You Shall Love The Lord Your God

MATHEW 22:34-40
“But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:34-40‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.22.34-40.NKJ

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Jesus, had answered the question that the Sadducees had always used to trap the Pharisees and silence them. But the Pharisees were too proud to be impressed, and was more interested in trapping and defeating Jesus, than in learning the truth.
The Pharisees, who had classified over 600 laws, often tried to distinguish which was more important. So one of them, an expert in religious law, asked Jesus to identify the most important law.
Jesus quoted from DEUTERONOMY 6:5 and LEVITICUS 19:18. By fulfilling these two commands, a person keeps all the other commandments.
They summarize the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament moral laws. Jesus said, that if we truly love God and our neighbour, we will naturally keep the all commandments.
Rather than worrying about what we should not do, we should focus on all we can do to show our love to God and others.
Love is the very foundation of God's way of life. As a Christian, you may keep all of God's laws, you may give to the needy, and do good things throughout your life, but without love, all these things are useless.
But if we are to truly love as Christ loved us, we need first experience God’s love for us. But we can only do that through relationship with Christ. For “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4:17-19‬ ‭NKJV‬
Love is more than an emotion or a feeling; it is an action that comes from a decision-a decision to care about others as we care for ourselves; a decision to consider others troubles as important as our own.
Jesus did just that; He made the punishment we deserve for our sin His problem, and then dealt with it by taking our place on a cross that we might live.
He did what no other could do, because no other person or god had the authority to forgive sin.
Jesus not only forgave our sin, but He justified our knew life in Christ, defeating death once and for all time
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
To love our neighbor is more than those in our street or village, or town or country; it is to love all people all around the world, including our enemies.
Jesus said, ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭48‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
To love our neighbors is to care for all others, as we care for ourselves.
Not that we should allow others to abuse or cause us harm, but to feed them when they can’t feed themselves, to care for their needs as we care for our own. Most importantly, to care enough to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
God’s way of life is based on love, and is a weapon of mass destruction against our real enemies of the spiritual realms (EPHESIANS 6:12).
God’s love shines through us as light and touches the consciences of people; it opens the eyes of the blind and draw them to the Lordship of Christ, by overturning evil with good.
Most believers crave to operate in God’s supernatural powers and the spiritual gifts, which is very necessary to serve and operate productively within the body of Christ (1 CORINTHIANS 12).
But are our motives correct?
Healing the sick is good, as is miracles, and deliverance, but not to put ourselves on a pedestal or to steal God’s glory, but rather out of love and service to Christ, and to put Him on a pedestal.
It is His power and authority; we can do nothing good in our own strength, and therefore it’s His glory.
Jesus said, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved , it’s its God’s glory, not ours, and even though we might operate in healing, deliverance, and miracles, without love we are nothing.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
All glory to God forever and ever!Amen.