Do you love God?
Is your faith active through love (Galatians 5:6)? Filled with the energy of love? Do you love God? I do not say above all things, for it is both an unscriptural and an ambiguous expression, but with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30)? Do you seek all your happiness in him alone? And do you find what you seek? Does your soul continually magnify the Lord, and your spirit rejoice in God your Savior (Luke 1:46-47)? Having learned in everything to give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18), do you find it is a joyful and a pleasant thing to be thankful? Is God the center of your soul, the sum of all your desires? Are you accordingly laying up your treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20), and counting all other things dung and dross (Philippians 3:8)? Has the love of God cast the love of the world out of your soul? Then you are crucified to the world (Galatians 6:14). You are dead to all below, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
1771 text
14. Is thy faith ἐνεργουμένη δι’ ἀγάπης. Filled with the energy of love? Dost thou love God? I do not say, above all things; for it is both an unscriptural and an ambiguous expression: but with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul and with all thy strength? Dost thou seek all thy happiness in him alone? And dost thou find what thou seekest? Does thy soul continually magnify the Lord, and thy spirit rejoice in God thy Saviour? Having learned in every thing to give thanks, dost thou find, it is a joyful and a pleasant thing to be thankful? Is God the center of thy soul? The sum of all thy desires? Art thou accordingly laying up thy treasure in heaven, and counting all things else dung and dross? Hath the love of God cast the love of the world out of thy soul? Then thou art crucified to the world. Thou art dead to all below and thy life is hid with Christ in God.