DO YOU LOVE GOD OUT OF FEAR, OR OUT OF GRATITUDE?

One of the key differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament can be seen by comparing these two verses:

     "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5).               

 - - - and - - -

     "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Note that the Old Testament emphasizes man's obligation to love God, while the New Testament is focused upon God's love for mankind.  Here are a few of the many Bible verses that tell of God's great love for us:


*  John 16:27 - "For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God."


*  Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 


*  Romans 8:37-39 - "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."


*  2 Corinthians 13:14 - "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."


*  Galatians 2:20 - "I am crucified with Christ:  nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me."


*  Ephesians 5:2 - "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour."


*  1 Thessalonians 5:9 - "For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."


*  Titus 3:4-5 - "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."


*  1 John 3:1 - "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...."


*  1 John 4:9 - "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him."