Love God...

[Robin Mauro]

Love God and do what you want. Or variations thereof. It’s a quote attributed to Augustine. (We don’t need links to the original. I only want to discuss the phrase.)

True? False?

Let the discussion commence.

I like the question. If you love God, you will also love your neighbor, and keep his commands, and the Lord will direct your steps, so yes!
I'd say that's true!

 

[Strong in Him]

one cannot love God without keeping His commandments.

The NEW commandment that Jesus gave us was to love one another as I have loved you, John 13:34.
Jesus was God, so therefore loved us with Agape - divine - love. How can we love with divine love? By first receiving it from God. We love because he first loved us, 1 John 4:19, and poured his love into our hearts through his Holy Spirit, Romans 5:5. Love is also the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.

We cannot obey Jesus' command to love with perfect, divine love until and unless we have received this love from God.

 

[Hammster]

????????

Why do you want to keep His commandments? Is it because you want to?

 

[TheSeabass]

Can one keep his commandments without loving him?

I don't see how that would be possible.

 

[Jonaitis]

Love God and do what you want. Or variations thereof. It’s a quote attributed to Augustine. (We don’t need links to the original. I only want to discuss the phrase.)

True? False?

Let the discussion commence.

What's the context??

 

[TheSeabass]

Why do you want to keep His commandments? Is it because you want to?

yes

 

[Hammster]

What's the context??

Not relevant to this discussion.

 

[Hammster]

yes

So, love God and do what you want.

 

[Tree of Life]

I don't see how that would be possible.

If a person truly loved God, would they want to obey his commands?

 

[TheSeabass]

The NEW commandment that Jesus gave us was to love one another as I have loved you, John 13:34.
Jesus was God, so therefore loved us with Agape - divine - love. How can we love with divine love? By first receiving it from God. We love because he first loved us, 1 John 4:19, and poured his love into our hearts through his Holy Spirit, Romans 5:5. Love is also the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.

We cannot obey Jesus' command to love with perfect, divine love until and unless we have received this love from God.

God does love man John 3:16. The issue is how does man love God back? By obeying God or by doing whatever man wants to do?

 

[TheSeabass]

So, love God and do what you want.

So what if a man wants to live in adultery, is he sill loving God living in adultery? no

 

[Jonaitis]

Not relevant to this discussion.

It does if you are quoting a part of a sentence from an author that can be misunderstood/misinterpreted in a way of accusing him of teaching something he did not originally intend. Poorest and tasteless thread I've seen for a loong time.

I'm out.

 

[Tree of Life]

So what if a man wants to live in adultery, is he sill loving God living in adultery? no

This does not contradict the statement "Love God and do what you want."

 

[TheSeabass]

If a person truly loved God, would they want to obey his commands?

A person does not love God until that person keeps His command.

There is no such thing as loving God without keeping His commandments.

 

[Strong in Him]

God does love man John 3:16.

Where did I say that he doesn't?

The issue is how does man love God back?

We love BECAUSE he first loved us - 1 John 4:19.
That is why, and how, we are able to love.
We cannot obey his command to love unless we have first received his love - from him.

 

[Tree of Life]

A person does not love God until that person keeps His command.

There is no such thing as loving God without keeping His commandments.

Those are interesting thoughts.

Now, back to my question. If a person truly loved God, would they want to keep his commands?

 

[TheSeabass]

This does not contradict the statement "Love God and do what you want."

no one can love God while living in adultery.

 

[Tree of Life]

no one can love God while living in adultery.

You're still not contradicting Augustine.

 

[Strong in Him]

So what if a man wants to live in adultery, is he sill loving God living in adultery? no

So he would not therefore be doing what Augustine said - love God, and do what you want.
He would be loving self, giving in to self, putting his desires first rather than God. His love for himself and desire to please himself would have proved to be greater than his love for God.

 

[TheSeabass]

Those are interesting thoughts.

Now, back to my question. If a person truly loved God, would they want to keep his commands?

It appears you are trying to get a person to love God BEFORE that person keeps His commandments.

One does not love God until he keeps His commands.

Keeping God's commandments is proof of one's love for God as works are proof of one's faith.

One can SAY they love God but if that person is not obeying God, the lack of obedience is proof he does not love God as he claims.