The love of God is one of the major teachings found in all of God’s religions.

 

142. The love of God is one of the major teachings found in all of God’s religions: We as Christians and Bahá’ís are to love God with all our hearts our souls and our minds that we may return the love God showers on us.  Judaism: Deuteronomy 10:12 “And now, Israel, what doth The LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear The LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve The LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,” Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love The LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 11:1 “Therefore thou shalt love The LORD thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments, always.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “If the mother be religious she will show her children how they should love God.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 162)

 BABI RELIGION: “Take thou good heed that ye may all, under the leadership of Him Who is the Source of Divine Guidance, be enabled to direct thy steps aright upon the Bridge, which is sharper than the sword and finer than a hair, so that perchance the things which from the beginning of thy life till the end thou hast performed for the love of God.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 95)

 JUDAISM: Joshua 22:5 “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of The LORD charged you, to love The LORD your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Christianity: Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matthew 22:38 “This is the first and great commandment.” Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” The love of God is also a major theme found in the other religions as well.

 ISLAM: 165. “Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah (God) as equal (with Allah); they love them as they should love Allah. But those of faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see, behold, they would see the penalty, that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the penalty.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

Islam: 31. “If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you, and forgive you your sins, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   3)

Islam: 8. “And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive” 9. “We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  76)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “Love of Mazda (God) is the life of religion, and without that, the dead ceremonials are worse than useless.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 189)

 Zoroastrianism: “Love of God is the greatest asset of life, as the best means of God realization.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 243)

 Zoroastrianism: “It is only the love of God that sustains true control over the senses. How can you subdue the senses except by the love of God?” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 726)

 Zoroastrianism: “Just as God is to be adored, so is the prophet.” “A lover forgets himself, he has no awareness of his pain. Let him flare up in his love for Mazda.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p.365)

 HINDUISM: 7. “Who cleave, who seek in Me Refuge from birth and death, those have the Truth! Those know Me BRAHMA (God): know Me Soul of Souls, The ADHYATMAN: know KARMA, my work; Know I am ADHIBHUTA, Lord of Life, And ADHIDAIVA, Lord of all the gods, And ADHIYAJNA, Lord of Sacrifice; Worship Me well, with hearts of love and faith, And find and hold me in the hour of death.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 7)

 Hinduism: “Give Me thy heart! adore Me! serve Me! Cling In faith and love and reverence to Me! So shalt thou come to Me! I promise true, For thou art sweet to Me! And let go those- Rites and writ duties! Fly to Me alone! Make Me thy single refuge! will free Thy soul from all its sins! Be of good cheer!”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 18)

 BUDDHISM: 25. “Let one live in love; let one be adept in one’s duties; then joyfully one will see the end of sorrow. As the jasmine sheds its withered flowers, people should shed desire and hate, mendicants.” (If one lives in love he loves The Uncreated One; and Brahma God, The Uncreated One, loves him in return.)

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

 Buddhism: “The true Samana who is seeking the way to Brahma, let him have thoughts of love everywhere throughout the whole world pervading with thoughts of love far reaching, beyond measure, all embracing. Regard all with mind set free and filled with deep felt love. this is the way to a state of union with Brahma.” (Buddha, Tevigga Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “The (Great) Life (God) dwelleth on those who love Him.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 30)

Sabeanism: “Life is fulfilled in its own glory and Great Life dwelleth in those that love Him.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 59 and 60)

Sabeanism: “All fruits perish; all sweet odours vanish, (but) the perfume of Life is established for ever and unto world’s end upon those who love His name of Truth.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 8)

Sabeanism: “Good is the Good for the good, and His nature is set upon those who love His name.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba – chapter 72)

 BABI RELIGION: “Know thou that every ear which hearkeneth unto His Words with true faith shall be immune from the fire. Thus the believer, through his recognition of Him will appreciate the transcendent character of His heavenly Words, will whole-heartedly choose Him over others, and will refuse to incline his affections towards those who disbelieve in Him. Whatever one gaineth in the life to come is but the fruit of this faith. Indeed any man whose eye gazeth upon His Words with true faith well deserveth Paradise; and one whose conscience beareth witness unto His Words with true faith shall abide in Paradise and attain the presence of God; and one whose tongue giveth utterance to His Words with true faith shall have his abode in Paradise, wherein he will be seized with ecstasy in praise and glorification of God, the Ever-Abiding, Whose revelations of glory never end and the reviving breaths of Whose holiness never fail. Every hand which setteth down His Words with true faith shall be filled by God, both in this world and in the next, with things that are highly prized; and every breast which committeth His Words to memory, God shall cause, if it were that of a believer, to be filled with His love; and every heart which cherisheth the love of His Words and manifesteth in itself the signs of true faith when His Name is mentioned, and exemplifieth the words, ‘their hearts are thrilled with awe at the mention of God, that heart will become the object of the glances of divine favour and on the Day of Resurrection will be highly praised by God.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 98)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Day by day ye will love God in ever greater measure, and become more tightly bound to the Beauty that abideth forever, to Him Who is the Light of the world.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 202)

Baha’i Faith: “My army is My reliance on God; My people, the force of My confidence in Him. My love is My standard, and My companion the remembrance of God, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Unconditioned.” “Arise, O wayfarer in the path of the Love of God, and aid thou His Cause.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 37)