“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:17-19

The more intimate you become with God, the more your love for Him increases

God has demonstrated His love for you to the utmost. Jesus expressed this in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. God gave His only begotten Son to redeem man as the highest expression of love. Therefore, He requires you to love Him too with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5). As believers, our love for God varies, and this is depicted by certain indicators. No matter how your love for God is, you can grow in loving Him. The more intimate you become with God, the more your love for Him increases. This article points out certain indicators of an increasing love for God.

How to Love God Increasingly

Live a Consecrated and Sacrificial Life: To increase in your love for God, you must first surrender your spirit, soul, and body to the Lord and let Him take full control of your life. Be willing to consecrate yourself wholly to the Lord and live a life of sacrifice. This was Paul’s charge to the Thessalonian Church:

“And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit, and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (The Messiah)” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, AMP).

Love not the World: Secondly, if we must grow in the love of God, we must be weaned from the world and its cravings. We’re specifically commanded to:

“Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you” (1 John 2:15, NLT).

As you grow in your love for God, you must break every tie with the world

The more we love the world and its practices, the less of God’s love we possess. Jesus also makes it clear that because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity in the world, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). Brother James also confirms that friendship with the world is antagonism against God, and that whoever makes himself a friend of the world, automatically positions himself as an enemy of God. As you grow in your love for God, you must break every tie with the world.

Keep God’s Commandment: Increase in the love of God is achieved by consistent obedience to God in all things. Jesus said to the Jews, “If you love me, keep my commandment” (John 14:15). He also told the Jews who followed Him, “…if you abide in my word, are you my disciples indeed” (John 8:31).From these Scriptures and several others, it is clear that growing in God’s love is a function of total and consistent obedience to Him.

Love the Brethren: Loving God is also expressed in loving your neighbour as yourself. “And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God loves his brother also” (1 John 4:21). You know that you’re increasing in God’s love if you’re willing to make higher sacrifices in respect to others on a continual basis. Christ confirmed this truth by revealing that every act of love to others is a direct expression of love to Him: “And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me’ (Matthew 25:40). The same message was communicated by Christ in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). Jesus concluded that parable by commanding us to practise the kind of love that the Samaritan demonstrated towards his neighbour. Every kind and loving act directed to a neighbour conveys our love, not just for the brethren but for God.

Every kind and loving act directed to a neighbour conveys our love, not just for the brethren but for God.

Be Ready and Willing to Die for Christ: This is the climax of our love for Christ. Until we grow to the point where we are ready to lay down our lives for Him, we’re yet babes in our faith. The Apostle Paul expressed his willingness to suffer, and if need be, even die for the Lord. In his words:

Until we grow to the point where we are ready to lay down our lives for Him, we’re yet babes in our faith

“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience His resurrection power, be a partner in His suffering, and go all the way with Him to death itself” – Philippians 3:10, MSG.

Paul’s love for God was incontestable; little wonder he dared death and wasn’t afraid to lay down his life for the Master. Nothing meant anything to him compared to the joy of loving Jesus and being ready to lay down his life for him (which he did). This was how the brethren in the early Church lived – it was Jesus or nothing! Their love for God was evident in everything they said and did, and they proved it even in the face of threatening death – they stood victorious, loving, and faithful till death. 

The Joy of Loving God Increasingly

The more you love God, the more He will manifest Himself to you in ways you may not have known Him before (John 14:21). Furthermore, Jesus promises that if you love Him, He and the Father will make your life a home or dwelling place – you’ll enjoy God’s divine presence and wonderful fellowship with the Lord (John 14:23). Since love grows with intimacy, the closer you are to the Lord, the more you love Him, and become like Him (Acts 4:13).

To You, O Reader!

How much do you love Him? If the question is put to you today as it was to Peter: “Do you love me more than this?” What would be your response? What place does Christ occupy in your heart? Is He the first or the last in your life? Are any of these indicators for loving God increasingly lacking in your life? The extent you’re able to go with and for Him is dependent on your love for Him. His love is revealed in your daily routines – how you spend your time, how you spend your money, what you give more attention to, etc. If in all of these, He doesn’t take the first place, then you need to reevaluate and be realigned with Him.

Christ’s love is revealed in your daily routines – how you spend your time, how you spend your money, what you give more attention to, etc.

Finally, wherever you are at the ladder of loving God, you can grow in your love for Him. Keep your heart close to Jesus and always stay connected to Him. Shalom!