Timothy Cooley
Academic Dean, Penn View Bible Institute
God is Love (I John 4:8). From all eternity, the Father has been loving the Son. Let yourself sense deeply the pleasure when Jesus exulted, “Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). If we want to grasp true love, we must gaze upon the Father and the Son! Because God is a Trinity, there has never been a person in existence who was not in relationship.
God made us in His Image (Genesis 1:26-27), so He could love us, and we could love Him; in fact, so His Son could become one of us! In a very special way, we are made in the Image of His Son, so our loving God should reflect the way the Son loves the Father.
The Father delights in showing His approval for the Son (Matthew 3:17), and the Son delights in the Father’s approval (John 17:24). Could we say their hearts are turned toward each other?
God created Adam and Eve with pure hearts that could receive His Love in full measure and could return that love to Him wholeheartedly. But they rejected His Love, twisted their hearts away from God, and perverted the love they should have devoted to God. Augustine and Luther declared that the sinful heart is turned in on itself.[1]
Keller remarked, “Every heart has an inclination (Genesis 6:5), something it is directed toward.”[2] There is an aboutness to the heart, something or Someone to whom our heart is turned. David urged Solomon and his princes, “Now set your heart [second person plural] and your soul to seek the LORD your God” (1 Chronicles 22:19). David also prayed earnestly for them, “Lord,…prepare (Hebrew, set) their heart unto Thee and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart” (I Chronicles 29:18-19). He knew that we must set our heart and that we do not love God alone; we need a spiritual community.
The setting of our heart entails an instantaneous moment that enables a lifelong process of loving God with all our heart (Deuteronomy 6:5). The Love between God the Father and God the Son is eternal, which means there was never a beginning moment, but humans are born with a heart turned away from God, a heart turned in on itself, so there must be a rectifying moment of realignment, a setting of the heart to Love God Radically.
Loving God is a Commitment to be Pledged
We were born with a twisted heart! We need a radical change that only God can work. But in the wisdom of God and because of the very nature of love, we have to cooperate for Him to do it. He begins by drawing us to repent, to believe, to be saved, and then to fully surrender to the Sanctifying Spirit.
II Chronicles 1:8–10 vividly recounts Solomon’s prayer that God’s promise to David be established, Solomon’s offering himself to the Lord, and his commitment to live out that dedication every day. Because of his pure-hearted desire for the best, God promised him He would also give him everything else!
In the New Testament, we grasp that there are two distinct, instantaneous works of grace: Regeneration (or Initial Sanctification) and Entire Sanctification that enable us to Love God Radically. These are both preceded and followed by incremental growth (or Progressive Sanctification) so that we increase in fervent love to God.[3]
Loving God is an Orientation to be Pursued
It is a Trajectory to be plotted, an Orientation to be established in the core of our being and extended into every domain of life, through all the seasons of life. Loving one God, like loving one wife, requires focus. We zealously devote our hearts by guarding the orientation of our eyes, the location of our treasure, the influence of our friends, and the inclination of our habits.
Jesus warned that your heart will follow your eyes! Luke 9:62 reminds us we dare not keep looking back (Greek present participle). Hebrews 12:2 urges us to keep “looking unto Jesus” (another Greek present participle, that also implies continuously looking away from something). Solomon instructed, “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee… Turn not to the right hand nor to the left” (Proverbs 4:25-27). Matthew 5:29 warns that it is better to pluck out your eye than to follow your eye into sin. We must control our gaze, which leads me to say that all intention requires controlled attention. Loving God requires that we focus intently on Him!
In Matthew 6:21, Jesus warned that your heart will follow your treasure: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Psalm 62:10 warns, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” Solomon’s wealth and fame became legendary, but he did not guard his heart! His multiplied treasure distracted his heart’s devotion.
Scripture also warns that your heart will follow your friends. That is why David charged Solomon and his princes to serve the Lord together. Deuteronomy 17 had stipulated three forbidden patterns for a king: 1) he was not to multiply horses (to avoid the snare of trusting in military might and of trading with Egypt), 2) he was not to take many wives (to avoid the snare of foreign gods and ungodly political alliances), and 3) he was not to multiply gold and silver (to avoid the snare of economic riches). Solomon disregarded all the warnings. I Kings 11:4 mourned, “It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” Solomon, “Keep your heart with all diligence!” (Proverbs 4:23). Guard your inner circle, because your heart will follow your close associates!
Scripture also warns that your heart will follow your habits. Your routines, practices, or habits flow out from what is already in your heart (being), but doing also reinforces or even redirects being. What you do can change who you are! That is why it is better to cut off your hand or foot (Matthew 5:30; 18:8) than to allow them to lead you into sin!
Loving God Radically flows from intense focus on Him. Remember and remind yourself of your primary commitment, your orientation to life! Extend that orientation into every domain of life. Resist the distractions and the temptations to detour after other allurements! John Wesley and the early Methodists knew we do not grow alone, so they organized in small groups to help each other grow through close fellowship and mutual examination. Keep yourself surrounded by others who encourage the godly orientation of your heart.
Loving God is a Relationship to be Cultivated
This living, vibrant, interpersonal Relationship is to be maintained across the years, including a Willingness to be Directed, Openness to be Corrected, even a Surrender to be Humbled. It is not mere maintenance, like changing the oil and greasing a car. It is like a garden that is planted, cultivated, weeded, multiplied, and harvested.
The Lord revealed to David that He wanted to be highly personal with Solomon: “he shall be my son, and I will be his father” (I Chronicles 22:10). Deuteronomy repeatedly used terms like “love” and “seek.” These are relational and ongoing, developing into robust intensity! They must be maintained, repeated, remembered, and renewed—living tissue that binds us together with delight!
Love entails knowing deeply, gazing lovingly, and being known. Of course, God knows me through and through, but can I delight in His knowing gaze? Ruth’s loving gaze[4] moved my soul to its depths, and my looking deep into her engaged all my powers, drew out my intense devotion to her. Even when she was too weak to do many things she used to do, I could see myself loved in her eyes, and she delighted to see the love in my eyes! Do you know anyone at that level? Can someone gaze lovingly into your soul? Can you gaze lovingly into someone’s gaze? Do you know God at that level? Are you surrendered to His loving examination?
Deuteronomy 17:18 required the king to make his own copy of the Law, the Torah, so he could always have it with him and study it personally. Through the joys and the vicissitudes of life, the king was to be a prime example of meditating in the Torah in order to love God with all his heart. The most important dynamic in your devotional life should not be petitionary prayer, but rather keeping your heart aligned with his will—completely devoted to him.
The devoting of your heart engages a living, personal, intimate relationship—bidirectional. II Corinthians 11:2 teaches us that we are engaged to be married to Christ, and Ephesians 5 expands the metaphor. In this highly engaged relationship, we should expect an interactive response: He pours out His love to us, but we must also accept some pushback. If Christ is displeased about something, we want to change it! In fact, if we are distressed about something, He wants us to tell Him! The Set of our Heart entails a robust, mutual relationship with God.
Proverbs 3:6 teaches, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (Hebrew, make right, smooth, straight) thy paths.” The Hebrew meaning is broader than simply “direct.” The Lord will straighten, set right, smooth out our path. It goes even farther, for the wise man continues in v. 11, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction.” We should expect correction from the Lord in this relationship! But never forget, it is loving correction!
I Kings 10-11 recount Solomon’s backsliding, the Lord’s anger, the Lord’s stirring up the enemies of Israel (Edomites and Syrians), Jeroboam’s rise into leadership under Solomon and his usefulness, then Solomon’s fear of Jeroboam (reminiscent of King Saul trying to kill David!), and Jeroboam’s flight into Egypt. What was the Lord doing? He was chastening Solomon lovingly, to bring him back from the error of his ways! Solomon refused the correction, so things got worse!
Jeremiah prayed, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing” (Jeremiah 10:23-24).
Solomon was sinning, and so we easily affirm that he needed correction, but does the Lord correct us on errors, infirmities, or faults? Of course! In I Corinthians 10:31, Paul pressed, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Part of this is maintaining “a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). How will we know to make changes unless we are sensitive to the probing and prodding of the Spirit?
Jeremiah’s prayer is often on my heart! Please, God! I do not want to just have my own way. I want to be corrected! I don’t trust what I would do without You! I also need my brothers and sisters to push me, even correct me! I want to know and be known! I want to love and be loved intensely! I want to learn to love You more deeply by loving my brothers and sisters. We cannot love God deeply, if we do not love others deeply!
Jesus’ Beloved disciple taught that the Measure of your Love for God = Measure of your Love for Others (I John 4:20). You Love God neither more nor less, and in no other way, than you Love People. You have only one heart, one capacity to love. How does this relate to our Loving God Radically? I learn about my love for God by loving the people around me. Pitifully, we often learn by hurting others. May we be quick to say, “I’m sorry” when we discover that, even unintentionally, we have caused harm. That tender conscience toward others is part of our love for God! We will learn more about loving others in the next issue.
Loving God makes us quick to make corrections! Slight variations that are not corrected can eventuate in major departures! As Charles Wesley wrote, “I want a principle within.”[5]
How can you love God ever more radically and fully?
Have you set your heart, Pledged the Commitment? Have you declared that commitment to your family? To brothers and sisters in the Church? To unbelievers? Do you continue to declare that commitment? In words? Actions? Attitudes?
Have you Established the Orientation? Are you guarding the gaze of your eyes? Is there anyone close enough to you to stand up to you? Are you observing the location of your treasure? Do you need to redirect your investments? Are you monitoring the influence of your friends? Do any of your friends hinder your walk with the Lord? Are you directing the inclination of your habits? Do you need to cut off any habits? Establish new habits?
Have you Cultivated the Relationship? Do you despise the chastening of the Lord? Do you welcome His discipline? Accept humbling from His hand? Are you willing to be admonished by people, from either inside the church or outside? Are you willing to pray Jeremiah 10:23-24 regularly? It is all part of Loving God Radically.
Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heav’n-
descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame.[6]
Loving God entails full commitment, zealously shepherding that love toward Him while forsaking anything or anyone who distracts that love, and everlastingly deepening that intense devotion to Him! He beautifies the meek with salvation (Psalm 149:4), so loving Him enables His glory to transfigure us—to all eternity!
[1] Commonly cited in Latin as cor incurvatus in se.
[2] Timothy Keller, (2015) The Revolutionary Christian Heart, retrieved from https://timothykeller.com/blog/2015/2/6/the-revolutionary-christian-heart
[3] H. Orton Wiley, Christian Theology, 3 volumes, (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill, Thirteenth Printing, 1969), II:464-495.
[4] Ruth (Staver) Cooley deceased, December 12, 2023 after 52 years of wonderful marriage.
[5] Charles Wesley, (1749), I Want a Principle Within, retrieved from https://hymnary.org/text/i_want_a_principle_within
[6] George Croly, (1854), Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart, retrieved from https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Spirit_of_God_Descend_upon_My_Heart/
