I'm pretty sure that's not love.

In thinking a bit more about assurance of salvation and wondering about whether or not one truly believes. I thought of an analogy that works ... for me at least.

How do you know you believe?

Might that be as hard to answer as another similar question: How do you know you're in love? How do you know when it's "true" love?

Many try to help answer this for us. About.com tries to help teens with How to Know When It's Love.

Even Van Halen seeks to help:

How do I know when it's love?
I can't tell you but it lasts forever.
How does it feel when it's love?
It's just something you feel together.
-When It's Love

"I can't tell you, but it lasts forever."

I think that helps. If it doesn't last, it wasn't love. If one doesn't perservere, he or she didn't really love Jesus.

Is it not possible that a person, especially when younger can think he or she is in love, but later realize that wasn't it?

It happened to Brian Fantana ...

Brian: I think I was in love once.
Ron: Really, what was her name?
Brian: I don't remember.
Ron: That's not a good start, but keep going.
Brian: She was Brazilian. Or Chinese, or something weird. I met her in the bathroom of a K-mart, and we made out for hours. Then we parted ways, never to see each other again.
Ron: I'm pretty sure that's not love.

Just like one can think or feel what is being felt is love for another person and be mistaken, so I contend one can think or feel what is being felt is love for Christ or perceived as faith in Him.

Yet we say, love is a choice and not a feeling. But isn't conversion accompanied by a newfound and supernaturally originated love for Christ? Isn't conversion a change in the affections, loving what/Whom you used to hate and hating what you used to love?

How do you know you're in love ... with Jesus?