If We Grow Up

Note these verses with my emphasis: 

"[U]ntil we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13, ESV).  
"'When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.   When I became a man, I gave up childish ways"  (1 Cor.  13:11, ESV).  
"[So] that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes"  (Eph. 4:14, ESV).
"Mark the perfect [mature] man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace" (Ps. 37:37, ESV).   


We are not only to grow up as people, but as Christians, and, since there is metaphorical language here, I suppose there are similarities too.  We are to grow up, but that's iffy!  A mature person has learned to fend for himself or fight his own battles in the dog-eat-dog world, so to speak, and realizes the responsibility for his time, talents, resources, gifts, choices, money, and opportunities.  He usually has his passions and emotions under restraint and otherwise also has a certain degree of self-control and virtue. Likewise: Believing in Christ is only the first step to walking worthy of our Lord; a mature person is a good example and so a mature Christian is a good witness and has a consistent testimony, even though his actions may sometimes speak louder than his words; a mature Christian has learned to go to Scripture for guidance and has a one-on-one relationship with God (i.e., not second-hand) and is like David, who "strengthened himself in the LORD his God." Note:  We do get encouraged from others (even Paul did!) and benefit from the "assembly together of ourselves," but we learn to walk with Christ and to stay in fellowship with Him, as we keep short accounts of our sins and confess them, and "practice the presence of God" as Brother Lawrence (the 17th-century Carmelite, French monk) penned it.

We are always to strive towards obedience to the Word and apply what we do learn in Scripture to ourselves (cf. Job 5:27) the more we know, the more responsibility we have to apply what we know.  Paul says in Eph. 4:15 that we are "to grow up in all aspects into Him" and this means bearing the image of Christ to the world while we partake of the divine nature (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4).  You could make many analogies between mature people and mature believers, but one thing to note:   Even Paul declared that he had arrived and had "laid hold of it yet" as he said in Phil. 3:12, where he denied being "perfect."  Note:  Perfection is indeed the goal for all of us, but the direction is the test as we are to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect [or mature] (cf. Matt. 5:48).

Now, the ironic thing is that we are striving for perfection but we will never get there!  (The words for perfect and mature are similar or the same.)   "... Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God'  (Gen. 6:9, KJV).  There are so-called mature believers who fall into sin just like others because no one is exempt from temptation--even David was out of fellowship about a year after his adulterous affair.  We are mature when we know who we are in the Lord and realize how God uses us and what His will is.  We all have a calling to fulfill in Christ.  Now, I realize that being used by God is no proof of maturity, because God can use a donkey if He chooses, and God does use immature believers as well. However, only believers are vessels of honor.  But the major difference is to "fulfill your calling" and to "complete your ministry" in Christ with FAITHFULNESS.  Note these verses in caution: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith"  (1 Tim. 1:5, ESV);  "... The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love"   (Gal. 5:6, NIV);  "... [A]nd if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor. 13:2, NIV). 

Realize these important criteria:  First, we will be judged according to our faithfulness, not our maturity!  Nowhere do I read, "Well done, thou good and mature servant!"  We are commended for our faith and not our maturity it seems.   What we have to look forward to is Jesus saying to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant [cf. Matt. 25:21, italics mine]!   Enter thou into the joy of the Lord!"  Nowhere do I hear Jesus commending us for our maturity; it's assumed that, if you are faithful, you probably are also mature enough to do God's will for your life. Secondly, we are rewarded according to our deeds done in the Spirit (cf. Romans 2:6).

An immature believer is usually seen as one who is:   Ignorant of the Word (cf. Matt. 22:29 where Jesus equated knowing the power of God with knowing Scripture); isn't sure of his salvation; doesn't know the basics of fellowship or even basic doctrine prayer, and witnessing; and especially one who stumbles and keeps falling into sin and needs constant repentance or confession (cf. Gal. 6:1; James 5:16) because he is largely "carnal" like the Corinthians were, and hasn't leaned lordship and how to walk in the Spirit--note that it may be easier to delineate immaturity than maturity.   Concerning lordship:  You cannot become a Christian without bowing and acknowledging the lordship of Christ (I'm referring to lordship salvation as opposed to easy-believism), but we get more than we bargained for, and it takes a while before we realize the implications, cost, and ramifications of our decision--easier said than done!

I've met plenty of immature Christians and most of them are not "spiritual" (however, anyone in the Spirit is spiritual in a biblical sense) but carnal in the sense that it's hard to get a spiritual thought out of them--they seem to limit their spiritual times and thoughts to church or irregular encounters with believers who seem to drag it out of them.  When I meet a believer I do not feel content talking about the local sports teams or the weather, or anything that I could find fellowship with from a nonbeliever, but I expect to get some spiritual fellowship. Christians aren't just "nice" and "social" they're spiritual and godly.

Another thing I have noticed:  Baby or infant believers have a real love for the Lord that they tend to lose over time (for some "have left their first love"), and mature believers maintain it and abide in Christ; one measure is that they love the Word and are faithful in it, while the immature believer neglects it and doesn't see it's a  necessity to a faithful walk in the Spirit.  Remember that the goal of our life is faithfulness, and we will be rewarded according to our measure of faithfulness in what God has assigned us and meted out to us in gifts, choices, talents, time, opportunity, and resources.  As Jesus said, "He who is faithful in little, shall be faithful in much" (cf. Matt. 25:21).


A good measure of maturity is fruit, and this means we are fruit inspectors, but of our own fruit!  We are not to go around accusing others of being immature, but to examine ourselves as to how far we still have to go. The mature believer knows what and why he believes--is settled in the faith, not tossed to and fro.  The more mature we become the more likeness to Christ we gain in our character and become more godlike the ultimate goal.   Just like most people eventually grow up, so most Christians do too; it just takes some longer than others, but God is at work in all believers and won't ever give up:  "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13, NASB); For I am confident of the very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6, NASB).  The goal is Christlikeness (cf. Gal. 4:19, ESV), "until Christ is formed in you!"

And so, as we grow up we become more Christlike and mature in Christ, but most of us eventually do grow up.  Being mature as a person doesn't guarantee to be a mature disciple of Christ either.  Some Christian can be more mature than you as a person, but not as a believer!  Maturity isn't the criterion or measure of faith, but obedience is.  "And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him"  (Heb. 5:9,, ESV).   The true measure of faith and faithfulness (which can be distinguished but never separated) is, therefore, obedience (cf. Heb. 3:18-19; John 3:36).  Maturity, in short, is when Christ is revealed in you and you reflect His glory in doing His will (cf. Gal. 1:16).  It was said of David that he did all of God's will and was a man after God's heart, and this is the epitome of obedience, for "after he had served the purpose of God" (cf. Acts 13:36) he was taken to glory!

There's no one-size-fits-all description of maturity no more than a formula to follow for salvation or right way to worship God (except in the Spirit and in truth). Paul expresses the goal of the preacher: in Phil. 1:28, ESV, emphasis added:  "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ."  NOTE:  The biblical definition of maturity is found in Hebrews 5:14:  "But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good and evil." 

Finally, our reward is according to our deeds done in the Spirit, not how mature we are:  "He will render to each one according to his works"  (Romans 2:6, ESV).  A word to the wise:  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification"  (1 Thess. 4:3, ESV, emphasis mine).    Soli Deo Gloria!

Do You Really Love God?...

"Jesus answered, ... AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH"  (Mark 12:29-30, NASB).

You don't have to do this to get saved, it is just a template of your agenda for life and to see what direction you are going.  In other words, as Jesus commanded us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, the test is the direction we are going, not the measure of our achievement.  Faith is never static (staying in one place) or stagnant (not growing or wasting away) either, you are either losing ground and backsliding or you are growing in the faith by an obedient life and moving ahead in becoming more Christlike and increasing in reflecting His glory and partaking of the divine essence (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 3:18).  We can't stand still in our relationship and just be complacent to be saved and nonchalant about what rewards we get; you are either a first-class and world-class Christian or a worldly and carnal Christian losing ground spiritually--no one treads water!

What does this command mean when it says to love God?  Everyone has a strong suit or forte that they feel they can trump others on and compare themselves with themselves (2 Cor. 12:12 says this is unwise) and feel a cut above others in this category or department. You can say:  "I can see why you like to sing, you're so good at it."  And to answer:  "I can see why you like to write, you're so good at it."  We are all different!  One brother may say:  "I think you need to show more feeling."  In reply, the other says:  "I think you need to use your mind more and get your thinking straightened out!" It is vain to judge one another because we are all works in progress and under the auspices of God. All love is sacrificial as the supreme example of God so loving the world that He gave His only Son: You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.  We give of our minds, hearts, wills, and strength as we have the opportunity and responsibility for the same.  Bear in mind:  We are all merely stewards of the blessings of God and will be held accountable for what we did in the body.

For instance, loving with all your mind means to learn how to think and to think with discernment and wisdom and devote it to God's will, and not be foolish like the Proverbs warn against; we are not to go by feeling but to think before we speak and act.  We should also do our best to achieve whatever intellectual capacity we are called to fulfill or to complete our calling (apathy and ignorance are taboo).  To think with a divine rather than human viewpoint and worldview is part of this mindset. Focus your mind on Christ: "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3, ESV); "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus."   Do you just settle for a job halfway and being "good enough" to your low standards?

Feelings, affections, or the heart come after obedience and faith and is not the engine but the caboose of the metaphorical train. They used to say in the '60's that if it feels good, do it!  This is a recipe for disaster. Don't go by feelings, but the facts of the Word of God, because they come and go and are like a see-saw with its ups and downs--you must keep the faith!  Christians on fire for the Lord are contagious--get to know some!  We love God with our affections or heart by going with our feelings and not inhibiting them but feeling what God feels about tragedy and evil in the world.  You must seek God with all your heart to find Him, and believe with your heart to be saved (in other words, you will fall in love with Jesus).

Do you have compassion for the things of God and feel what God feels and love the things God loves, as well as hate the things God hates?  Do you enjoy the emotional lift of worship as the Holy Spirit stirs your spirit and delight in heavenly things (some people would not like heaven because that's what will happen there!)?  Psalm 16:11 comes to mind: "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."  Nehemiah 8:10 says that the "joy of the LORD is your strength."  Don't ever lose that joy--Jesus says no man can take it from you (cf. Phil. 4:4).   Don't be discouraged that you aren't as excited, ecstatic, or euphoric as other more mature believers who have fallen in love with Jesus, because they don't have more of the Spirit, the Spirit just has more of them!

We must also surrender all of our soul or all of our being (intellect, affection, and will) to be saved. This equates obedience with faith (Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes--they are correlated and the flip side of each other and cannot be separated, though we do distinguish them--they go hand in hand.  "Do not be foolish, but understand the will of the Lord"  (Ephesians 5:7).  We must be willing to pick up our cross and follow Him to the death, if need be, and make His will our will in a constant prayer of relinquishment ("Thy will be done," which is the greatest of prayers, that even Jesus prayed). Being ignorant of the will of God is a sign you are not willing to do it, because God will reveal it to you as you are ready for it and can handle it, but never more than we need to know--no one knows the will of God for their whole life as a laid-out plan, because we don't know what God is going to end up doing with us.

The problem most believers have is that they know the right thing to do and God's will, but don't have the will power or discipline to do it, (Ovid said, "I see the better things, and I approve them, but I follow the worse").  Paul realized in Romans 7:24 that he couldn't please God in his own power ("Who will deliver me from the body of this death?"), but thanked Christ for giving him the power--we cannot complete the yoke of the Law of Moses as the Jews couldn't either, but the yoke of the will of God is what we have in the New Covenant and Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  God gives us tasks according to our ability and the place we are at and the level of maturity and we prove to have--we must grow up and take on the task given us and not remain infants in Christ forever living a carnal life and not as spiritual.

Finally, we must also surrender our strength to God and love with all our natural ability and physical stamina and athletic or coordinated prowess.  We are not to exalt our body, thinking it is the most important thing to center our life around and become fitness or health freaks living an unbalanced life at the expense of other areas and faculties.  On the other hand, we are not to despise our body and misuse it, but see it as a temple of the Holy Spirit and a trust or responsibility to maintain.  Ignoring health issues is a bad sign and a violation of our responsibility and duty to God as His creatures and children.  We are endowed by God and should be faithful to fulfill our individual gift or gifts.  Some are stronger and better endowed as they say by nature, and just like other talents or gifts, are more responsible to complete that calling.

Let me clear up something: No one can say they have obeyed this command! We aren't saved by loving Jesus, but by faith in Christ:  We are saved solely by grace (no merit of our own) through the gift of faith that is God's gift, but our act, and we must do something with it and take the leap of faith, and it must be directed in Christ alone as the object (it is the object of faith that saves, not the amount of faith or just faith per se, which would be faith in faith). We can be sincerely wrong, (sincerity is necessary, but not sufficient) sincerity is vital but it only opens the door to an opportunity to respond and answer the call of God and believe in our hearts.  The whole person must be involved to be saved: Intellect with the right knowledge or doctrine, emotions or affections of our heart, and the will as we endeavor and resolve to obey God and follow on to know the Lord and to be a disciple or learner of Christ.  No one has ever followed the Greatest Commandment to love God with their whole personhood and being; we must accept the gift of salvation by faith and realize our utter bankruptcy before God that we aren't good enough to be saved, but that we are bad enough to need salvation.

In summation, no one can brag before God that he has complied with this commandment but must rely on the grace of God for salvation, and strive to complete as loving children who want to do God's will as our duty as creatures and children.  Just because you are good at one aspect of loving God doesn't mean you can pull rank and start forcing compliance to your standards or rules and be in your image--Christ is the only image of God and we are all works in progress and none of us can say that the have "arrived" or is perfect or God is finished with them.  "I do not claim to have laid a hold of it yet," as Paul said to the Philippians 3:12-13.  But rest assured:  God finishes what He starts as Philippians 1:6 (ESV) proclaims:  "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."  Soli Deo Gloria!

So You Love Jesus!

Do you love the right Jesus or a "different Jesus?"

"We love Him because He first loved us"  (1 John 4:19).
"A curse on anyone who doesn't love the Lord..." (1 Cor. 16:22).
"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him"  (1 Peter 1:8).
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren"  (1 John 3:14).
"You that love the LORD, hate evil"  (Psalm 97:10).
 Jesus said, "The greatest commandment is to love the Lord, thy God!"  Let's explore this:


Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments [obey Me]." (Cf. John 14:21)  What was he commanded them to do, but to love one another as He loved them?  The purpose Christ left us behind is to fulfill the Great Commission as given in Matt. 28:19-29. That is the sole, and I mean the sole, purpose of the church; this command is not meant for us to do it all on our own, but in conjunction, cooperation, and fellowship with the church as we function in the body as we are gifted.  We are all witnesses and have a testimony to the world at large, but are responsible for our own little world, circle of friends, family, or sphere of influence.  We can financially support people in the third world if we desire. Remember: He that loves not, knows Him not, for God is love (cf. 1 John 4:8).

We can't just say we love the Lord, we must demonstrate it.   If you love the world-system, the love of the Father is not in you, according to 1 John 2:15.   This is the litmus test!  "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another" [not any other sign or signal such as success or prosperity] (John 13:35).  Love is not just the absence of evil, but doing good ("Cease from evil, do good." --Isaiah 1:16-17):  we shouldn't be asking who our neighbor is, but "Who can I be a neighbor to?"  Note that Jesus raised the bar!  We are also to love our enemies, which was unheard of!   "...God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit"  (Rom. 5:5)  It is the love of Christ that constrains us and gives us this love (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14).

Many believe that because they love the Lord that it is all right between them and God.  They may be sentimental, maudlin, or converted to the program and mistakenly think they have their heart in the right place.  We are not saved by loving the Lord; we are saved by (believing on Him) submitting to His lordship and trusting in His person and finished work on the cross ("tetelestai" or "it is finished").  It is a done deal or in Latin, fait accompli.  We must all examine our heart to see if Jesus lives in us according to 2 Cor. 13:5, which says precisely that:  "Examine yourselves...Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is within you, unless you fail the test?" [Don't oversimplify the faith by believing all there is to it is loving Jesus; however, we eventually fall in love with Jesus as we mature in the faith--some have even left their first love!--he who is forgiven much, loves much, according to Jesus.]

The real question is whether we love Him but this must be demonstrated, manifested,  and proved by our deeds, not just our talk: show me the fruit!  All Christians love the Lord, but some are demonstrative and some are stoic (no showing their feelings), but all will have a feeling!  Our whole soul is involved in conversion:  heart, mind, and will.   Remember what Jesus asked Peter to reinstate him:  "Do you love me? [If you do, feed My sheep.]"  You must love the Lord, but don't be deceived by mere feelings.  Don't merely go by feeling or sentiment!   Any so-called believer or nominal Christian is anathema Maranatha  [curses until Christ comes] if he doesn't love the Lord, according to Paul in 1 Cor. 16:22.

Don't take it for granted that you love him; ask questions like:  Do you love the Word?  Do you love your brother?  Do you love your enemy?  Do you attend church regularly?  The three biggest struggles, obstacles, or problem areas for the believer to develop a love for the Lord are in his relationship to these books:  the pocketbook, the hymn book, and the Good Book.  To keep things in perspective:  It is not that we loved Him, but that He loved us!  "Herein in love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins"  (1 John 4:10).  Soli Deo Gloria! [To God alone be the glory!] 

CAVEAT:  SOME WHO PROFESS CHRIST LOVE OUT OF SENTIMENTALITY OR MAUDLIN INCLINATION--AUTHENTIC LOVE ENTAILS OBEDIENCE.   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Christian's Litmus Test

"By this shall men know that you are my disciples...." The telltale sign of the Christian is his love. What the world needs is more Christian love according to the philosopher Bertrand Russell who was an atheist. Jesus mentioning the agape love of the brethren that the world will see as a witness to the genuine believer.  NB:  It doesn't say we shall be known by our success, possessions, education, culture, talents, etc., but by our love alone. Prosperity theology seems to think that we need to cash in our spiritual lottery ticket and just name it and claim it on our way to our dreams. I recall the spiritual song, "Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on [the love of God]."

We want to make converts to Christ, not to our opinions. It doesn't say that we want to pass on our school of theology or favorite doctrines and make converts to our private way of thinking, but to reach out it sacrificial love to the world in the name of Christ as his ambassadors.

He that loves knows God, for God is love according to 1 John. If we do not know love, then we do not know God; for God is love. There is nothing wrong with a person that has learned to love with the love of Christ in his life, even if he doesn't have a firm grasp on doctrine; as long as his heart is in the right place, that is of paramount importance. Right belief (orthodoxy) is vital, but not at the expense of right conduct or behavior (orthopraxy). The faith we have is the faith we show, not the faith we talk about. 1 John 3:17 says that if we say we love God and behold our brother in need and have no compassion, we cannot say that the love of God dwells in us. The Christian should see needs and not have to be shown or made to see them. It is an honor to be able to come to the aid of a fellow believer in his time of need.

When we say that God is love, we are not saying that love is God. Love is the only attribute that shows God's personal relationship with us and that God is a personal God. It must be expressed and manifested; God did demonstrate it sacrificially by sending his Son. God defines love and the more we apprehend love the more we understand God's nature.

God is light and God is Spirit according to Scripture also, but these do not relate personally to us. Everything God does is defined in love, God doesn't know how to be unloving, but it doesn't just say God loves, but God is love--the personification of his nature. It is not so much an attribute as what God really is if we care to know him. God's love is unconditional and infinite (to know the love of Christ!). God's love cannot be measured nor compared and God had to send His Son to demonstrate it.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Universal Love

Modern-day evangelicals like to stress the fact the God "loves" everyone. The only verse they can use and I mean misuse is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that...." Don't they know that there are seven meanings to the world or cosmos in the New Testament? In the very next verse, it is obvious that God isn't planning on saving everyone: "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."

There are several verses that indicate that God "hates" individuals: Ps. 5:5 and Ps. 11:5 say that God "hates the wicked." In Romans and Malachi, it says that God hated Esau. Now they say that "hate" just means "reject" but if this is so why does God reject those he loves. On the judgment day, Christ will say, "I never knew you, depart from me...." Note that it is not that he used to know them, but that he never knew them. "For whom the Lord foreknew he predestined..." (Rom. 8:29). This word for foreknow means to know in a loving way.

I don't go around telling people that Jesus loves them as if that is the key message because I only believe it confirms them in their sin and they lose respect for God as their judge. "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him" (Psa. 103:11). "I love those who love me..." (Prov. 8:17). If God does indeed love everyone it is only in a very narrow way of "caring" for his creatures as Psa. 145:9 says that God "[is] good to everyone, and takes care of his creation." This is called "common grace" and God does make the rain to fall on the unjust as well as the just as we well know.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Loving Jesus

Every believer will tell you that he loves Jesus--in fact, there is a biblical curse on everyone who doesn't. But how do you know that you love Jesus? You will love the brethren and your brother whom you can see. Anyone who looks down or despises his brother or hates him cannot love Jesus. If we love the Lord we will love the Word. We will also have a burden for souls.

To know Him is to love Him and our love grows as we grow in Christ. Our goal is to fall in love with Jesus. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." Obedience is the key and the test. Loving Jesus without knowing Him would be mere sentimentality and that is not the goal. Loving Jesus is the ultimate response to knowing Him. We must turn our knowledge about Him to knowledge of Him by applying the Word and being a doer of the Word.  As Richard of Chichester said, "To know Him more clearly, to follow Him more nearly, to love Him more dearly"this goal is ours to aim for.   Soli Deo Gloria!

What Proves Our Love For God?

"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). "...And they spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31b). When we have the filling of the Holy Spirit (God grants anointing at His discretion to do His will) we will be led to share the good news of Christ, and will have what's called the "can't help-its." We speak of what is in our heart and our tongue, which cannot be controlled, betrays us. 2 Cor. 4:13 says, "And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 'I believed and therefore I spoke,' we also believed and therefore speak." Philemon 6 is a blessing on us to have the ability to share the gospel.  (See also Psalm 51:15:  "O LORD, open thou mine lips....")   The door of utterance must be opened, it isn't automatic--we are not to be "machine-gun" evangelists (aiming en masse and not individually targeted), but "sharp-shooters (at a specific target)." And so witnessing is a sure sign of love for God; it is obeying the Great Commission.

Some people describe their conversion experience like "falling in love" with Jesus. This is commendable, but usually what the case is, is that this wears off, like a honeymoon in a marriage, and things become more normal. (However, it is wonderful to be around a baby Christian that has just found salvation.) When one is in love one supposedly talks about that person (but hopefully he talks to that person more). One does talk about things he is interested in or cares about--if you love sports, you will discuss it. But one can love and not talk about someone but to someone. For instance, I love my mom very much and talk to her virtually every day for lengthy discussions, but I do not go around talking "about" her. If you are married, do you want your wife talking about you or talking to you? Actually, you would rather have her submit than talk about you.

1 Sam. 15:22 says that "to obey is better than sacrifice...." Jesus also said, "If you love Me you will keep My commandments." Nowhere does it say if you love Jesus you will talk about Him (Jesus said to Peter, "Do you love Me?...Feed My sheep!)--it is implied that if you witness and share the gospel that He will come up, but you don't necessarily go on a mission to talk exclusively about Jesus, like a Jesus freak. A balanced Christian talks about many subjects, and lets God open doors and waits for His timing--earning the right to be heard, not forcing oneself on someone.

I spent several minutes today talking about King David; however, I cannot say that I love him--I love the Lord. (Just talking about something doesn't mean you love the subject--you may just like to talk, and this even applies to discuss theological topics.) "Falling in love with the Lord" is not biblical terminology. Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, to feed His sheep, not to talk about him, there is a difference.

If you fell in love is past tense, "do you love" is present tense. The point is, is that we are not to live in the past on some experience but to evaluate the here and now. One could fall in love, and also out of love to extend the analogy. The unbeliever is a "son of disobedience," not a silent person. Talk can be cheap and some people are just talkers or have the gift of gab. We are to love not in word or in a tongue, but in deed and in truth, according to 1 John 3:18. We are to be a people zealous of good works and to love the brethren and so prove our discipleship.

A relationship based upon emotion is shallow, indeed; God wants saving faith that results in true heartfelt love, not emotionalism per se (faith, not emotionalism pleases God). There is a command to delight in the Lord through: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the delights of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). This called Christian "hedonism" by John Piper; true faith always results in love for the Lord.   Soli Deo Gloria!