You simply cannot love God unless you know and understand how much he loves you.

“When you consider what real love for God is you can easily see that you cannot love God in this way if you think you are under the curse and wrath of God. You cannot love God if you are under the continual, secret suspicion that he is really your enemy! You cannot love God if you secretly think he condemns and hates you. This kind of slavish fear will compel you to some hypocritical obedience…you will never truly love God if you are compelled only by fear.

Your love for God must be won and drawn out by your understanding of God’s love and goodness toward you, just as John testifies, ‘There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear consists of torment; the one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.’

You simply cannot love God unless you know and understand how much he loves you.”
--How To Live a Holy Life by the Power of the Gospel, Bruce McRae’s edited version of Walter Marshall’s classic, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification.