Articles
Do You Love Jesus?
I did not ask, “Does Jesus love you?” He most certainly does love you. Jesus left Heaven and died on the cross to save you (John 3:16). My question is, do YOU love Jesus?
Going to church every Sunday does not necessarily prove that you love Jesus (Matt. 15:13). Praising Him with your lips does not prove it either (Matt. 7:21-23; 15:8). Reading your Bible every day and praying to God is not indisputable evidence you love Him. Telling others about Him does not guarantee your love either.
Then what is proof that you love Jesus? Let’s allow Jesus Himself to answer our question. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:23-24).
If we really love Jesus, then we will gladly keep His commandments, His word. Allow me to list just a few of His commandments to illustrate our point.
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Jesus commands all men to repent (Acts 17:30). Repentance means to stop sinning and to practice righteousness. Some that claim to love Jesus continue to lie, curse, become drunk, fornicate and commit adultery (I Cor. 6:9-10; Rev. 21:8).
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Many who claim to love Jesus refuse to obey His command to be baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; I Peter 3:21).
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9; cf. I Cor. 7:10). Countless men and women who claim to love Jesus, disobey the Lord’s marriage law. They divorce their spouse when the cause was not for sexual immorality, then marry someone else, thereby committing adultery.
Loving Jesus is not as easy as some seem to think. If we love Jesus, we will obey Jesus. Such love is unselfish, sacrificial, and totally committed (Matt. 22:37; Luke 14:25-33). So, do you love Jesus?
