20 Reasons We Should Love God

Thomas Watson wrote All Things for Good, which is a lengthy exposition (127 pages) of Romans 8:28. Watson is one of my favorite Puritans, because he is easy to understand and still profound in his theological insights. He and John Bunyan are the two Puritans I recommend when someone wants to be introduced to the Puritans.

So, in this book, in Chapter 6, which is titled “An Exhortation to Love God,” Watson reminds us of a simple truism, based on Psalm 31:23 – we must love God. Loving God is so simple that we sometimes fail to think of the depth of what it means. It’s the first command Jesus gave to summarize the Law (Matt 22:37). We must God with everything we are. But why? What should motivate us to love Him? Watson gives 20 answers to that question.

1. We must love God because “without this, all our religion is vain” (pg. 89).

2. We must love God because “love if the most noble and excellent grace” (pg. 90).

3. We must love God because loving God is not unreasonable (pg. 90).

4. We must love God because “God is the most adequate and complete object of our love” (pg. 90).

5. We must love God because “love facilitates religion” (pg. 91).

6. We must love God because “God desires our love” (pg. 91).

7. We must love God because “God has deserved our love” (pg. 91).

8. We must love God because “love to God is the best self-love” (pg. 92).

9. We must love God because “love to God evidences sincerity” (pg. 92).

10. We must love God because “by our love to God, we may conclude God’s love to us” (pg. 93).

11. We must love God because “if you do not love God, you will love something else” (pg. 92).

12. We must love God because “the relation we stand in to God calls for love” (pg. 95).

13. We must love God because “love is the most abiding grace” (pg. 96).

14. We must love God because “love to God will never let sin thrive in the heart” (pg. 96).

15. We must love God because “love to God is an excellent means for growth of grace” (pg. 96).

16. We must love God because of “the great benefit which will accrue to us” (pg. 97).

17. We must love God because “love of God is armour of proof against error” (pg. 97).

18. We must love God because “if we love God, we have all winds blowing for us, everything in the world shall conspire for our good” (pg. 97).

19. We must love God because “want of love to God is the ground of apostasy” (pg. 97).

20. We must love God because “love is the only thing in which we can retaliate with God” (pg. 98).

We do all of this by studying God in His Word, laboring an interest for God (Ps 63:1; Gal 5:6), and making an interest to God for a deeper love for Him (I Kings 3:9-10).