Joshua 23:11

Love to God.

We are called to love God. It is not enough that we discharge our duty to our neighbour; we have a distinct duty to God ( Malachi 1:6 ), This duty is not fulfilled by the most scrupulous devotion to external service alone. God claims the affection of our hearts.

I. THE NATURE OF LOVE TO GOD .

(a) It is personal. We love God in loving goodness and all things Godlike; but the perfect love of God implies a personal relation between our soul and His. We love Him as our Father.

(b) It is seen in the delight we have in God, the attraction He is to us, our desire to be in His presence, and the greater brightness of our lives as we grow nearer to Him. True love finds its greatest joy in loving. The love which is merely benevolent, which wishes well without feeling delight, is cold and faint.

(c) It is proved by sacrifice. Love sacrifices itself to death, and prefers the person loved to its own joy. So our love to God must lead to self devotion and willingness to suffer loss for His sake.

II. THE SOURCES OF LOVE TO GOD . We are to "take good heed "—an admonition which implies that it rests with us to cultivate our own love to God.

(a) In His love to us, seeing that He has loved us before seeking for our love, and has proved His love by His goodness in creation, providence, and redemption;

(b) in His nature, He attracts by the "beauty of holiness;" He is love; the more we know of God the more do we see of His goodness.

III. THE EFFECTS OF LOVE TO GOD .

(a) admiration and

(b) sympathy.

(a) it pleases Him,

(b) it is Godlike,

(c) love to God must flow out in all forms of unselfishness and benevolence ( 1 John 4:20 ).

HOMILIES BY S.R. ALDRIDGE