As we enter the fall season I want you to stretch your minds to think back to an episode that took place right after Jesus’ resurrection. We remember two disciples that met a stranger as they were walking on the Road to Emmaus. In their sorrow in knowing that Jesus had died didn’t seem evident in this man, and the disciples didn’t recognize him until they shared a meal and broke bread together. Jesus had opened their understanding of the scriptures as they had walked along. They were just beginning to understand how much Jesus loved them, that he should give up his life for them and for their eternal salvation.

Not only did Jesus love them, but his gift to them and us is that we can return this love to him as well. Today we will think more about what it meant when Jesus asked the apostle, Peter, “Do you love me?” What does it mean to love God? The inspiration for this is Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

It is a familiar, much quoted verse, which we embrace, knowing God is in control and will make something good come from each situation we find ourselves in. Here is another promise of God’s great abundance toward his people. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “What no eye has seen, no ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him — these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit.”

In these scriptural examples what condition is a prerequisite for this “good” to occur? It is that we love God. But what does that mean exactly? How would you describe what it means to love God and what would it look like? It is not your usual, meeting at the bank or park conversation, and maybe you haven’t ever really considered it.

One place to start is to describe what we would see when we love God. In other words, what is the result of our loving God?

In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Jesus wanted so positively to make sure Peter understood, that he asked him three times in John 21:15-17 saying,

“15…Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

The validation of Peter’s love for Jesus, was taking care of other Christian disciples. Those all are evidence that we love God. But that does not describe our love itself.

It is NOT our worship, our obeying, or our good works. It is NOT our love for his gifts, serving him or our doing anything for him. We must remember God’s greatness as described in Acts 17:24-25. “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” No, God doesn’t need us doing something for him.

So what is it to love God? Sometimes we learn what something is like by observing how it is different from its opposite. This is true in Isaiah 29:13,

“These people come near to me with their mouth

    and honor me with their lips,

    but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me

    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

We can see that our love for God is based in our heart, not in the things we do. Just as God’s name for himself is “I am” and not “I do”. Our love is part of who we are, not something we do.

Often we confuse the “fruit”, the things God’s love produces in us,* for the “root”. The root is the very essence of a plant that sustains it and helps it grow. When God is in our hearts, loving God is desiring him, treasuring him, being devoted to him, being satisfied in him, resting in him, growing in our relationship to him and hating the sins we still find in ourselves. This list is just a beginning. Loving God is inward effect, not outward action. It is genuine and cannot be faked. And most of all Ioving God is a gift from God.

With that said, from deep inside our lives, we will unknowingly produce that fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) It is a simple expression of a God-filled heart shared without thought or motivation; just as simple as a child’s smile or hug.

I pray that our understanding will continue to grow as we broaden and deepen our love for God.