How to Love God: Five Biblical Expressions of Devotion

First John opens by declaring what believers have seen, heard, and touched concerning the Word of life and insists that fellowship with the Father and the Son flows from walking in the light. Scripture calls God “light” without darkness and demands honesty about sin: confession brings cleansing through the blood of Jesus. Knowing God begins with his Word; genuine love for God roots itself in knowledge of Scripture and in the work of the Spirit. Worship and praise constitute the first expression of love—worship in Hebrew meant service and surrender, and true worship requires the filling of the Spirit so that worship becomes a life, not mere outward acts.

Loving God also demands making him the chief affection: love must stand before family, possessions, and the fleeting attractions of the world. Abraham’s readiness to offer Isaac and the rebuke to the church that “left its first love” illustrate how devotion can cool and how God insists on primacy. That primacy must translate into a comprehensive love—heart, soul, mind, and strength—driven by deliberate will when emotions waver. Romans shows the inner war between flesh and mind, and the mind must serve God even when the flesh rebels.

Desire and yearning for God should run like thirst for water: Psalm imagery and the example of Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet teach that longing for God’s presence and word outranks worldly concerns. Obedience provides visible proof of love; keeping Christ’s commands invites the Father’s presence and confirms genuine faith. The unnamed woman who anointed Jesus models extravagant gratitude—love that pours out what it has because it grasps forgiveness.

Finally, loving God requires hatred of sin. True devotion refuses compromise: sin must be fled, mourned, and mortified by the Spirit so the believer can live. Scripture insists that putting sin to death happens by the Spirit and through obedience to the Word. The call closes with an invitation to receive Christ, to be born of God, and to let love for God shape all affections and actions so that God becomes the surpassing joy and chief treasure of life.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Worship expresses love to God Worship does not remain a ritual; it functions as surrender, service, and the heart’s orientation toward Yahweh. Filling with the Spirit enables worship to move from duty to delight, making praise the default posture of daily life. Real worship shapes decisions, reshapes priorities, and reorients affections away from self and toward God. [16:08]
• 2. Put God first above all Chief love means loving God before family, possessions, and reputation; the Bible calls this protas—first and foremost. Tests like Abraham’s reveal what rules the heart, and churches can perform many deeds while abandoning first love. Reordering life around God requires daily death to self and a deliberate act of the will when competing loyalties arise. [29:48]
• 3. Hunger and thirst for God Desiring God should feel like thirst for water—an inward panting for his presence and word. That longing drives consistent time in Scripture and cultivates appetite for righteousness over comfort or acclaim. Sustained desire reconfigures leisure, work, and relationships around communion with God rather than mere consumption of life’s goods. [53:25]
• 4. Obedience proves genuine love Keeping Christ’s commands does not earn love but reveals it; obedience enacts belief and secures God’s indwelling. The Christian’s obedience flows from the word richly dwelling within and from being controlled by the Spirit rather than the flesh. Faith without obedient love remains suspect; devotion shows itself in concrete, costly fidelity to God’s will. [59:44]
• 5. Hate sin; mortify its power True love aligns affections with God’s hatred of evil and pursues decisive death to sin’s deeds. Hating sin means refusing its company, grieving its effects, and actively putting it to death by the Spirit and the Word. Sanctification demands daily warfare, not sentimental tolerance; holiness proves love for the holy God. [65:13]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [09:52] - Witness of the Word of Life
• [15:45] - Five Ways to Love God
• [16:08] - Worship as Love
• [18:43] - Filled with the Spirit
• [29:48] - Put God First
• [41:10] - Guard Your First Love
• [53:25] - Thirst and Longing for God
• [59:44] - Obedience Proves Love
• [65:13] - Hate and Put Sin to Death
• [73:27] - Call to Receive Christ

Bible reading
1 John 1:1–10 (ESV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Observation questions

1. According to 1 John 1:5–7, what does it mean to “walk in the light,” and what are the results of doing so?
2. What does the passage say about those who claim to have no sin?
3. In the sermon, five ways to express love for God were discussed. What are they? [15:45]
4. How is true worship described in the sermon? What does it involve beyond singing or rituals? [20:28]

Interpretation questions

1. Why is confession of sin directly connected to cleansing and forgiveness in 1 John 1:9? What does this reveal about God’s character?
2. The sermon emphasizes that loving God is more than an emotion—it is an act of the will. How does this understanding help believers during seasons when they don’t “feel” close to God? [43:46]
3. How does Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac illustrate what it means to love God above everything else? What might this look like in a modern context? [33:49]
4. The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7 demonstrated “extravagant gratitude.” Why did Jesus commend her action, and how does this relate to understanding forgiveness? [01:02:25]

Application questions

1. Worship is described as a life of surrender and service, not just a Sunday activity. What is one practical way you can make worship a daily habit this week? [20:45]
2. Loving God requires putting Him first above family, possessions, and reputation. What is one thing in your life that tends to compete with God for first place? How can you intentionally reorder your affections this week? [30:03]
3. Obedience is visible proof of love for God. Is there a specific command in Scripture you’ve been hesitant to obey? What step will you take this week to align your actions with God’s Word? [01:00:39]
4. Desiring God should feel like thirst for water. How would you describe your current appetite for God’s Word and His presence? What practical change can you make to cultivate a stronger longing for Him? [53:25]
5. Hating sin means actively putting it to death by the Spirit’s power. Is there a particular sin you’ve been tolerating? What will you do this week to “flee” from it and pursue righteousness? [01:08:44]
6. How can you express “extravagant gratitude” to Jesus this week, in light of the forgiveness you’ve received? [01:04:14]
7. The sermon challenges believers to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Which of these areas feels weakest in your walk with God right now? What will you do to strengthen it? [41:54]