Loving God Implies Loving His Word

A recent book I read said our relationship with Jesus should be one of “passionate, romantic love.”

Which, first of all, gag.

But secondly, his illustration was a young man engaged to a woman. He tells her he loves her. She responds with how she studied the word love in the Greek and Hebrew and read a treatise on love.

His conclusion from this is that this is how too many Christians’ relationship with God is. Instead of loving Him we just read His book and study it.

This reasoning nauseates me. I’ve heard it many times.

The obvious flaw in the reasoning is that God isn’t sitting there talking to you, but He did write you a book. If you love Him, you will indeed study that book. Yes, you will do more than that, but you have to do that at least.

This is also highly ridiculous in this age when our biblical literacy is so low. The odds someone will study the Bible too much is very, very low.

Psalm 119:88 says, “In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth.” Seriously? Doesn’t David know that a loving relationship with God has nothing to do with obeying God’s Word?

Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh how I love your law; I meditate upon it all day long.” Shame on David! How evil of him! He shouldn’t waste his days like that! He should be out reveling in the passionate romance of God’s love.

Psalm 119:124 says, “Deal with your servant according to your love; and teach me your decrees.” Doesn’t David know that romantic love does not involve teaching and learning? How does he not know this?

Psalm 119:159 says, “See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, Lord, in accordance with your love.” Come on, man! Love has nothing to do with precepts; it’s all about the feels.

The Bible says that if we love God we should keep His commandments. His commandments are not grievous.

Anyone who belittles God’s word (and remember that “in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God”) does not understand God’s love for us and it’s doubtful whether they love God.

This isn’t my judgment upon them; this appears to be the teaching of the word, which they would know IF THEY READ IT MORE.

But they don’t.

They think it’s all feels.

No one needs a warning that they are paying too much attention to God’s word. No one.

“But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.”
–1 John 2:5