Why should I love God?

[Patroklos]

Please list some good reasons for why I ought to.
Thanks.

 

[BrookeGF]

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, the He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Check out my signature. God died for us even though we were enemies. He died for us knowing we would be living in our sin. This gave Him every reason to strike us dead and send us to Hell. But yet He died for us! Our King died for us! How many kings do you know who would die for his kingdom?

Also, loving God with your heart, mind, and soul is the greatest of commandments.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
22:37

If you have repented and put your trust in Christ, then you have the love in God in you.

 

[day time]

You don't have to.

 

[Patroklos]

You don't have to.

I don't?

I thought I was demanded to love God.

Which seems rather paradoxical if you ask me. How do you command someone to "love" you? Seems like a farce.

 

[znr]

I don't?

I thought I was demanded to love God.

Which seems rather paradoxical if you ask me. How do you command someone to "love" you? Seems like a farce.

Who is demaning you love God?

 

[Patroklos]

Who is demaning you love God?

God?

As far as the Bible goes, I think we're pretty much given two choices if we're honest:

1. Love God, give up everything, submit, etc.

or

2. Burn in hell for all eternity.

I thought this was pretty clear?

 

[znr]

God?

As far as the Bible goes, I think we're pretty much given two choices if we're honest:

1. Love God, give up everything, submit, etc.

or

2. Burn in hell for all eternity.

I thought this was pretty clear?

My short answer: It might be "clear" for some people. A lot of people on the internet here on this board lead me to believe they believe that everything is clear. But real life conversations with my friends and people I know, like family members to pastors I know reveal that not everyone is "clear" on every thing that's written in the bible. If those people who, including me because I am not always clear on thing, are going to hell because they're still learning to get clarity then the Lord's existence is a lie because His words are lies.

 

[Timothew]

God?

As far as the Bible goes, I think we're pretty much given two choices if we're honest:

1. Love God, give up everything, submit, etc.

or

2. Burn in hell for all eternity.

I thought this was pretty clear?

I don't know. Where in the bible does it say this?

 

[Patroklos]

I don't know. Where in the bible does it say this?

I'd say from Genesis to Revelation actually.

 

[ChrisHolland619]

Question for the OP:

Do you not love God, or not want to love God?

I truly can't imagine why someone who is saved question why you should love God or not. The reason is pretty obvious: because He loved us first, and died for us personally.

 

[Timothew]

I'd say from Genesis to Revelation actually.

OK! Now we're getting somewhere.

Where does it say this particularly well, do you think?
Thus sayeth the Lord, "Love Me or go to hell."

 

[znr]

OK! Now we're getting somewhere.

Where does it say this particularly well, do you think?
Thus sayeth the Lord, "Love Me or go to hell."

You reminded me of something. I don't think the thief on the cross had much time to form a loving relationship with the Lord, or any at all. Yet he saw Jesus in paradise that very day. That's really good news for those who miss the mark.

 

[TruthSeeker2012]

Another question, why should you hate God?

 

[Theofane]

You don't have to.

No indeed! God respects your free will and will never command you to love Him. In order for your love to mean anything at all, OP, it has to come from the ability to reject Him.

Robots can't love.

So God gave us the ability to think and reason and choose.

 

[Theofane]

Another question, why should you hate God?

People have written books on that topic. Books and essays and manifestos beyond measure.

 

[DreamerOfHearts]

Please list some good reasons for why I ought to.
Thanks.

Nobody can fulfill the commandment, but by Jesus Christ who reveals God to you. If God is revealed to you, you love God, for you see God loves you. If you fall in love with a woman, it was not your choice, but God's doing. If you love your own children it is because they are your children and they are of your body at that age. If you do not, you do not on an upper level that does not forgive. If you do not forgive others, you do not forgive God and that can block people from truly loving God, but it can not change who they really are.

 

[day time]

I don't?

I thought I was demanded to love God.

Which seems rather paradoxical if you ask me. How do you command someone to "love" you? Seems like a farce.

Again ... what if you're wrong.

I don't think you realize, that you don't HAVE to do a single thing. You can go on thinking whatever you like to think, doing whatever you want to do, being whoever you want to be. Hate, wrath, love and daisies ... the worst possible sins you can imagine, try your best to walk toe to line. Go ahead .... do what you think will bring you happiness. If you face consequences on earth .... that's a risk you take.

Your eternity .... was PAID FOR. In advance. You don't owe a single thing. You .... are going to die. Barring some miracle, or rapture, or whatever-you-might-believe, you're going to physically die. Your "default" destination is hell ...

Wrong.

A man, stood up ... and went to that place prepared for you that you were supposed to "burn" in, your eternal prison, and said, "No".

Instead ... he went there. So you don't have to.

You turned and said, "what do I owe you ?"

He said NOTHING. At all. You owe nothing. You said, "why'd you do that ? I don't deserve that".

He said ... "it's not about that. It has nothing to do with what you deserve, or don't deserve, owe, or don't owe. I'm doing this for free. Now go, be free, enjoy your ETERNAL LIFE."

No catches.

All these scriptures, and laws, and rules, and all this nonsense that people have filled in your head .... and "Satan", and all this utter foolishness .... is something that IS NOT TRUE for you.

Jesus DID. Others talked about doing. Jesus DID.

This fear you might have, of being wrong, or suffering wrath, or going to hell ... or maybe you've looked at your life and seen some horrors take place on you, or on others .... that's not connected to you in the ways you think it is.

You do not have to even believe a single word I just said .... because there is going to come a moment in your life, when you're going to see something quite clearly: it was YOU that was building that chamber for yourself in hell, reinforcing it's wall, eagerly striving for that destination. You will quite clearly see, that you were the one that was cheering on your own destruction. And everyone else who was trying to get you to do the same, or trying to keep you from doing it .... were confused and ultimately had this "power" over you that wasn't even real. It was an illusion. It won't even be worth looking back at to you. It will be like looking at a ghost.

All Jesus did, was prevent you from doing it to yourself .....

When you put those useless, pointless tools of your own destruction down, and stop looking at everyone else who is still destroying themselves "for the Lord" and trying to force you to do the same to reinforce their own nonsense ... you are going to understand a *glimpse* of why Jesus did what He did, freely, and was able to do so, and not even hold it against you or expect you to pay Him back.

Here's what I think dude .... I think you have a few choices right now in your life. You can keep doing what you're doing ... trying to figure out a pretzel that's not even real. Or you can put it all down, walk away, and go out into the world, leaving behind "Christianity" as you see it, and everyone else sees it ... and go follow and chase your heart. Freely. Without fear of God. Just you, and the world. See what God does for you sir. You keep talking about how awful it is ... and you might be right. So go find out if you wish. If you don't, that's one of your choices also of course.

[/ramble]

 

[Emmy]

Dear Patroclos. God made us in His image and God loves us. To live with God for eternity, we must learn to love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. We also have to learn to love our neighbour as ourselves. Jesus will help us to do so.
God will not force us or coerce us in any way. If you decide NOT to love God, to go your own way, you will end up in Outer Darkness, without God`s Love or Light, where there can be heard loud wailing and gnashing of teeth. It is up to you, Patroclos. I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ. P.S. I believe the wailing comes from souls who wish they had not given up God, and insist on going their own way.

 

[mytel]

It is your choice, but if you believe that the bible is truth than how can you not love God? The bible tells us he is our creator and sent His son as atonement for our sins, so that we may be saved.

 

[Arc Angel]

The answer is simple!

(Then one of them which was a lawyer (Read, 'religious hypocrite') asked him a question, tempting him, and saying ......)

'Master, which is the great commandment in The Law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all The Law and the prophets.' - Matthew 22:36-40