“You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself “– Jesus

Before we go on further, let me clarify. The quote which serves as the title can be found in the Bible and was a command given to the first disciples and then to any who choose to learn of Him in the years to come. Jesus phrased it as “the new commandment.” There is however a preliminary directive for those who would not consider themselves a disciple (learner of Jesus). The call from God to you is different and simple. It is to repent. It is not to love God. It is not to love another person as yourself. It is not to keep the 10 commandments. Instead, all are called, as John the Baptist said to start here: Matthew 3:1.

This may be new or different than what you have heard. Perhaps you are a professing Christian. I must ask you too — have you come to God by way of repentance or was it another way? Jesus says that there is no other way except by “preparing the way to your heart first.” Have you been trying to keep the words of God without first denying yourself & taking up your cross? Perhaps this is you and if so, I exhort you stop and ask yourself the following questions:

1)Have I turned from my old life? (Matthew 3)

2) Have I considered the cost of following Jesus? (Luke 14)

3) Have I been “born again and baptized?” (John 3)

These are the pre-requisites of becoming a disciple of Jesus. If you have come to God by way of Jesus, you are His and He has words for you. These are the blueprint. All of the 10 commandments can be wrapped up in this. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then, love your neighbor as yourself.” I pray that these words about Love would be clear and understandable, that they would encourage you to further study of the Bible, examination of your life, and finally, devotion to God and one another. This is not an exhaustive study or list. This is a glimpse into the framework of God which may jumpstart or restart or simply encourage you to seek more. I too am in process, pressing on to live out what I have learned. Blessings to you as we grow in Love together.

This is what some of the Scriptures say:

1) God loved the world in this way:

He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3)

2) Jesus shows us the Father’s love:

As the Father has loved Jesus, so He loves his people (John 15:9)

3) Love of Jesus is proved by obeying his commands:

If you love Jesus, you will keep his commandments (John 14:15)…The one who knows the commandments of Jesus AND keeps them, this is the one who loves Him (John 14:21)….The one who loves Jesus will be loved by the Father. Also, then Jesus will love you and will reveal Himself to you (John 14:21)…If anyone loves Jesus, he will keep His word. His Father will love you, and they will come to you and make their home with you. The one who does not love Jesus will not keep His words. These are not Jesus’ words, but the Father who sent Him (John 14:23)

4) Remaining in the love of Jesus is conditional:

Jesus says, “If you keep commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love” (John 15:10)

5) Remaining in the love of Jesus is way to experience the joy He had:

Jesus says, “I have told you this (that you must remain in my love), so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

6) The greatest love to be demonstrated is sacrificial:

This is demonstrated by laying one’s life down for a friend, which is exactly what Jesus did (John 15:12).

7) Jesus’ command:

Love each other, as I have loved you (John 15:17)

Truth is likened to a flashlight shining into a dark place. It exposes. It reveals what was not known to be there. It cannot be hidden and neither can anything which is in its way. Jesus’ words are like that. And under his beam we can achieve clear conscience and restful assurance of love. These verses below are shared with the sentiment that John wrote,

“I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1) To be cleansed by the blood of Jesus and to have true fellowship with other Christians, we can’t both claim to know God but live contrary to how Jesus did: “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

2) We prove that we truly “know” God by keeping his commandments: Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did (1 John 2:3-6)

3) You cannot both love God and hate your brother or sister: Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them (1 John 2:9-11)… 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister (John 4:19).

4) You can’t love God and love the world at the same time: If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (1 John 3:15).

5) You are what you do. You are how you live: The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

6) Love is not with words or speech with actions and truth: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth (John 3:16-17)

7) To love another is to be loved completely by God: 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1 John 4:7-12)

8) This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world (1 John 5:1-2).

9) This is how we know we love God: keeping his commands (1 John 5:1)

John brings it full circle – those who are born of God will not continue in sin. Those who are born of God desire to love God in the way he receives it, in the same way that a wife will desire to love her man in a way that he’ll know it. What use would it be if she bought him a dozen roses when he really wanted the devotion and sweetness of a doting wife coupled with a foot rub. As much effort she put into picking the perfect flowers, it was really her affection and wholeheartedness that he wanted most. God isn’t very different than that. He pursued us first. He loved us first. He called us to be his own, his bride and outlined how it is that we are to respond to that love. Who are we to question it, really?

 

He called your name while you were a wicked, rebellious, evil person. He opened your mind to understand this so you could repent. He saved you from your sin. He gave you a new heart. He gave you a new mind. He showed you good things. He gave you hope and promises. He made a covenant with you. He extended loving kindness and mercy and forgiveness. You were given a new beginning and spiritual understanding. He allows you to suffer with Him. You are allowed to be His light. You are allowed to reconcile the world to Him. You are called to be an ambassador to Christ. Be encouraged! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Come to Jesus, learn from Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Cleanse your hands. Renew your mind so that you might discern the will of God, his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

He who has ears, let him hear.

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