Blog/Lesson Seven: What Are The Two Most Important Commandments of God?
What Are The Two Most Important Commandments of God?
I wonder how many people have walked the aisle of a church, repeated a prayer and thought that was it; thinking they have their ticket to Heaven and are entitled to all of God’s promises. Just how important is it to keep God’s commandments?
Without being disipled into the Truth of God’s Word,(His commandments)I’m afraid that many new converts to Christianity have felt disappointed and empty; maybe even giving up before developing a close relationship with Jesus Christ, and experiencing the joy of the Lord.
Most of God promises come to us through our faith to believe and obedience in keeping His commandments. God’s promises come with “If you will, then I will.” We can open or close the door for God to bless us. Just what did Jesus teach? John recorded Jesus’s Words:
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:7-11)
Happiness is a momentary pleasure and is only a temporary feeling, but God’s Joy is placed deep within the spiritual heart of the redeemed (saved). Even in the toughest times we can have God’s confidence that everything will be okay. This is the Joy and Peace of the Lord in the middle of the storms of life.
What promises! We live so far below what God has for us. Jesus said, if we keep His commandments and abide in His Words, we can receive His promises: Ask what we will (according to the Scriptures of course,) and it will be given to us.
Did you know there are two main commandments of God; that if we keep them, we will automatically keep all of God’s commandments? Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? Or is it? Actually if these two commandments were kept, there would be no divorce, church splits, and violence of any kind or even wars. A Pharisee asked Jesus. Which commandment is the most important?
Mat 22:37 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.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40)
Let’s look at these two laws or commandments and see why they are the most important and what it takes to obey them:
Love God with all your heart (spirit), and soul(mind).
Love your neighbor as our self.
These commandments are about pure Love; loving God first and loving and caring for others as we love and care for ourselves. Love is the very heart of God, because God’s very substance is Love:
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:15-16)
Jesus said:
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you….
Joh 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. (John 15:12-14, 17)
The best witness for our Lord Jesus Christ to the world around us is to love others through and with the Love of God with in us. Jesus said:
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35)
God gave these two commandments to the Children of Israel; from the Old Testament:
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deu 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deu 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. (Deuteronomy 11:13-14)
These scriptures tell us that loving God with all of our heart and putting Him first in our lives opens the door for God to bless us! Always remember God’s promises are on contingence, “If you will, I will.”
Pro 13:13 Whoso despiseth the word (commandments of God) shall be destroyed: but he that feareth (respects) the commandment shall be rewarded. (Proverbs 13:13. Parenthesis are mine)
Love your neighbor as yourself; from the Old Testament:
Lev 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:17-18)
Are we to forgive those who have done us wrong, and show love toward them?
Jesus said:
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (Matthew 5:43-46)
Words of Apostle Paul to the Galatians:
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
We can destroy each other with words of gossip, lies, and judging each other; which makes havoc in the home, work place, or any institute.
John says it pretty strong:
1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
“Lord, help us forgive and love even our enemies
as you did when you were on the cross and said,
‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
And help us love through your love
so we can see others through your eyes of Love.”
Amen
