In a world filled with false teachings and misleading ideas about Jesus, one truth remains constant: if you don't know the truth, you will always believe the lies. The real Jesus - not man's conformed idea of Him - transforms and conforms us to His image. This transformation begins with understanding that the real Jesus requires real love from His followers.
What Is Real Love?
When we encounter the real Jesus, we meet agape love - the love of all loves, the greatest love this world has ever seen. Agape love is deep, selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial. It's self-giving love that puts others' needs above your own. This love is unconditional, not based on feelings, attraction, or circumstances. It remains steady even when it's difficult and extends to all people, not just close relationships.
In Christianity, agape is the highest form of love - the kind that seeks the good of others without expecting anything in return. This is the love Christ displayed for mankind, and it's the same love He requires from us.
What Does the Bible Say About Loving God?
In Mark 12:28-34, when a scribe asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, Jesus responded with words from Deuteronomy: "'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Jesus wasn't just reciting familiar words to religious people. He was addressing a heart issue. While the religious leaders debated rules and regulations, Jesus was saying that loving God is about the heart - loving Him with everything we have and loving others as He has loved us.
Why Should We Love God With Everything?
He Pursued Us When We Were Lost
Like the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to find the one that's lost, Jesus ran after us. He didn't walk or stroll - He ran to rescue us from the wilderness of sin. As Psalm 40:2-3 describes: "He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth."
He Changed Our Eternal Destination
Jesus transformed our destiny from eternal hell to eternity with the Heavenly Father. When we truly understand what He's done for us - rescuing us from a pit we couldn't escape on our own - how can we not love Him with everything we have?
How Does Real Love for God Show Up in Our Lives?
If we truly love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves, it will be evident in specific areas of our lives:
Our Prayer Life
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" - Philippians 4:6-7. Real love shows up in consistent, thankful prayer.
Our Devotional Life
"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands" - Psalm 119:10. When we love God completely, we desire to spend time with Him in His Word.
Our Worship Life
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" - John 4:24. True worship flows from a heart that genuinely loves God, whether through raised hands, tithes and offerings, or quiet reverence.
Our Reading of God's Word
Jesus fought Satan with Scripture, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" - Matthew 4:4. If our Savior fought the devil with God's Word, we must do the same.
Our Work Life
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" - Colossians 3:23. Our love for God should be evident in how we approach our daily work.
How We Love Others
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" - John 13:34. This is perhaps the most challenging area, but Jesus calls us to love others as He has loved us.
Our Forgiveness
"Try to understand other people. Forgive each other... because that is the way the Lord forgave you" - Colossians 3:13 (NLT). Even when we've been wronged, even when it wasn't right what happened to us, we must forgive because Christ forgave us.
Overcoming Obstacles to Real Love
Satan's job is to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to block our vision of heaven and keep us from loving God and others as we should. He'll use people - coworkers, family members, even those in our own households - to create obstacles.
But we must remember that Jesus overcame Satan, and if Jesus lives in us, we can overcome too. When roadblocks come, we must say, "Not today, Satan," and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
The Power of Forgiveness
Even Jesus, hanging on the cross with His side pierced and His back beaten, said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" - Luke 23:34. If our Savior could forgive in His greatest moment of suffering, how can we hold grudges over lesser offenses?
Forgiveness isn't about whether the other person deserves it - it's about keeping our hearts right with God and removing the roadblocks Satan tries to place in our path to heaven.
Life Application
This week, examine your life honestly. Are you loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Is this love evident in your prayer life, your time in God's Word, your work, and especially in how you treat others?
Real love for Jesus isn't a superficial "I love you" that we throw around casually. It's a deep, transforming love that changes how we live every day. It's choosing to forgive when we've been wronged, choosing to love difficult people, and choosing to serve God wholeheartedly in everything we do.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What areas of my life need to better reflect my love for God?
- Who do I need to forgive, and what's keeping me from doing so?
- How can I show agape love to someone this week who doesn't deserve it?
- Am I reading God's Word and praying because I love Him, or just out of obligation?
The real Jesus requires real love - not the kind that's convenient or comfortable, but the kind that transforms us from the inside out and compels us to love others as He has loved us.
