An inseparable pair?

For some weeks now, I've been meditating daily in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy and, as I near the end of the book, the final chapters continue to re-emphasise a major theme that has emerged throughout the book: obedience is the fruit of love.  In the second half of chapter 30, for example, the people are being given a choice between life and death, and are urged to "choose life." Verse 20 unpacks how they can make this choice in practice: by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him.

The pairing of these two words - love and obedience - has raised some questions throughout centuries of Jewish and Christian history: Is it possible to obey God without loving Him? Is it possible to love God without obeying Him? Or are these two an inseparable pair?

From my perspective, the first is more possible than the second. It is possible to obey God without loving Him... but it results in cold and joyless legalism.

I'm not so convinced that it's possible to love God without obeying Him, because that kind of warm sentimentality doesn't seem to measure up to the Biblical definition of love. Jesus Himself said (in John 14: 15): If you love me, you will obey my commandments.  The apostle John unpacks this even further (1 John 5: 3) by writing, This is what loving God looks like: it means keeping His commandments, and His commands are not burdensome for us.

The New Testament seems to be picking up a truth that was a major theme of the book of Deuteronomy: that authentic love for God goes hand in hand with a genuine desire to do what He says. The proof of love is our joyful, willing obedience to our Creator.