Straining Gnats

You reckon the thief on the cross or the early Christians would've known what to make of this hairsplitting issue about why you should love God? Is it an issue anywhere in the N.T.?

Hello? Am I missing something? Duh, I thought we worship Him (which I always assumed includes loving) bec. He is worthy of worship. Plain and simple. We're designed to worship Him in the same way we're designed to breathe.

To cut down on unnecessary carpings and cavelings, how about just calling no man your master: not Piper, nor Sproul, nor McA nor McC, nor Nevin, nor the Pope, nor Luther, nor Calvin, nor whatever other teacher-idol is yet down the road. That way, you don't get all tangled up in picayune non-essentials. Life is too short.