Pastor's Desk
April 23 , 2006
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND THE HIGHEST DUTY THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IS TO LOVE GOD WITH OUR WHOLE BEING. I believe there are three possible responses to the above statement. One response is to simply disagree and oppose any notion that God has any such a claim on our lives. Another response is to agree with the ideal that such a statement presents but treat it as something that is neither realistic nor attainable in our life. It is one thing to agree with that statement and quite another to live it out in our lives. The third possible response is to actually take the “Great Commandment” seriously and begin to take steps to obey it with the expectation of fulfilling as much as we possibly can within the limitations of our earthly existence.
In order to work towards it fulfillment in our lives, we need to understand what it actually requires and what it will look like in our lives. It is a just a simple commandment: “Love God with all you have completely.” Of course it is more than just singing over and over again the words, “I love you, I love you, I love you.” It involves every motive of our heart, every thought we consider, every word we speak, every action that we do and generally how we spend our time. When we have truly experienced God’s love and mercy we will find it easy to love God with our whole being. "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19) We will gravitate towards those things which bring God glory. “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:5)
However, many of our thought processes have been formed in a corrupt world and our minds and bodies have developed habits and life-styles that are opposed to loving God. For this reason our minds need to be transformed and our bodies need to be offered as living sacrifices as instrument of righteousness. (Romans 12:2; 5:13) Because of worldly ways of thinking and sinful habits we may find opposition in our very own being against the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. There is a battle that rages within us. But it is winnable. The apostle Paul writes: “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,” (Romans 8:12-13)
In order to fully obey the Great Commandment we need to believe that God has a claim in our lives to give us this commandment. We need to accept it as something that he actually expects us to fulfill. And we need to take steps to organise our lives around “loving God.” There are some areas in your life which have been instantaneously transformed by an encounter with God though the Lord Jesus and you find yourself just loving God because he has done so much for you. Celebrate that love! But there are other areas in your life in which the love of God needs to grow. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
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Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind
and with all your strength.’
This page was last updated on Friday, April 21, 2006