Keeping ourselves in the love of God is what the first and greatest commandment is about. Love is a choice. We choose who to love. We choose what to love. The more rampant is sin, the more the love of God grows cold. Jesus said if we love the way we should, love God first and love our neighbors, all the laws are fulfilled. The first step of apostasy is losing love for God- growing in love for the things of this world, loving pleasure, love of money; these are wrong loves. In Revealtion 2, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus to remember (their first love) and repent or they would be removed. Preaching is to help us remember, to exhort us to build ourselves up in the Word, in prayer and faithfulness. These are the things that keep us in the love of God.
