"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me." John 14: 24
The Christian life is a path of discipleship, founded in our response of love to Jesus' love for us. The Bible clearly states that we should not be lukewarm in our faith (Revelation 3:16). In this thought-provoking article, Adam Nesmith reflects,
"Loving Christ is not an optional part of Christianity. Therefore, there is no better question to examine the state of your heart than simply asking “do I love Jesus or not?” Yet I have often found in my own life that this question can quickly become very abstract. How do you know if you love Jesus? Are there any objective tests to help you assess the state of your soul?"
J.C. Ryle in his book “Holiness” provides some helpful ways in which we can consider this, and Nesmith uses these to give us a useful template for self-examination and assessment.
"Love for Jesus is the foundation, the root, the fountain of all true Christianity."
