“KNOWING GOD leads to
LOVING GOD, which leads to
TRUSTING GOD, which leads to
LOVING OTHERS. “
The goal of the Christian faith is to promote, encourage and develop true faith in God to the end that there will be an increase in true love for Man.
True faith in God would be prefaced by true love for Him (the first commandment) for who would have faith in someone or something they do not love? So, loving God leads to having more and more faith in Him and His words. Of course this is reciprocated because the more we trust Him and His ways the more we love Him.
It seems we first come to know Him, then we come to love Him, then we place our faith in Him and His words, and then we are able to love others. This seems to be the general Christian order of things. Logic tells us, therefore that
If we don’t know Him nothing else is possible. So knowing Him is primary, which may be why Jesus said, “This is life eternal, to know Him, the only true and living God and His Son whom He has sent.”
Once we know Him, we will begin to love Him. This is the first great commandment. We cannot love what we don’t really know. That isn’t real love. Genuine love is based on actual knowledge not perceived ideas, fantasies and hopes.
Then, if we love Him, we will begin to place our faith in Him. If we don’t love Him we would not choose to place our faith in Him. Since we cannot love what we do not know we realized that in order to truly place our faith in Him we must first
KNOW HIM, then
LOVE HIM, and then
HAVE FAITH IN HIM.
Only after these things are in place is an individual prepared (and able) to actually love others in the way that God commands. If and when our human love is in operation, there is good and there is selflessness, but such love has limitations – at least in some degree or another. The love that comes from knowing God then is limitless, unconditional, and it never fails.
When humans “love” others without Him in the mix, that love is often selfish, conditional, limited, and directed to those who appear to be deserving of it. Rarely will humans exhibit a deep, abiding relentless love toward those who reject them, harm them, and refuse their advances.
In this way, God’s love is markedly different than mans. And again, for God’s love to have a chance to work in us, knowing Him, loving Him and having faith in Him must come first. Let’s consider an example:
God’s love is directed to all, including enemies. This is uncommon from the heart of man. But God commands that we “love our enemies, and bless those who abuse us, and to do good to those who despitefully use us.” How? Can the average human being do this on their own? Rarely.
However, if we have placed our faith in God (because we love Him, and we love Him because we know Him) then when He tells us to love our enemies, we do it – by dying to our will and ways, by seeking His Spirit and will – and trusting that His way is the way to live and love.
Through this Christians realize that we must first have faith in Him for our love toward others to manifest. Now, if we reverse this, and we say to ourselves,
“You know, I really don’t believe God when He says that I should forgive and love my enemies,” then we can see that the reverse is also true – the less faith we have in Him, the less love we will have for others.
And in this we find a relationship in our love for God for if we tell ourselves that we don’t believe in His command to forgive and love all people (for instance), then what we are really saying is we really don’t love Him (because we don’t trust His words and ways) and if we don’t love Him enough to trust what He says, then what we are really saying is, we don’t know Him – and we are facing the original words of Jesus:
“This is life eternal, to know the only true and living God and His Son whom He has sent.”
In all of this we find a corollary –
“KNOWING GOD leads to LOVING GOD which leads to TRUSTING GOD which leads to LOVING OTHERS. “
Finally, this phrase lets us in on some important actions that ought to be present in the faith of any Christian.
KNOWING GOD – comes by a hearing and reading of the Word.
LOVING GOD – comes by a familiarity with Him and His nature, which comes by a reading of the Word.
TRUSTING GOD – comes by the Spirit working on our flesh to love God because we know Him.
LOVING OTHERS – is the fruit of the Spirit, and by the which all will know that we are Jesus’ disciples – if we have love toward others.
For this reason, Christians study the word of God to know and love Him, which increases our faith in Him and prepares, allows and moves us to then . . . love others.
