Archive for November, 2008

Nov

The Greatest Commandment

Posted by: Larry Vaughn in Bible Study

“But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were astonished together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40)

All that God requires of is that we obey these two commandments. By fulfilling two commandments, we fulfill them all, because the others are based on them. When we love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, we won’t be deceiving him, cheating and stealing from him, or hating and killing him.

Observing the letter of the law is not enough. We must observe the spirit of the law keeping God’s commandments from the heart. Because God knows our hearts. “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus said, “But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

But what about all that other stuff? Jesus said, “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” (Mark 7:6-9)

Make it your highest priority to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Tags: Bible, Bible Study, Christian, Christianity, Commandments, God, Jesus, Love, Religious, Tradition of Men

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Nov

The Love Commandment

Posted by: Larry Vaughn in Bible Study

Jesus has commanded us to live a life of love. “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35)

Jesus set this example for us. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

While he did literally lay down his life, you only have to do it figuratively. You are laying down your life for your friends by overlooking their shortcomings, and forgiving them when they hurt you. You are “crucifying” your old fleshy nature that seeks to punish them.

Keeping the Love Commandment is pretty much all that God requires of you. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)