Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Psalm 119:2

God loves because His nature is love. He doesn’t love in the abstract as do philosophers their ideas, dreamers their dreams and perhaps even theologians their theology. The God of the Bible loves us, his human creations, in wondrous, incomprehensible relationship with Himself. Unless we understand this first principle of God’s character and divine love, we really can’t grasp the glorious reason behind Jesus’ coming to earth as described by John,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

John shows the way to our redemption through confession of faith in Jesus. But we cannot forget that it is God’s love for fallen mankind that sent His “one and only Son” to redeem us from sin. His love for us because of Jesus, in Jesus, through Jesus and for Jesus can’t be understood. It can only be accepted. What does God then require in return? What does He want from us? Is it the law or good works? Is it sacrifice or religious practices? A lawyer asked Jesus about this. What is the greatest commandment? Which one of the Law of Moses is supreme? (Tell me, Jesus and I’ll keep it.) Jesus answered him,

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

Jesus turns the question of law toward the greatest commandment: to love God wholeheartedly. Anything less than loving God with a whole, entire, undivided, fully committed, completely devoted, uncompromised heart is… incomplete. Jesus seems to remind the lawyer – and us – that our love affair with the Father has to be 100% because that is what God asks for. From Genesis to Revelation, God repeats the same message. Love with all your heart and souls and mind and strength. Jesus enlarges the command to include loving our neighbors as ourselves.

How is it even possible to love like that? I can’t seem to get through any particular day in such a rarified state. My heart turns to all kinds of distractions and attractions which are not at all spiritual. My daily love of God seems to whither away the moment I step into the life in front of me. On my best day, I do love God 100% – for about 30 minutes on mornings when I actually spend time alone with God. Is there any one at all who lives out Deuteronomy 6:5? I find it impossible, so then I ask, “Why does God command something so far beyond my spiritual ability?” It is this. God Himself initiates the love toward us. He loves us in the beginning and then invites us to love in return. We are reborn in Christ to love.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. John 4:7-8

As we slowly devote our hearts to Christ, He continues to pour love into us through the Holy Spirit. The exchange continues until at some point our wayward hearts become whole and uncompromised. It is through us reborn in Jesus that God, who is love, fulfills His own requirement.