Can you love God simply by obeying Him, without any feeling toward Him? A listener writes to Ask Pastor John because their pastor said exactly that, pointing to 2 John 6 and 1 John 5:3.

John Piper’s answer is no: that is not healthy. His main point is that obedience itself includes the affections, because God commands them. Texts such as Psalm 37:4, Psalm 32:11 and Philippians 3:1 tell us to delight, be glad and rejoice in the Lord. So saying “I obey God but have no affection for Him” contradicts itself.

He is also careful. The pastor may be a genuine believer who is simply confused about what to call his love for God. But if there is no delight, thankfulness, hope or desire for God at all, Piper says, that person needs to be born again. He closes with Matthew 10:37: we are to love Christ more than father, mother, son or daughter, and that cannot mean only obedience.

It is about 12 minutes long and worth thinking through, especially if you tend to keep your faith in your head.

If the video doesn’t load, you can watch it on YouTube. From Desiring God. Read the transcript.