10 Ways That Show Your Love To God (Christ) By Thomas Vincent

10 Ways That Show Your Love To God (Christ)

We will approach this topic on two fronts.

4 ways that show your love to God in your OBEDIENCE unto Christ
6 ways on how the love to God are displayed.

Firstly The 4 Ways:

John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Be faithful in the performance of all known duties which Christ commands, and be careful in the forbearance of all known sins which Christ forbids. Let your great care be to please Christ, whoever is displeased; and your great fear is of offending Christ, whoever is offended with your strictness. Show your love to Christ:

In the sincerity of your obedience;
In the willingness of your obedience;
In the universality of your obedience;
In the constancy of your obedience.

#1 Show Your Love To Christ in The Sincerity Of Your Obedience

Hypocrites will do some things which Christ commands—but it is from carnal motives and with carnal designs. But love to Christ must be the motive, and the honor of Christ must be the end—of all sincere obedience. Obey Christ because you love Him, and with a design to please Him. What you do, do heartily unto the Lord, and above all things, desire and endeavor that what you do, maybe pleasing to Him, 2 Corinthians 5:9, “We make it our aim to please Him.”

#2 Show Your Love To Christ In The Willingness Of Your Obedience

Some will obey Christ—but it is with great reluctance. They will perform duties—but they are burdensome, a weariness, and toilsome, and the commandments of Christ are grievous unto them. They are scarcely ready to perform any duty—until they are scourged unto it by the rods of affliction, or spurred and pricked forward by the goads of conscience. O the listlessness and indisposition in most professors, unto the most spiritual part of the service of Christ, which is an evident proof of the defect of love, either in the truth of it or at least in the measure and degree of it! Let your love show itself in the willingness of your obedience. Serve the Lord with a willing and ready mind, with alacrity and cheerfulness of spirit, looking upon the service of Christ as your honor, and esteeming every duty as your privilege.

If you have any constraints upon obedience—let them be constraints of love, as 2 Corinthians 5:14. If you are forced to obey Christ—let there be no violence but the violence of love; if you are dragged to duty—let it be with no other cords than the cords of love. Let love be the spur and goad to urge you forward—that you may not only walk but run in the ways of Christ’s commandments with an enlarged heart.

#3 Show Your Love To Christ In The Universality Of Your Obedience

Hypocrites will perform some duties which are for their good, and which will serve their carnal designs. Other duties they omit and totally neglect. But let your love to Christ reveal itself in your obedience to all His commandments. Though you cannot here attain the perfection of obedience—yet let your obedience be universal. Obey Christ not only in open duties, which men are witnesses of—but also in secret and spiritual duties which depend upon the exercise of the heart and mind—such as meditation, contemplation, self-searching, and prayer; as also in the spiritual part of all duties, which no eye can be a witness unto, but the eye of God. Hereby you may be distinguished from all hypocrites in the world.

#4 Show Your Love To Christ In The Constancy Of Your Obedience

Galatians 5:7, “You did run well, who hindered you, that you should not obey the truth?” Some hypocrites are zealous professors for a while, and at first setting out seem to outstrip many who are sincere—but they soon tire and are weary not only in well-doing—but of well-doing. They quickly stumble and fall, and not only fall down—but fall off; not only fall back—but fall away, and turn into fearful apostates. Show your love to Christ—not only in setting out well—but in continuing your Christian course well, unto the end of the course of your lives. Begin well and patiently continue in well-doing. Persevere in your obedience, “Be not weary in well-doing, knowing that in due time you shall reap, if you faint not,” Galatians 6:9. And, if you are faithful unto death, Christ has promised to give you the crown of life! Revelation 2:10.

Another 6 Ways To Show Your Love To God (Christ):

In your learning, keeping, asserting, and maintaining of Christ’s truths;
In your public-spiritedness and zeal for Christ’s honor and interest;
In your vigorous resistance and opposition of Christ’s enemies;
In your following of Christ’s example;
In your readiness to take up and patiently bear Christ’s cross; and
In your desires after Christ’s presence here, and longing for Christ’s second appearance at the last day.

#5 Show Your Love To Christ In Your Learning, Keeping, Asserting, And Maintaining All Of Christ’s Truths

(1) Learn Christ’s truths. Acquaint yourselves by the diligent reading of the Scriptures and other books which may be a help thereunto, with all fundamental truths of the Christian religion in the first place—and so go on and proceed farther to learn those truths which are in the Scriptural superstructure. And whatever truths you find a foundation for in the Scriptures, which are the Word of truth, receive them not only in the light of them—but also in the love of them. If the branches of Scriptural truths are in your heads, and the leaves of them in your profession, and the fruit of them in your actions—let the root of them be in your hearts.

(2) Having learned the truths of Christ as they are in Jesus, let them not hang loose in your understandings—but keep them fastened and fixed in your minds. Hold the truths of Christ fast, prize them above all jewels; do not part with them upon any terms. Let all go: estate, liberty, and life itself, rather than any of this rich treasure which Christ has entrusted you with!

(3) Assert the truths of Christ. Do not be ashamed or afraid to own any truths of Christ, in the most adulterous and gainsaying generation. Profess your belief in Christ and His truths; endeavor that the light of these truths may shine abroad, and cast forth such bright beams in the dark world where you live—that others may be brought hereby unto the knowledge of the truth.

(4) Endeavor to maintain Christ’s truths. Earnestly contend for the doctrine of faith once delivered to the saints, endeavor to convince gainsayers, and to defend Christ’s truths against those corrupt and erroneous opinions and doctrines which, like leaven, is very apt to spread and infect the minds of men.

#6 Show Your Love To Christ—in Your Public-spiritedness And Zeal For Christ’s Honor And Interest

Let your affections be public—not private, narrow, contracted, and centering in self. Let your love be public and general love. Love not only relations—but love all Christ’s disciples, though of different persuasions and interests, because of the image of Christ. And love not only your friends who love you—but also your enemies who hate you, because of the command of Christ. Let your desires be public desires. Desire the welfare of the universal church, and of all God’s people throughout the world; and, accordingly, pray for their peace and prosperity. And endeavor, as you have the opportunity, to promote the public good, more than your own private advantage. Seek not your own things—but the things of Jesus Christ.

Let your grief be public grief. Grieve not only for your own sins—but also for the sins of others whereby Christ is dishonored in the world. Grieve not only for your own afflictions—but also for the afflictions of all believers, Hebrews 13:3, Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. You are in the same mystical body with all Christ’s afflicted members; and when some members suffer—the rest should suffer too by way of sympathy, bleeding in their wounds and grieving in their sorrows.

Be also ready to relieve any, especially Christ’s disciples, when they are in distress and need, according to your capacity, and as you have the opportunity. Employ all your talents for your Master’s glory, and endeavor to promote the interest of the Lord Jesus unto the utmost of your abilities in reference to those who are without. If you are called yourselves, labor to call others unto Christ, as Andrew called Peter, Philip called Nathaniel unto the Messiah, John 1:40-45. If you have found the Messiah, or rather have been found by Him, let your love to Christ, and love to souls, prompt you to endeavor the conversion of others that are your relations, your friends, and acquaintances.

Put your unconverted friends in mind of their miserable estates while under the guilt and reigning power of sin, while slaves to the devil and their own lusts. Remind them of death and the fearful consequences thereof, to all unpardoned sinners. Tell them of Christ, that He is the only Savior and Redeemer of mankind; how able and willing He is to save them if they seek after Him and apply themselves unto Him. Tell them that not long ago—that you were in the same state with themselves, living in the practice of the same sins, and going on in the same way to destruction; and that the Lord has shown mercy unto you in your conversion, bringing you into a state of salvation. Tell them that there is mercy also for them if they look after it; that God’s grace is most free, His mercy most plentiful, that Christ is most gracious and casts out none who come unto Him. Tell them of the amiableness of Christ’s person, of the surpassing love which He has shown to fallen mankind in His dying for them; and that, though He was dead—yet He is alive, and lives forevermore to intercede for all those who make the choice of Him and make use of Him for their Advocate. Therefore, persuade them to break off their sins by repentance, which otherwise will be the ruin both of their bodies and of their souls in hell; and, without delay, to come unto Christ and accept Him upon gospel terms.

If any of you cannot manage these arguments well yourselves, persuade them, if you can, to hear such ministers and sermons as, through God’s blessing, have been effectual for your conversion; and thus you may be instrumental to augment the kingdom of Christ, which is one of the best ways of expressing your love unto Christ.

In reference to them which are within, labor to promote the interest of Christ among those who are truly gracious, by vigorous endeavors to strengthen and establish them, to quicken and encourage them in the ways of the Lord. Communicate the experiences which you have had, as you see there is a real need, and it may tend not so much to your praise—as your Master’s honor. Labor in your places to be both shining and burning lights: be forward to every good word and work. Look upon yourselves as the devoted servants of Christ, and that you are not your own; and, therefore, lay out yourselves to the utmost for Him, and give all diligence to glorify Him with your bodies and spirits, with your estates and interests, with your gifts and talents—all which are His, and ought to be at His devotion.

#7 Show Your Love To Christ in Your Vigorous Resistance And Opposition Of Christ’s Enemies

There are three grand enemies of Christ which you are engaged to fight against, namely, the devil, the flesh, and the world, which war both against Christ and against your souls. This trinity of adversaries combines together against His Anointed, doing their utmost endeavor to break His bands, to untie His cords, and to unhinge His government. They would pluck the crown off Christ’s head, could they reach it, and the scepter out of His hand. They would divest Christ, if they could, of all His power here on earth, and confine Him to His territories in heaven; but all their attempts in this kind have been, and will be, in vain. Christ has vanquished them; but still, some life and power are left with them, to war against the holy seed.

You are Christ’s soldiers, listed under His banner; show your fidelity and your love to your Captain and General—in manfully maintaining your spiritual combat against His and your spiritual enemies. Fight the good fight of faith, resist unto blood, do not yield upon any account. Disdainfully turn away the eye and ear when these enemies would entice and allure you, and stoutly make resolute opposition against them when they most furiously assault you. Hearken to no suggestions of the devil, temptations of the world, or motions of the flesh—which would induce and draw you into ways of sin—or which would force and drive you out of the ways of Christ. Resist, oppose, and labor to gain some victories over these adversaries every day.

Especially get conquest over the flesh—and the other two will be soon vanquished. Christ showed His love to you in submitting Himself to be crucified for you; you must show your love to Christ in crucifying your flesh, with its affections and lusts, for His sake; in your self-denial and mortifying the deeds of the body, when you deny your carnal reason, your carnal wisdom, your carnal will, your carnal affections, your carnal interest, all inordinances of your sensual appetite—for the sake of Christ! When you crush pride, envy, revenge, malice, and all evil lusts—for the sake and because of the command of Christ—all these are acts and evidences of love to Christ, and herein you should exercise yourselves daily.

#8 Show Your Love To Christ in Your Following His Example

Reveal your affection unto Him in your imitation of Him, in writing after His copy, in treading in His steps, in walking as Christ Himself walked when He was here upon the earth. Show your love to Christ by laboring after likeness unto Christ, that you may be like Him both in your inward disposition and in your outward life. Christ was humble—you be humble in your own esteem. Christ was meek—you be gentle, easy to be entreated, and not easily provoked. Christ loved God—let God be the object of your love. Christ hated sin—let sin also be the object of your hatred. Christ condemned the world—get crucified affections unto it. Christ was compassionate to those who were in distress—labor for the like affections. Christ used to worship publicly in the synagogues, to pray with His disciples, and to spend time also in secret prayer—so you should give your attendance in the public assemblies of God’s people, worship God in your families, and be often upon your knees at the throne of grace in secret.

Christ’s mind was a heavenly mind—let the same mind be in you, as was in Christ. Christ’s will was submissive to His Father’s will—let the same will be in you as was in Christ. Christ’s words were gracious and edifying—let your speech be always with grace, savory, and that which may be for edification. Christ’s life was an active life—He was always doing good, and He was exactly holy in all His actions. Be active and diligent in the service of God in doing good to others, and be holy as Christ was holy, in all your conduct. Thus should you show your love to Christ in following Christ’s example, and in imitating Him in everything wherein you are capable of such imitation.

#9 Show Your Love To Christ In Your Readiness To Take Up And Patiently Bear Christ’s Cross

I do not say you should desire sufferings for Christ, but I am sure that strong love to Christ will not allow you to decline them. Do not go out of God’s way for them. If you meet with the cross in the way of duty, do not turn back or start aside—but cheerfully take it up and, when you have got it up, patiently bear it and do not throw it off. When it is your duty to suffer for Christ, look upon it also to be your privilege, and be glad for the opportunity, rejoicing that you have anything to part with for the sake of Christ. If it is good name, or good estate, or good friends, if it is liberty or life itself—such expressions of love are very honorable and very pleasing to your Lord and Master.

#10 Show Your Love To Christ in Your Desires After Christ’s Presence Here, And In Your Longing For His Second Appearance At The Last Day

(1) Desire Christ’s gracious presence HERE and the manifestations thereof so that, according to His promises, He would come unto you, that He would draw near, and that you might feel that He is near. Desire that you might have clearer discoveries of Christ, and more intimate communion and fellowship with Christ, above all company and fellowship. Desire the company, fellowship, and acquaintance with Christ, that you might walk and converse with Him, and that there might be a daily fellowship between Christ and your souls, and that all distance and strangeness between you Him, might be removed. Let your love express itself in desires after Christ when He is absent, and in delights when He is present. Rejoice in the Lord exceedingly, when He manifests Himself unto you graciously. Admire His beauty and delight in the persuasions of His favor. Let the actings of your love, and the workings of it, be such to your Beloved daily.

(2) Desire also and long for the second appearance of Christ at the LAST DAY. When He says, “Surely I come quickly!” Say, “Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus!” Look upon time as slow of heel and wing, because it runs no faster, and flies no swifter. Look to the end of time, and long for it, because then, with these eyes, you shall see Him whom your soul loves; because then you shall see Christ come down from the throne of God with such brightness of beauty as will transport you with wonder and joy.

Say, “When, Lord Jesus, will You take to Yourself Your great power, and clothe Yourself with Your authority and come down to judge the world? When will You open the everlasting gates of heaven, which have been shut so long? When will You descend from heaven with a shout, with the sound of the great trumpet, and send Your angels to gather all Your elect from the four winds—that all who love You may meet in one society? When shall we put on our garments of immortality, and be caught up in the clouds to meet You in the day of Your triumph? When shall the day of our coronation come, and of our admission into the glorious mansions which You have prepared for us in the glorious palace which is above? When will You show us Yourself, and allow us to behold You face to face? When will You show us the Father, and give us to behold Him immediately without a veil? When will You show us Your glory which You had with the Father before the world was, and give us not only to see it—but to share in it? When will You open the treasures of Your love, and receive us into Your nearest, closest, and sweetest embracements, and give us to drink of those rivers of pleasures which are with You? O hasten, Lord, hasten Your glorious appearance, that You may be glorified before the whole world, and we be glorified with You; that we may be then taken to live with You, and reign with You, and be made perfectly happy in the full and everlasting enjoyment of You!”

What Are Our Responses?

And what do you now say, after all motives to excite and persuade you to the love of Christ, and directions therein? Shall all be in vain?

What do you say, sinners? Shall Christ have your hearts or not? Will you harbor base lusts in your hearts—which will damn you and keep out the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone can save you? Shall I gain no hearts for Christ by all my sermons which I have preached concerning the love of Christ? My Lord and Master has sent me to woo you, to win your hearts for Him; may I succeed or not? Shall my message be accepted, and Jesus Christ, the most lovely One, find entertainment with you? If any person or thing in the world, which you most dearly love, does so well deserve your love—lock your ears still against all my words, and let them perish like an empty sound in the air. Lock your hearts against Christ, who stands knocking at the door, and give an absolute and peremptory refusal to give Him any room there! But if, in the whole world, you cannot find out a suitable beloved besides Christ; if there is nothing here below, but is unworthy of your hearts; if all inferior things, while they have your chief love, debase and defile you; and, unless your hearts are taken off from them, will certainly ruin and destroy you everlastingly—O then, be persuaded, without any further delay, to open the everlasting doors of your hearts to let Christ into them, and set Christ up in the highest seat of your affections! O be persuaded to give Christ your chief love, to give Him your heart, and your whole heart! With grief and hatred, let go your hold of sin—and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ in the arms of your dearest love!

And then I would say to you as our Savior did to Zaccheus, when he gave Him entertainment in his house, “This day has salvation come unto you!” O happy day unto you! O happy you that ever you were born, if this day Christ is heartily entertained by you! This, then, would be the day of your conversion, in which the angels would rejoice; and, though grief and trouble might invade you for a while because of your sin—yet this would make way for your spiritual joy. Weeping may endure for a night—but joy would come in the morning! But O the joy which you will then have in the day of your coronation, when all tears shall be wiped away from your eyes, and when you shall have admission into the glorious presence of the Lord, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore!

And what do you say, believers, you who have some love to Christ? Shall this doctrine, and these sermons which I have preached, be a means to raise and heighten your love? Your love has been too much mixed—will you love Christ more purely? Your love has been very weak—will you love Christ more strongly? Your love to Christ has been but a spark—shall it now break forth into a flame? After such blowings—shall there be no burnings? When you think of Christ’s person so amiable, His love so incomparable, His benefits so inestimable—shall not this fire your hearts? And will you not now love Him more dearly and ardently than ever? Will you be persuaded to get off your hearts from the earth and earthly things, and get up your hearts to your Lord who is in heaven, and to settle your love there upon Him so as never to withdraw it from Him anymore? Will you love the Lord Jesus much, whom you can never love too much? Will you now dwell in the love of Christ and be more frequent and fervent in the actings of it? Then, O what comfort would you find in your love—and what sweetness in the sense of Christ’s love! This would be the surest evidence that Christ loves you; and how would this sweeten your passage through the valley of affliction—and through the valley of death. This would sweeten a bitter cup—and make a sweet cup sweeter.

In life, the sense of Christ’s love will be better than life; but at death, this will be the only stay and support which you can have. Nothing else can give any well-grounded comfort in a dying hour. Death rages and plays the tyrant everywhere, shoots his arrows hither and thither. Sometimes he smites those who are older than yourselves, and sometimes those who are younger; sometimes those who are weaker than yourselves, sometimes those who are stronger; sometimes those who are better, sometimes those who are worse. Sometimes the righteous are smitten, sometimes the wicked; sometimes the profane, and sometimes professors; that all might be awakened to prepare!

And what is it which can give you comfort when you come to the border of death? You may have the love of your dear relations, weeping and mourning at your bed-side; children, kindred, and friends, wringing their hands, and looking with a pitiful countenance upon you, grieving to part with you; but what comfort can all their love yield unto your departing soul? Their love may disturb you and make you more unwilling to die and leave them because they are so unwilling to part with you; but the love of Christ, and the sense thereof, will be a comfort indeed because He is a friend whom you are not departing from—but going unto. And, O the delight which then you may have when friends look most sad and death looks most grim, when the trembling joints, the clammy sweats, the intermittent pulse, the rattling throat, and other symptoms, give notice of near approaching death! Then to think, “I am now come, not only to the door of eternity—but also to the gate of my Father’s house, where many saints have gone before me, and many angels are attending for me, and where my dearly beloved Jesus is, and has prepared for my reception an eternal habitation! Here are friends about my bedside, waiting for my soul that, as soon as it is loosened from this dying carcass—they may convey me to the heavenly paradise! Within a few minutes—I shall be with my dearest Lord where my faith will be swallowed up in vision; my hope swallowed up in fruition, and my love will come to perfection. O the glorious light which there and then will shine into every corner of my mind! O the love and joy and ineffable delight—when I come to see and enjoy and live forever with my most dearly beloved Jesus!

This, this only will make you willing to die—and this sense of Christ’s loveliness will effectually sweeten your passage through the dark entry of death!

This article is edited from “The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ” by Thomas Vincent. Check our collection of articles on this topic in the related posts, alternatively, you can get a copy of the book from Amazon.