Let's take the prodigal son for example, not the one in the Bible, but our own. Many of us have a foolish son or daughter; some even both. We have sons who rebel against our authority and never heed our advice. They can't follow rules within the home and certainly not in the community. To exert their independence from rules, they go their own way. That way is the wrong way and the good parents grieve for the adult child. However, our love never ceases! We do expect the child to love us back, it just doesn't happen, but we love them anyway!
Luke 15:18 "I (the prodigal son) will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."This is the same relationship that we as "prodigal children" have with God! We are foolish in our living, fail to submit to God's authority and love him not; but when we show remorse, God takes us back without question! In the example, there is one thing the father expected: he expected his son to love him. The son didn't, but the father loved him anyway and when the wayward son came back, the father was there ready to love him! The son saw the error of his ways and it's implied that the son loved him back because he came back and showed enthusiasm for his father!
That's the same way God is with us! He expects our love and loves us even when it's not returned! That's mercy because of God's grace:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."This verse does not say that God loves us IF we love him! Being prodigal children, his love is always ready for us to accept. He loves his creation so much that he sacrificed his own first born, even when we rejected him. Although God knows that almost all of mankind will reject him, his desire is that all shall come to him and love him back, but step one for him, is if we believe in him. It's a trusting belief, but is devoid of love. We come to God because our desire is to save ourselves, but because he saves us, God expects us to love him back!
Proverbs 8:17a "I (God) love them that love me..."
Proverbs 8:21 "That I (God) may cause those that love me (God) to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures."
Exodus 20:6 "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."
Deuteronomy 5:10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
1 Corinthians 8:3 "But if any man love God, the same is known of him. "
John 16:27 "For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me (Jesus), and have believed that I came out from God."These verses show one thing: God does expect our love! From Genesis through Revelation that is the common theme of which God expects! He doesn't want a prodigal son to come to him and remain foolish and rebellious. He expects his sons to love him back, and how do we show that love? We "keep my (God's) commandments!" Those commandments are to love him back and to love others! Love is quantified and operationalized by The Ten Commandments, God's Law.
I'm sure that Dr. Jeremiah spoke in haste. I'm sure that he knows that God does expect those who call him Father to love him back, and God even tells his children that they must love Jesus, who is "God With Us"! (John 16:27).
God loves us upfront, realizing that it may be unrequited love. In truth, he knows of those who believe, don't yet love him, but he provides the "hope of salvation" anyway! Upon being forgiven, we soon realize " I escaped eternal death by trusting God!" Our trust, combined with our devotion, changes selfish preservation into love for the one who preserved! It starts as obligatory love, but with maturity, it's emotional love of God. I realized this difference when I became able to cry because of God's mercy for me! Hence, love is not only an emotion, but a "work" and we must endeavor to love God by our works!
James 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.""Works" are those actions and behaviors which show God that we are no longer prodigal. We love him for our welcome home! A demonstration of that love, and what the Father expects, is that we have learned our wayward lesson. We are destitute without him, and now we're ready to love! Our readiness is not merely one of trust, but doing! Oh, what are we to do? Obey his commandments!
Which commandments are those? It's The Ten Commandments because in Exodus Chapter 20 he lists them and says:
Exodus 20:6 "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."What he said when he delivered the commandments is no different than what John wrote. Our "works" is what God expects because "works" are a measure of our love!
Those who are Calvinistic and believe in the notion of sola gratia (by grace alone), miss the blessing of loving God by showing it through works, Martin Luther, because it did not support his notion of sola gratia, wanted to remove the Book of James from canon. By God's grace it's still there and as always, God expects our love and obedience is how we show it! Now where is our enthusiasm?
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