When asked what the greatest (or most important) commandment was, Jesus said it was to love God and love your neighbor.
“Jesus answered … ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’” — Mark 12:29a – 31
When a loving relationship with Jesus genuinely grips a person, they naturally become image-bearers of God. I’m absolutely convinced of this. Because I believe it’s an expression of our Holy God.
As our love for God becomes who we are, it becomes essential to love others in the same way God loves us. It seems incomprehensible, I know, yet it is miraculously true. Without a doubt, our new lives in Christ prove my point.
I don’t know about you, but I’m different now. Of course, we may still be clothed in our sinful flesh and wear it like layers of clothing on a hot summer day. However, He helps us shed those layers along the way as we get closer and closer to Heaven. Or should I say closer to Home? A place where we’ll be unquestionably perfect in Christ.
Loving God and Our Neighbors
Love God and love our neighbors. This important Truth certainly seems elementary. It’s like learning the ABCs. And at the same time, it’s also incredibly challenging — like swimming across the ocean.
The God I know is easily loved. And I believe it would be impossible not to love Him. But the neighbor thing? I’ve studied this a bit and realized it means more than just casually loving the people in my neighborhood. It indeed includes those people. But, I believe it follows that this love for them should mean they are just as important to me as my dear, sweet grandchildren. What? How could that be? Only God can do that. Exactly! And that’s the beautiful reality of a changed person becoming more Christ-like. Even while wearing heavy clothing on a hot summer’s day, we can always be the fragrance of Jesus.
“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.” — 2 Corinthians 2:14
The product of loving God is loving “like” God. Most of the mail I receive (marked important) goes straight into the trash. However, when Jesus says, “this is the greatest commandment,” I think it behooves us to take heed. We should immediately mark it as the most IMPORTANT Truth in life!
Loving God leads us to “spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere.” Even (and especially) to our neighbors.
Your neighbor in Christ!
Posted in A Word from the Pastor