By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Mark 12:30-31"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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” - NIV
This was Jesus’ answer to a teacher of the law who asked Him which was the greatest commandment. The Israelites had been given over six hundred various laws in addition to the ten commandments. Probably in the mind of this man was a dilemma as to how to remember and keep them all. So he wanted the most important one to keep. Jesus summarised all these laws into the two; loving God and others.
Laws can be a challenge to keep when the heart is not committed to it. This is why the law could not save. One would outwardly avoid breaking it, but inwardly burning to do exactly the same. Jesus summarised the commandments on the basis of love. We can only truly obey them when we love God and people. When you do anything out of love, you do it genuinely. If you are not driven by love, at the slightest opportunity you avoid it, or do it grudgingly. And that’s hypocrisy.
The central factor to obedience to God’s commands is love. Seek to first have God’s love in your heart as you do anything. Anything short of true love for God and people leads to a double life and pretense. It will make obedience difficult. And yet His commands are not burdensome. Every time you struggle with obedience, know that you are struggling with genuine love within. The Holy Spirit enables us have God’s love in our hearts and to live in obedience to God.
Romans 13:10 "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
1 John 5:3 "In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome"
Shalom children of God.