“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.” (Matt. 22:37)
If you do not, He will cast your soul into hell when you die.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) If you do not, you will burn in eternal torment, if you do not love the Lord with all your heart, if you do not die to self, if you do not believe and trust in Him, acquiescing all your desires for His glory, if you do not submit to His Sovereign authority as Creator and Sustainer of all reality, when you die He will put your soul in hell, and then, no matter how remorseful you are, no matter how contrite and broken your heart is, you will be judged at the Great White Throne of Judgment and cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
Still think God is only love?
Do you still believe that those feelings of love you purport to have about Him on occasions are enough?
If you do not obey Him, you are not saved, if you believe that love, the emotion of love is proof of salvation, while you live your life for yourself, then you are not saved.
Works-based religious organizations have got you covered here, specifically the cult of Romanism and all their tentacles of supposed acts of love. But the Evangelical community is not far behind them.
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25) Act one.
“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18) Act two.
“And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” (2nd Peter 1:7) Act three.
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matt. 7:1) Act four.
Now you have all the bases covered, you perform the obligation of church attendance, you are polite and nice to everyone, even if you do not “feel” like it, you never reprove, rebuke or correct, that would be impolite, at least not to their face in person, and you never, ever judge anyone, for who can tell what is in the heart of man.
There you go, as magicians of old used to say, “Ta-da-da!” you must be a Christian.
“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” (Matt. 3:8)
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2nd Cor. 13:5)
Feeling saved is not being saved.
Because all were made in the image of God, all believe in God, they may even say they love Him, they may even profess to know the Lord Jesus Christ, but they love Him with hearts that are far from Him.
No matter the circumstances that currently surround you or the possible consequences to yourself, that is love.
Desiring nothing for your own vainglory, but only that His name would be exalted above the heavens, that is love.
Accepting all the trials and tribulations, all the earthly pain and suffering, all the temptations as from Him so that you can be drawn closer to the love He offers,that is love.
Being persecuted and hated by all you know, rejecting all the world has to offer. Dying to self. What I want is immaterial, Thy will be done in my life, do with me as you will.
That is love.
Are you truly saved, or do you just feel saved, are you, as those whose house is today left unto them desolate, only showing up to the remembrance of Passover because you are obliged to?
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (1st Peter 3:15)
Do you know the fellowship of His suffering, are you, as He was, filled with grief and sorrow, are you despised of men, and that with great joy?
It’s nice to feel loved, isn’t it?
Are you sure that feeling has a foundation? Can you know you are loved when you do not feel loved?
