GOD’S GREATEST COMMANDMENTS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JUNE 12, 2021.

SUBJECT: GOD’S GREATEST COMMANDMENTS! 

Memory verse: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me, and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14 vs 21.)

READ: Matthew 22 vs 37 - 40:

22:37: Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 

22:38: This is the first and great commandments."

22:39:  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

22:40: On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

INTIMATION:

The “Ten Commandments” of God are all relationship based; our relationship with God, and six our relationship with others. Keeping God's commandments is the true demonstration of your love for Him. When you love God, you keep His commandments, and Jesus reciprocates by manifesting Himself in you. An intimate relationship is what God desires from us. It is the most outstanding truth in the universe - that our Creator wants to fellowship with us. 

God is love, and He made us to love us, hence He created us in His own image and after His likeness. He longs for us to love Him back. God says, I don't want you rituals (sacrifice), I want your love; I don't want your offerings, I want you to know Me and Love Me. (See Hosea 6 vs 6.) God deeply loves us and desires our love in return. He longs for us to know Him and spend time with Him. This is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of our lives. Nothing else comes close in importance. Jesus called this the greatest commandment. 

Jesus said that love for your neighbor is the second greatest commandment. Jesus summarized it in what is commonly known as the Golden Rule; “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” In many religions, it is stated negatively, “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you.” Jesus made it more significant by stating it positively. It is not difficult to refrain from harming others; it is much more difficult to take the initiative in doing good for them. The Golden Rule, as Jesus formulated it, is the foundation of active goodness and mercy, the kind of love God shows to us every day. 

The apostle James also called it “The Royal Law.” (James 2 vs 8), which was given by our great King and Messiah Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved loved you.” (John 15 vs 12.) Jesus demonstrated His love for us by giving up His life for us so that we can live. While we are still sinners He died for us. He was rich but He became poor that we might through His poverty became rich. What an awesome show of love.

By fulfilling these two commands, a person keeps all the other commandments of God. They summarize the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament moral laws. When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Commandments and laws. According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws. Therefore, if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments. 

We should look at God’s law positively; rather than worrying about all we should do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others. Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.

To demonstrate love for your neighbor, Jesus said: “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. “ (Matthew 5 vs 44 - 45.)

Jesus says that we should love our enemies. If you love your enemies and treat them well, you are truly showing that Jesus is Lord of your life. This is possible for those who give themselves fully to God, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness. We should trust the Holy Spirit to help us show love to those for whom we may not feel love.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of love and selflessness, that I may love You completely and keep Your commands, and also love my neighbor as you loved me. Give me the grace to do to others as I will like them to do to me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!