heart?

 

[mlepfitjw]

Can we, in our fallen-but-redeemed state here on Earth, love God with all of our heart? Or does our flesh prevent us from doing so?

After sharing my thoughts on the matter, what are your own personal thoughts on the matter?

 

[Aussie Pete]

Okay, but is that loving Him with all of our heart?

Absolutely. We do not have to give into the flesh. We are dead to it. Lord Jesus gives us new life. When we depend on Him, we find that loving God and the brethren is easy. That's because it's not us living - no longer I, but Christ............

 

[Hammster]

After sharing my thoughts on the matter, what are your own personal thoughts on the matter?

My thoughts are, no we cannot. Our love can and should grow. As we put more sin to death, more love will be towards God. But we will never be without sin, and every act of sin is evidence that we do not love God at that moment.

 

[Hammster]

Absolutely. We do not have to give into the flesh. We are dead to it. Lord Jesus gives us new life. When we depend on Him, we find that loving God and the brethren is easy. That's because it's not us living - no longer I, but Christ............

Do you still sin? If so, are you loving God with all of your heart?

 

[Aussie Pete]

Do you still sin? If so, are you loving God with all of your heart?

Yes, I sin. That does not mean that I do not love God. It means that I'm still a work in progress. God's love is spiritual - part of the fruit of the Spirit. God's love never fails. I fail, I stumble, I'm not perfect. Anyone who thinks that perfection is available in this life is deluded. But the Lord Jesus never fails, never lets me down, always loves and He represents me to God. (Colossians 3:3 for example). I'm dead. God expects nothing from me. Jesus is my life. He is all that God requires me to be. Life becomes much simpler when you see this principle.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Sounds like you're dodging the question.

This one is about God’s command and our willingness and ability to obey.

No it's not.

It's about our trust in God and His ability to work through us. As it is written, without me you can do nothing. And also, with men this is impossible, but through God all things are possible.

It's a promise to those who live by faith, and an eyesore to those who try to do it themselves.

It's a reasonable question: "Do I love God with my whole heart?" If the answer is "no", then we should ask ourselves "why it's a no?" and also "is there a way this could change?"

It all comes down to faith and God transforming us from within.

 

[Mark Quayle]

No it's not.

It's about our trust in God and His ability to work through us. As it is written, without me you can do nothing. And also, with men this is impossible, but through God all things are possible.

It's a promise to those who live by faith, and an eyesore to those who try to do it themselves.



It all comes down to faith and God transforming us from within.

"8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us" -- 1 John 1

 

[Gregory Thompson]

"8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out tView attachment 290738o be a and his word is not in us" -- 1 John 1
View attachment 290738

So you're making loving God with all your heart about not sinning.

They're two separate matters.

For example, David was said to be a man after God's own heart, and he sinned so.

 

[Mark Quayle]

So you're making loving God with all your heart about not sinning.

They're two separate matters.

They are not the same thing, but they are by no means separate. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" -- John 14

 

[Gregory Thompson]

They are not the same thing, but they are by no means separate. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" -- John 14

However, the same text records Jesus saying, without me you can do nothing.

So even if I appear to do it, is it really me doing it? no I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Faith is superior over self effort.

Regardless of how things "look" we must always have faith that what God said to do is possible.

In saying it is not possible when God said to do it, we sin - because anything not of faith is sin.

 

[Mark Quayle]

It’s a tall order, and achievable only with grace. And when we love in that way we’ll know it, with no doubt. And with no distractions to other, lesser, created things before Him first, above all else.

But the more we know God, the more we love Him; that cannot be helped. And the more we love Him the greater our perfection, the closer, IOW, we are to our purpose and the perfection that He has in mind for us, the reason we were made, and, incidentally, the less inclined to sin we’d be. And love of neighbor goes hand in hand with this love of God.

Either way, we know only partly now whereas in the next life we’ll know fully and be fully known, when we meet Him “face to face”. (1 Cor 13). I can’t help but believe that our love for God would have to reach its zenith then. Either way, it’s the goal for everyone now.

You aren't answering the question; or are you saying, no it is not possible? Or just, it should be possible but it will never happen in this life? Or what?

Where do these verses leave us?

John 14: "15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments"

1 John 1: "8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us"

 

[Hammster]

Yes, I sin. That does not mean that I do not love God. It means that I'm still a work in progress. God's love is spiritual - part of the fruit of the Spirit. God's love never fails. I fail, I stumble, I'm not perfect. Anyone who thinks that perfection is available in this life is deluded. But the Lord Jesus never fails, never lets me down, always loves and He represents me to God. (Colossians 3:3 for example). I'm dead. God expects nothing from me. Jesus is my life. He is all that God requires me to be. Life becomes much simpler when you see this principle.

You admit that perfection isn’t possible, yet you claim to love God perfectly. How do you reconcile those two?

 

[Hammster]

No it's not.

It’s my OP. I’m pretty sure I know what it’s about.

 

[Mark Quayle]

However, the same text records Jesus saying, without me you can do nothing.

So even if I appear to do it, is it really me doing it? no I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Faith is superior over self effort.

Regardless of how things "look" we must always have faith that what God said to do is possible.

In saying it is not possible when God said to do it, we sin - because anything not of faith is sin.

You are a long way from telling me it is only in Christ that I can do anything. It is perhaps the main thing I have been trying to tell this forum (and any on this site) ever since I first signed on. It is "endemic" to the Gospel itself. But that really isn't the question. What he asked is, "is it possible...?".

So your statement, "In saying it is not possible when God said to do it, we sin - because anything not of faith is sin" is erroneous. Why is saying, "It is not possible to be without sin in this life." (when John says, "If we say we have no sin....we make him out to be a liar.",) not of faith? Faith ("and that not of yourselves") is what keeps us going even through the sorrow of having sinned and of lack of purity and so many other things that accompany the effects of the "old man" still at work in us. Faith is why this conversation matters, even though Hammster hasn't concluded the syllogism he began.

 

[Mark Quayle]

So you're making loving God with all your heart about not sinning.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments". I did not join the two things. God did. Answer the question.

 

[Swag365]

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

It’s seems self-evident that if one sins, they aren’t loving God with all of their heart at that particular moment.

Absolutely, with particular emphasis on "at that particular moment".

Is it your assertion that man sins every second of ever day? If not, then you leave open the possibility that he loves God with all of his heart at certain "other particular moments" at which he does not sin.