CAN A PERSON LOVE GOD?

Transcription

1 CAN A PERSON LOVE GOD? The New Testament records a conversation between Jesus and a Jewish religious leader in which Jesus was asked the question, "...which is the great commandment in the Law?" In answering him Jesus quoted the well-known scripture, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." He further explained that a second commandment was like the first, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," quoting from Leviticus 19:18. "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets," said Jesus. It has been observed that most people have little trouble understanding "love your neighbor as yourself" -- even if they admit that, at times, this can be difficult to do. However, while recognizing its importance, most people will confess to having only at best a vague idea of what it could mean to love God with all one's heart. Perhaps this is because it is relatively easy to grasp the idea of loving another person -- a fellow human being. But how can an individual "love" GOD, one who for many people is no more tangible than a mental abstraction or simply the logical conclusion explaining the universe? Added to this is the problem of the inexactness of the word "love." (A person may speak of loving ice cream, loving a beautiful sunset and loving his or her spouse.) So the question still is, "What does it mean to love God?" Since love for God seems to be so crucial to the Bible's prescription of the ideal relationship of an individual toward God, perhaps the Bible answers this question. Starting with being created in His image, humankind in the Bible is portrayed in relationship with God much as though God was a human being on a much grander scale. This is not to limit God to being merely super-human (as were the gods of the ancient Greeks and Romans) but rather, to show that the God of the Bible relates to human beings according to their limitations. The Bible spends relatively little time philosophically analyzing God in Himself or humankind in itself. Instead, almost everything between God and man is described in terms of relationship. With this in mind, I began to search through the Bible for all action words describing human interaction with God. Thus I had hoped, in picking out all these words, to find those words describing the various aspects of love that may be expressed toward God. Having found over 150 significant words in this manner, I was able to group these into approximately 20 principle aspects of human love toward God. Following this introduction these main divisions are listed in capitals and boldface with related words underneath them. Each word is followed by at least one example verse. HEAR, LISTEN "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!" Psalms 81:8 > (see also) Psalms 95:7 Look, see "In that day man will have regard for his Maker, and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. And he will not have regard for the altars, the work of his hands, nor will he look to that which his fingers have made..." Isaiah 17:7 We use our ears and eyes to gather information about the world around us -- and this teaches us of God since He is evident in the things He has made. However, when the Bible speaks of listening and seeing, it is usually referring to the eyes and ears of the heart. God is willing to speak to us and to reveal Himself to us. The trouble seems to be that we are often spiritually nearly deaf and blind to God while giving our attention to other things. The truth is this: that which we really love gets our attention, that is, the hearing and seeing of the eyes and ears of our hearts. Those who love develop a special sensitivity to the voice of the one they love. Witness the way in which a young mother is roused from her sleep by the smallest whimper of her child. Are we growing more aware of God's voice, or are we distracted by other interests? CONSIDER "Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things; and consider the lovingkindnesses of the Lord." Psalms 107:43 > Psalms 119:95 Acknowledge "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6

2 Recognize "...until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind...your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules." Daniel 4:25,26 Regard "It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread." Isaiah 8:13 Esteem "...for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name." Malachi 3:16; "...and we did not esteem Him." Isaiah 53:3 Meditate, muse "When I remember Thee on my bed, I meditate on Thee in the night watches, for Thou hast been my help..." Psalms 63:6 Give/pay attention "If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river..." Isaiah 48:18 > 51:4 All of the words in the CONSIDER category have to do with the serious contemplation of what first we have "heard" or "seen" from God. We do not take lightly what we have heard, learned and remembered from one we love. Rather, we ponder what we have learned and meditate upon it because we greatly value and prize that which comes from the one we love. TURN, REPENT "Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Isaiah 45:22 Return "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Return to Me,' declares the Lord of hosts, 'that I may return to you,'..." Zechariah 1:3 Humble "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time..." 1Peter 5:6 Submit "...'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit therefore to God." James 4:6-7 Yield "Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to the Lord... and serve the Lord..." 2Chronicles 30:8 > Job 22:21 Choose "...choose for yourselves today who you will serve:... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15 Incline "Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord..." Joshua 24:23 The TURN, REPENT synonyms have to do with making a proper response to our thoughtful consideration of what God has shown to us. Love is a choice, a determined choice; and it always involves a giving up, a yielding of what we have been in order to have a deeper relationship with the one loved. CLEANSE, PURIFY "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:8 Circumcise 2

3 "Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more." Deut. 10:16 Abstain "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness." 2Timothy 2:19 Remove "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight." Isaiah 1:16 > 2Chronicles 14:3, 5, 8, 16 Prepare "...prepare to meet your God, O Israel." Amos 4:12 > 2Chr.30:19 Put away/aside "Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness..." James 1:21 > Josh. 24:14, 23; Judges 10:16 Put to death / die to "...but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Rom. 8:13 > 1Pet. 2:24; Col.2:20 All of the above synonyms are part of love for God because of His nature. God is perfect, holy, spotless and pure. We are not. Our moral impurity, our sin separates us from God. Real love wants nothing to compromise or stand between it and the one loved. Real love wants to be like the one loved. SEEK "...let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually." Psa. 105:3,4 Draw near, approach "...let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith..." Heb. 10:22 Come "Be Thou to me a rock of habitation, to which I may continually come..." Psa. 71:3 > John 5:40 > Deu. 5:27 Enter "But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house..." Psa. 5:7 > Psa. 100:4 Fix eyes, look "...while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen..." 2Cor. 4:18 Study "Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them." Psa. 111:2 > Ezr. 7:10 Learn, understand "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart..." Matt. 11:29 > Jn. 6:45 Love is not passive. All of these synonyms have to do with a very active, inquiring and energetic movement in God's direction. One who loves strives to be as close as possible to the one loved so that he may know and experience all he can of that individual. His love inspires him to action. PRAY "Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found..." Ps. 32:6 > Jer.29:12 > 1Thes.5:17 Confess "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John 1:9 > 2Chr. 6:24 3

4 Ask "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full." John 16:24 > Luke 11:9 Make supplication "And if Thy people... make supplication before Thee..." 2Chr. 6:24 Petition "...Daniel (was) making petition and supplication before his God." Dan. 6:11 > Eph. 6:18 Call, cry "I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies." Psa. 18:3 > Jer. 33:3 Thank "Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name..." 1Chron. 16:7,8 Say "Say to God, 'How awesome are Thy works!'" Psa. 66:3 > Psa. 96:10 Love desires to communicate. One who loves wants to hear, but he also wants to share all that is in his heart with the one loved. Many different motives may cause us to pray, but love for God is what keeps us praying. BELIEVE, HAVE FAITH "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." Gen. 15:6 > Psa. 27:13 > 2Thes. 2:12 Trust, rely "Who is among you that fears the Lord... let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God." Isaiah 50:10 Hope "O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption." Psa. 130:7 Wait "I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning." Psa. 130:5-6 > 1The. 1:10 Remember, forget not "Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels, and the judgments uttered by His mouth..." Psa. 105:5 "...forget none of His benefits..." Psa. 103:2 Be patient "And we desire that each one of you... may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Heb.6:12 Rest Cast "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." Psa. 37:7 > Isa. 30:15 "Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you..." Psa. 55:22 This category of related words has to do with complete trust -- the putting of one's self in the hands of the one loved. Certain actions immediately flow from that kind of trust. Patient waiting, confident rest, expectant hope, remembrance of the loved one's past actions that strengthen continued trust -- all of these proceed from true faith. 4

5 JOIN "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 1Cor. 6:17 > Isa. 56:3 Dedicate "Then Moses said, 'Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord... in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.'" Exodus 32:29 Consecrate, Sanctify "...the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves faithfully in holiness." 2Chro. 31:18 > 1Pet. 3:18 Take hold "And there is no one who calls on Thy name, who arouses himself to take hold of Thee..." Isaiah 64:7 Put on "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ..." Rom. 13:14 > Col. 3:9-10 Be filled "And do not get drunk with wine... but be filled with the Spirit..." Eph. 5:18 Receive "...his own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:11-12 The words in this category have to do with separation and union. Two people who love each other deeply over time come to feel a part of each other. They may describe themselves as one whole rather than as two separate individuals. Their lives, their thoughts, their feelings mingle and flow together. Unlike human beings, God is a spirit not bound by physical limitations. We often see this as a disadvantage because we want God to be "real" to our five senses. However, because He is spirit, we can be joined to and be filled with the living God! Love for God means desiring what Jesus spoke of when He said, "...you in Me, and I in you." FEAR, REVERE "O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want." Psa. 34:9 > Psa. 90:11 Tremble "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." Isa. 66:2 Hate (evil) "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil." Pro.8:13 > Psa. 97:10 Respect, Honor "'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the Lord of host to you..." Mal. 1:6 Be careful, take heed "So take diligent head to yourselves to love the Lord your God." Jos.23:11 In one sense, love and fear or nearly opposites; but in another sense they are companions. Those who love also fear dishonoring, displeasing and disappointing the one loved. In fact, because of the proper jealousy (not selfish jealousy) of love, anything against love is feared and/or hated. With God, added to this is a proper fear based upon the inconceivable perfection of an all-powerful being to whom we owe everything. There is no human analogy for this. 5

6 OBEY "Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments... the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth." Deut. 28:1 > Deut. 30:2 Keep "Then the king... made a covenant... to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and HIs testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant..." 2Chr.34:31 Observe "Go therefore and make disciples... teaching them to observe all that I commanded you..." Matt. 28:20 > Deut. 24:8 Serve "Serve the Lord with gladness..." Psa. 100:2 > Deut. 28:47 Do, perform "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." James 1:22 > Deut. 26:16 > 2Chr. 34:31 Labor, strive "And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." Col.1:29 Love acts. It is not passive or confined to just thoughts and feelings. Love looks for ways to express itself toward the one loved, but it also responds to the requests and the wishes of the beloved. And this it does, not just to do the minimum required, but in order to do fully all that is in the heart of the one who expressed the request. PLEASE "...so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work..." Col.1:10 > 1Thes.4:1 Of all the desires engendered by love, there are few more central than the desire to please the one loved. On the human level love cannot be merely the desire to please another, for that would mean that love was only the slave of the other's wishes. And above all, love seeks the best for its beloved, even if this would go against his or her wishes -- and what a trial that can be! However, with God, who is perfect love, what pleases Him is always the best for Himself and all His creation. O that we might leave behind the stern, "harsh taskmaster" image we sometimes have of God and discover how we really can give God pleasure by who we are and what we do as we walk in His will. FOLLOW "If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then... you will follow the Lord your God." 1Sam. 12:14 > Rev. 14:4 > John 12:26 Walk "...the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless.'" Gen. 17:1 > Psa. 81:12-13 Imitate "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love..." Eph. 5:1 > 1Thes. 1:6 Order "So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord his God." 2Chron. 27:6 Be devoted, take pride "And he took great pride in the ways of the Lord and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah." 2Chron. 6

7 17:6 Those who love, if at all possible, try to be with the one loved in order to walk side-by-side with him or her through life. Love means the desire to be together through the good times and the bad. Love in its devotion takes pride in the beloved and desires to imitate the good qualities seen in the other person. Before Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, God walked with them in fellowship in the cool of the day. WORSHIP "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool; holy is He." Psa. 99:5 > Psa. 2:11 > Psa. 95:6 Appear "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?" Psa. 42:2 > Ex. 23:15,17 Bow, Kneel "But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter They house, at Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee." Psa. 5:7 > Psa.95:6 Minister "My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to minister to Him, and to be His ministers..." 2Chron. 29:11 Delight "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psa. 37:4 > Isa. 58:2 Bless "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name." Psa. 103:1 > Psa. 34:1 Sing "But as for me, I shall sing of Thy strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of Thy lovingkindness in the morning..." Psa. 59:16 > Psa. 30:4 Rejoice, Exult "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation..." Isa. 61:10 > Phil. 4:10 Be glad "Let all who seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee..." Ps. 40:16 > Ps.70:4 Ascribe "Ascribe greatness to our God!" Deut. 32:3 > Psa. 29:1,2 Lift up soul - "To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul." Psa. 25:1 hands - "...when I lift up my hands toward Thy holy sanctuary." Psa. 28:2 eyes - "To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens!" Psa. 123:1 Offer sacrifice "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." Heb. 13:15 Behold "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek... to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple." Ps. 27:4 > Psa. 46:8 7

8 Stand in awe "You who fear the Lord, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel." Psa. 22:23 Exalt "O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; for Thou hast worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness." Isa. 25:1 > Psa. 99:5,9 Extol "I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast lifted me up..." Ps. 30:1; 145:1 Praise "Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee." Psa. 63:3 > Psa. 34:1 Shout "Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing the glory..." Ps. 66:1 > 32:11 Celebrate "Then Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord..." 2Chr. 35:1-18 The Bible, as one can see, has quite a range of words expressing the concept of worshipping God. Between two people love over time produces deep respect for each other; but those who love do not want to be worshipped because they know they are not worthy of this. Toward God, however, worship is completely appropriate because of who He is -- the Almighty, the Creator. If with other people love kindles respect, love toward God leads us naturally to worship Him. He alone is worthy of worship. LOVE "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Deut. 6:5 Don't harden "Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..." Ps.95:8 Hate evil "Hate evil, you who love the Lord." Psa. 97:10 > John 12:25 Though the purpose of this study is to understand love for God by examining the expressions of this love used in the Scriptures, we must remember that our first expression, "love God," is itself used frequently in both the Old and New Testaments. When Jesus said that the Great Commandment was to love God, Jesus was not giving a new, unusual or hidden interpretation of the focal teachings of the Scriptures. If love is one side of the coin, then not to harden one's heart and to hate evil are the other side. To harden one's heart means to ignore, resist and close out the One who is making an appeal. This is surely the opposite of love. As for hating evil, does not love evoke a hatred of anything that could come between it and the one loved? TELL "I shall not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord." Ps. 118:17 Glorify, magnify "I will praise the name of God with song, and shall magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord..." Ps. 69:30 > 1Cor. 6:20 8

9 Boast "My soul shall make its boast in the Lord..." Psa. 34:2 > Psa. 44:8 Declare, proclaim "But you are a chosen race... a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1Pet.2:9 > Psa. 9:11 > Isa. 66:19 > Psa. 96:2 Make known "I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever; to all generations I will make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth." Ps. 89:1 > Eph. 6:19 Teach "Assemble the people to Me... so they may learn to fear Me... and that they may teach their children." Deut. 4:10,14 > 5:31 > 6:7 > 11:19 Mention "I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, the praises of the Lord..." Isa. 63:7 Say, speak "Say among the nations, 'the Lord reigns;...'" Psa. 96:10 On the human level, what person can love another without desiring to tell someone else about how wonderful the beloved is in the lover's eyes? Whether we consider proud parents talking about their child or a young man describing his fiancé -- we see them speaking to others about the one they love. Loving God, delighting in Him and telling others about Him should be just as natural as the human examples just mentioned. ABIDE, DWELL, REMAIN "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me." John 15:4,9 Books have been written exploring the depths of meaning in Jesus' invitation to "Abide in Me." We are being asked here to find our very source of life in the One we love. True love is not independent-minded. It humbly recognizes its dependence on the one loved. KNOW "...but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord..." Jer. 9:24 > 2Thes. 1:8 Because love delights in the one loved, it strives to know the beloved intimately and completely. This is not to know about someone, but to know the person. Many theologians have written much about God from a scholarly and logical point of view --and this has its place,-- but it is the person whose heart loves, longs for, delights in and learns from God who can say, "I am beginning to come to know God." CLING "My soul clings to Thee; Thy right hand upholds me." Psa. 63:8 > Dt. 10:20 Cleave "I cleave to Thy testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame!" Psa. 119:31 Hold fast "But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you." Deut. 4:4 > Isa. 56:4,6 9

10 Treasure "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee." Psa. 119:11 > Prov. 2:1 Take refuge "But he who takes refuge in Me shall inherit the land, and shall possess My holy mountain." Isa. 57:13 > Psa. 118:8-9 Because lovers delights in one another they cannot bear to be separated. One who loves God is both driven by the world and drawn by his own experience with God to hold ever more tightly to Him. YEARN "O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; my soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psa.63:1 > Psa. 84:2 Thirst "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" Psa. 42:2 > Psa. 63:1 Long for "At night my soul longs for Thee, indeed, my spirit within me seeks Thee diligently..." Isa. 26:9 > Psa. 119:20 (compare Isa. 30:18) > Am. 5:18 Desire "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth." Psa. 73:25 > Phil. 1:23 True love never thinks it has loved enough. There is always a longing for more of the beloved, for an even greater experience of intimacy and delight in the one loved. SUFFER "For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly." 1Peter 2:19-23 Endure "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him..." 2Tim. 2:12 > Heb. 12:7 Persevere "I, John, your brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus..." Rev. 1:9 > 2Thes. 1:4 > 1Tim 6:11 Continue "You, however, continue in things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them..." 2Tim.3:14 > Acts 13:43 Stand firm "...I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!" 1Pet. 5:12 > 2Thes. 2:15 Be strong "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might." Eph. 6:10 > 2Tim. 2:1 True love has the strength to continue despite difficulties, hardships and temptations. Traditionally, an important part of our 10

11 wedding vows in this Western culture is the pledge to be faithful in both the good times and the bad. This kind of love is clearly a commitment, not just an intense but fleeting passion. The same is true of love for God. He loves us with a constant, unchanging love. Can we not set our hearts to love Him through all of life's circumstances? He promises to help us to do so. And now, what have we learned about how a person can love God? First of all, this study should make it clear that it is humanly impossible to love God with all one's heart, soul and strength. How can anyone claim to have done all of the previous pages of commandments, exhortations and examples of what is involved in loving God? But does this mean that the biblical concept of love for God simply an unattainable goal to be striven for, but never reached? As was said at the beginning, these are important questions given the emphasis Jesus placed on this commandment. In the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 3, Paul presents the idea that the first purpose of God's commandments is to confront us with the fact that we have not observed them. The person that thinks he has kept God's laws is the person who has diluted, distorted and excused himself of God's requirements down to the point where they are humanly manageable. The honest individual who has seriously considered the commandments of God faces the fact that he can, at best, only make a token effort -- or else he can choose to quit trying altogether. The third alternative, as explained in Romans chapters 3 through 5, is to admit one's failure past and present in keeping God's requirements. Beyond this, one is even to admit that, despite his best possible efforts, he will continue to fail in the future. Thus a person must abandon all hope in himself to justify himself before God. In this self-help-hopeless situation a person can be prepared to accept that God Himself has made a way for forgiveness through the death of His Son for us. But because God deals with us as individuals, this must be accepted at the individual level. As Paul said of what Jesus did, "...who loved me and gave Himself for me." When a person truly believes and takes to himself Jesus' death in payment for his sins, the whole basis of relationship with God changes. It becomes possible to love God. One cannot love God from the basis of trying to "make up" for not having loved God in the past. A person can only love God from the new foundation of having been completely forgiven of the past. Furthermore, when a person accepts God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ the Spirit of God will, through indwelling that person, give him a heart of desire to love God. This does not mean the end of temptations and even failures, but it does mean a new relationship with God based upon the forgiveness and the power of Jesus rather than upon self-performance. It means a relationship based upon "keeping a good conscience before God and men," as the Apostle Paul put it. A good conscience is not based upon never failing, but is based upon having a right heart and upon asking for and receiving forgiveness from both God and men. In this way growing to love God (and men) can spring from the joy of forgiveness rather than from the condemnation of trying to fill an obligation that is never satisfied. 11