A. Sorry for the delayed response. Before I respond to the request (establishment of a premise in regard to the matter of "help"), I would like to comment on one of your thoughts that were expressed above.

“If you want to increase your love of God then the most effective way is to know more about Him. And then take that knowledge and by faith put it into practice”. And the result will be seeing God working in you, through you and for you. And finally, this increases your knowledge (Grk: prognosko intimate knowledge) of God. (cf. Col 1:9,10).”

The word “If” here is unclear. It implies an alternative is possible and/or permissible. Does God give an alternative to the command to “love the Lord your God all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5)? If not, then it should be clear that this is an “expectation of God”. As a result, the “want” is very important because human nature says we do the things that we want to do and avoid doing the things we do not want to do.

The words “take that knowledge and by faith put it into practice” is not clear. To be clearer, I would suggest replacing it with the following steps:
1. Accept “God’s expectations” in this area personally (Deut 6:5). This will provide knowledge for change.
2. Know “why” loving God is important. This will provide motivation for change
3. Take an “inventory” of your heart periodically. How much love is there? This will provide conviction for change.
4. “Pray daily” for a desire to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” . (When praying keep in mind Mark 10:27 and James 4:2). This will provide the power for change,
5. Spend a good portion of you time in the Bible looking for just “two things”. Things that help you know God personally and things that help you know His will for you. This will provide you with a plan for change
6. Attempt to execute the plan being dependent on His grace and knowing it is His power that enables you.


B. Now concerning establishment of a premise in regard to the matter of "help", I offer the following for consideration:

Webster’s definition of the word “help” is as follows: “To furnish with strength or means for the successful performance of any action or the attainment of any object.” The action we would like to perform here is “Obedience to God”. Obedience to God can also be referred to as “Doing God’s will” or “living for the Lord instead of living for self”. One of many verses that links love to obedience is 2 Cor 5:15 which says:

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf”. NASU

Strongs definition of the word “controls” is as follows:
NT:4912= sunecho (soon-ekh'-o); from NT:4862 and NT:2192; to hold together, i.e. to compress (the ears, with a crowd or siege) or arrest (a prisoner); figuratively, to compel, perplex, afflict, preoccupy:
KJV - constrain, hold, keep in, press, lie sick of, stop, be in a strait, straiten, be taken with, throng.

Clearly here, love is “furnishing strength or means for the successful performance” of some action. The “so that” in this verse tells us this action is a new way of living. Specifically love controls the Christian such that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

1 John 4:19 tells us: “We love because he first loved us”. Here, it is clear that God created us to be creatures that respond “to love” “with love”. What better way to express our love to God than to “live for Him”!

Also, we know from life that love is not “self-centered” but it is “centered on others”, For when we read about love in 1 Cor 13:4-7 we see the following plainly: “love is patient”, “love is kind”, “love is not jealous”; “love does not brag” and “love is not arrogant”. We may all have one or more individuals that we love at the present time. At the same time we know there are laws against harming these people. But, if we ask ourselves the question: “What is helping me not cause harm to these people? The answer will be our love for them; not the law. Similarly, if we love God “with all our heart and all our mind and all our strength”, and we are presented with a decision that will offend God, we will not offend Him because because of our love for Him; not because of the Law. This is the way God made us; this is the wisdom of God!

Because of the above, it should not be surprising how God uses love to “empower” the Christian to live an obedience life. Nor should it be surprising how often these two are linked together. The following is a sampling of these links:

In the Law and Prophets:

Deut 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; (NAS)

Neh 1:5 And I said, "I beseech Thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, (NAS)

Dan 9:4 And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, (NAS)

In the New Testament:
John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (NAS)

John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him." (NAS)

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. (NAS)

Eph 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. (NAS)

I John 2:1-6 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (NAS)

I Jn 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. (NAS)

II Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. (NAS)

For more insight on the purpose of love, see post entitled “Does anyone want to comment on this summary of Christian Love”.