Hi Sasscell,
I really like where you are going with this.
You ask:
"does anyone really believe they can love God with all their heart, stregnth, mind and soul ON THEIR OWN, WITHOUT HIM??"And the answer is, Of Course!!
And they do, yet let me expalin the futility of such a stance.
Let's create a fictional person. Let's call her Dawn. She is pretty, has red hair, intelligent, sweet but stirn, rather short and has lots of money.
Ok some will love her because of her red hair, others because she can talk about deep things. Others will be attracted to her sweet personlity, while some will love that she stands for what she believes. Perhaps short guys will love her for her height, and many because of her money. Of course, she may be loved for a mixture of her qualities; yet how many will love her, even take the time to know her for all that she is and love
"her"?
Most people are attracted to others because they see in them something that appeals; often times over looking a mean streak, or a lazy attitude, etc. They LOVE what the Love ABOUT the person, not the person, neither completely or unconditionally. Does that make sense
With this mindset, people love God. I have heard it all: "Of course I love God, he is going to save me right" Or put another way: "If I don't love him, I won't be saved" Others say, I love God, but I hate the way he treats me, or I cannot truly love a God that let's people suffer, but I do love the flowers and the rainbows.
Do you see what such are loving, they are loving the attribute and not the person.
Yet we are told:
Deu 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. This is both a commandment and an invatation, because, before one can fully love God, they must first attempt to learn of and build a relationship with God. AND we cannot do this without Help.
Much needed help!!
Mat 11:27
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him]. So without any further a do, unless Christ begins to reveal God and his Spirit begins to make Himself known, it is impossible to truly love God the person or the Spirit. Loving a notion is a poor substitute.
I hope this fits with your understanding,
Much love in Christ, the Lamb.
Darren