No study of our expression of our love to God would be complete without a mention of this very important point. There are so many things in the world vying for our attention and love, and yet we ought to have the wherewithal to reject those things if they lead us away from loving our God. Notice, this passage cannot be speaking of the Father's ceasing to love someone if they are entangled in the ways of the world, after all, He loved us while we were sinners (Romans 5:8) and the world as a whole long before the saving grace and blood of Jesus Christ was available to us (John 3:16). No, the direction of the love mentioned by the apostle John is upward.
It is absolutely impossible for us to love God if we allow ourselves to be taken into a lustful relationship with the world. That's what it is isn't it? We often teach our young people about the difference between love and lust. Well, loving the world is nothing more than a relationship bent on fulfilling lusts, void of the true love which is only found in a relationship with God Almighty. The only way to have that relationship? Just as the only way to have true love in a physical relationship, specifically speaking of a marriage, is to reject all other means by which lusts can be fulfilled outside of that bond.
How fitting it is to say that we are married to God!
As is the case with any study of the topic of love, many great and insightful points can be gleaned from the pen of John. This is no exception.
While the context at hand is specifically speaking of the love that the child of God has from the Father through the salvation offered in Jesus Christ (1 John 4:12-16), I believe that the opposite direction may also be applied. If God has provided a way in which we can "have boldness in the day of judgment" because of His love for us, wouldn't it be the case that our exercising that boldness in the day of judgment would show our love back to Him.
How can one be bold in the Day? It's very simple. - Know that he will receive eternal life on that Day.
That isn't a statement that is often taken without any sort of weariness on the part of the individual, but it is true. Many people do not want to emphatically say the words, "I know that I am saved" but without that boldness, based upon the actions in one's life and whether or not they are in accordance with the Gospel of Christ (1 John 5:13, 1 John 1:7-9), then we have failed to see what God has given us. We have failed to get everything out of Christianity that God has placed in it. And, we have failed to show our love to God.
This point is obviously well understood by the majority, but it still needs to be discussed. Anything that is done to the brethren is, by extension, done to Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:40). Because of that, any hatred which is expressed to the body of Christ (the church of Christ) or the members thereof is to be understood as being directed straight at the face of God Himself.
What better way to show God we love Him than to love those that are in Him (Ephesians 1:7, Galatians 3:27, Acts 2:47).
I fail to be able to look at the Bible and see any greater point than this when speaking of the love we show to God. The Hebrews writer once said that "faith.... [is] the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 1:1)." While I have yet to have the amazing blessing of being able to see my Savior, I know that He exists. While that knowledge is based upon a correct application of the physical evidence proving the existence of the God of the Bible and the Bible's accuracy and trustworthiness, that knowledge is also based upon what the Scriptures tell me.
Yet, having not seen Him, sometimes I feel as though my faith is missing something. How much more faith would I have if I had been able to be at the dinner when the two sisters got in an argument over which was more important, or if I had been there when He fed the 5,000? While it may have been stronger if I had lived back then (although I hope that my knowledge that these things and many more happened leads me to have as strong a faith as possible), Peter wanted those brethren that were in the same position of not seeing Him as me to know that the genuineness of our faith can be perfect, by loving Him.
Our faith, the trust in God lead by the evidence and bringing us to obey His commands, is the best way that we can show our Father that we truly, whole-heartedly, undeniably, reverently love Him!