4 Signs You Love God (Christ) By Thomas Vincent
4 Signs You Love God (Christ):
Check yourself to know whether you truly love Christ. The signs may reveal whether you are authentic Christians. Test your devotion for Jesus Christ, whom you have never seen.
Most people in the world only love those they have seen, but can you say you truly love Jesus Christ, whom you have not seen? Most people’s love comes from seeing the object they adore, but does your love come from hearing the word of Christ’s amiableness?
How can we tell whether we truly love Jesus Christ? You may know the truth of your love to Jesus Christ,
- Desires Christ’s Presence
- Seek Christ
- Love Of Christ’s Image
- Obedience To Christ’s Commands
#1 Desires Christ’s Presence
Do you like Christ’s GRACIOUS presence?
There is Christ’s GRACIOUS presence here, John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you.” You want friends and family to come to you, but do you want Christ to come to you first? Christ comes to His disciples in gracious communication, gracious revelation, and pleasant comfort.
(1) Do you desire that Christ would come unto you in a way of gracious communication? Are you seeking Christ’s spiritual light to instruct and guide you, His spiritual life to invigorate and encourage you, and His spiritual strength to sustain you under responsibilities and enable you to perform duties? Do you long for all kinds of communications and degrees of grace from Christ’s fullness of grace? Do you long for Christ’s righteousness to be imputed to you for your justification—but also to be imparted to you for your sanctification; to be brought, and therefore wrought, into more perfect conformity and resemblance to Jesus Christ? This is a sincere love for Christ.
(2) Do you desire that Christ would come unto you in a way of gracious manifestation? A lover of Jesus is loved by the Father and I will love him and present myself to them. Do you long for the fulfillment of this promise so Christ might reveal more of His person and heart to you? Are you sad when your Beloved withdraws; when a cloud separates you from the Sun of justice; when He hides and veils His face from you; and do you wait for Christ’s return and revelation to you?
“Bring the roe or the young deer to the spice mountains, Lord Jesus. Jump over the mountains, skip over the hills, and hurry to my soul, which is missing You. O that I could see Your lovely face! That I may hear Your lovely voice! That I may sense Your refreshing presence! My heart-ravishing grins!”
“Lord, I am Yours! You’ve loved me and sacrificed for me. Your affection for me is unchangeable.”
Are they soul-breathings? Such are Christ’s love breaths.
(3) Do you desire that Christ would come unto you in a way of sweet consolation, which results from this communication and manifestation? Do you desire the oil of joy that Christ has anointed, that He give you the unction of the Spirit to sanctify and comfort you? Do you desire spiritual joys, wonderful and glorious joys of the Holy Spirit? Do you seek the comforts that Christ gives—beyond all the comforts that the world and the flesh can supply; the joys that are in Christ—beyond all the joys that can be found in the most exquisite and beautiful creature enjoyment? True love to Christ is this. Want Christ’s gracious presence?
Do you long for Christ’s GLORIOUS return?
Do you long for Christ’s GLORIOUS return? Can your hearts say “Surely I come quickly!” when He says, “Amen, even so, come Lord Jesus!” Are you delighted you live near the end of the world, that the Lord is near, and that His return is approaching? Can you look up with joy to where the Lord Jesus Christ sits, at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high, and think that He who is to come is coming, and will not delay much longer; that Christ will descend from heaven with a shout, the Lord with the sound of the trumpet, and that your affliction will be removed? Isn’t it a day you long for, when you will be roused from your graves (where you may have slept briefly before), gathered by the angels, and carried away in the clouds (in shining garments of immortality on your bodies, and Christ’s unspotted righteousness in your souls) with shouts and acclamations of joy? Do you share these desires?
If some of you are afraid of being rejected because you are not ready and prepared for Christ’s glorious appearance, can you also say from your hearts that you desire above all things to be ready; that you strive to be ready; that it is your grief that you are no longer ready; and that, if you were ready and certain of your interest in Christ, you would be ready. These are signs of genuine desire for Christ’s beautiful presence and love for Him.
#2 Seek Christ
Second, you can show your love for Christ by seeking Him in the places where He is found. Such is His public and private ordinances. Christ’s method is found in His ordinances. Do you value ordinances, public prayer, preaching, and the Lord’s Supper because they bear the stamp of Christ’s institution, Christ’s presence, and are a method of bringing you and Christ together? Do you diligently seek Christ in ordinances when you are under ordinances? Do God’s people rest in the outward and carnal aspect of ordinances? Or do you seek something more deep, spiritual, and incomparably sweet—to meet with Christ; to associate with the Father and the Son? So, David, can you say, “Your tabernacles are magnificent, Lord. Then a thousand days in Your courts!” 84:10 The Lord’s house, to view the Lord’s splendor, and inquire in His temple, is what I have longed of Him all my life! Ps 27:4 Do you seek Christ in your homes and closets? Do you seek Him in silence? Your desire to follow Christ in His methods reflects your love for Him.
#3 Love Of Christ’s Image
Thirdly, you may know your love for Christ by your love of Christ’s image. The image of Christ is on His Word and on His followers.
(1) Do you love the image of Christ on His WORD? Just as Caesar’s currency bore Caesar’s image and superscription, so the Scriptures bear Christ’s image and superscription. Do you adore the Scriptures because they bear Christ’s image? Do You enjoy the Bible’s doctrine because it bears the image of Christ’s truth and wisdom? Do you admire the Bible’s precepts because they bear the image of Christ’s holiness? Do you embrace the Bible’s terrifying Word because it bears the image of Christ’s righteousness? Do you adore the Bible’s promises because they bear the imprint of Christ’s goodness, grace, and love? You have Christ’s Word in your Bibles, and it occasionally rings in your ears—but does it dwell in your hearts? Do you receive Christ’s Word in love or in light?
(2) Do you adore Christ’s people? How can you love your Lord if you don’t love your brother whom you have seen? If you love the original, you will enjoy the picture, even if it is badly drawn. If you love Christ’s perfect goodness and holiness, you will love the saints’ imperfect goodness and holiness. Do you love Christ’s disciples, even if they vary from you in minor ways?
#4 Obedience To Christ’s Commands
Fourth, your obedience to Christ’s commands shows your love for Him. 14:15, 21 “If you love Me, obey Me. Whoever possesses My commandments and keeps them, loves Me.” Do you keep Christ’s commandments? Do you know and use them? Your love for Christ is revealed in your obedience. If Christ is your Lord and you truly love Him, you will submit to Him. You are not the servants of the flesh, taking care to satisfy the flesh—but you are the servants of Christ, taking care to please Christ above all people and things.
If you love Christ, you fear offending men but most of all you fear offending and displeasing your Lord. Do you strive to walk in a way that pleases Christ? Do you love Christ with all your heart? Do you obey all His rules? Is it your sorrow that you fail to obey Christ? If you can honestly state that you do not live and allow yourself to commit any known sin that Christ forbids, or disregard any known responsibility that Christ demands, then you have truly loved Jesus Christ. So for the test of your Christ-love.
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.