How do we know that loving God is essential for Christians?

The importance of loving God is underlined in many biblical passages. In Romans 8:28, we read that true believers are those who love God, signifying that a heart transformed by the Holy Spirit naturally inclines towards God in love and devotion. This love is not merely emotional but is rooted in obedience to God's commandments and a desire for holiness. As fleshed out in 1 John, the true evidence of regeneration is a heart that yearns for God above all else. When a Christian loves God, there is a natural recoil from the world's allure, which serves as a protection against spiritual complacency and decay.