The Religious Affections...

It was once told me by someone near to me, that love is not only an affection, but an action as well. Now though that person meant well, and though I did carry that along with me for quite some time, I am come now to the point that i believe it is dead wrong. For if I love out of duty, rather than out of passion, or loving affection, it would seem to be a forced or undesiring love and therefore odious, rather than a sweet smelling incense that rises to the heavens. It is even worse if I attempt to love my Lord in this manner, for then it is simply works based salvation. Now i grant that there will be times when one does not love the Lord with severe passion, but out of duty instead, and it would be said by many that this is perfectly fine. But, i argue again that this is nothing but works. The affections of the heart in that instant would only be misplaced, and so must be placed in their proper area, that is, upon the things of God. If the affections are misplaced, and one then attempts to love God, it is done not out of love, but out of duty. And we do not see this in Scripture. The man did not sell all he had and buy the field with the treasure in it because it was the right thing to do... It was for the joy of the treasure that he sold all and bought that field. we must recognize this. We must get our affections in the right place so we may love God passionately. Out of a desire for His things, not because it is the right thing to do. Not as a duty. May we be a people passionate for the things of Christ. May we forsake the idea that we can please God by doing things because we ought, rather than because we desire Him...