LOVE THE FOUNDATION OF THE FAMILY

Matthew 22:35-40, Romans 12:1-2, 13:8-10

STUDY THE WORD, YOU WILL BE TESTED

Matthew 22:35-40

V:35-36. \” One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: \”Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?\”

Not everybody who entertains you is your friend. Some people question you, just to see what you know. Some questions are designed to prove that you are ignorant other questions are designed as a trap to condemn you. You have to beware of your audience and watch out for the dogs that come around you (Philippians 3:2). Don\’t be quick to associate with people until you know their motives. Everybody your color is not your kind and everybody your kind may not be  your color. Jesus was opposed by His own people He grew up with the ruling Jews, which were his color. They knew His family but they were jealous of His knowledge and application of the Word. They were envious of the power He displayed following the Word. Jesus made it known to the Jewish leaders that their traditions which  they placed before the Word had no power or authority. The Jewish leaders hated Jesus because He taught the Word in truth which opposed their traditions and their authority.

 

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS

V:37-39. \” Jesus replied: \”\’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.\’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: \’Love your neighbor as yourself.\’\”.

Jesus used every occasion to teach the Word of God correctly. He, taught the Word in spirit and in truth being mindful both of those who hated Him and of those who loved Him, taught the Word so everyone could get an understanding and be convicted  by it.

Church begins when believers talk about the Word of God. Some who hear the Word will be drawn to Jesus and others will reject Him. You have to know the Word for yourself to defend the Gospel against those whose intent is to destroy any faith in the Word. Even, bystanders, not involved in your conversation will be affected by your testimony because Everyone needs to hear a word from God through you. Love is the operative word; God is love. He first loved us while we were sinners headed to hell. God demands that we love Him. Loving God is the most important commandment because we were created out of God\’s love. God loves us and it is our duty to love Him. If we truly love God we will follow His commandments ( John 14:21). The second great commandment is the one that troubles us. It is easy to love God because He is constantly good to us; we see the evidences of God\’s love, daily in our lives.

To love our neighbors is difficult because we rarely get a chance to know our neighbors. God commands us to love those we know and those we may never know. There is a way to love our neighbors. Strip away in your mind everything you know and don\’t know about your neighbors, so that all you see is a child of God. That is exactly what Jesus did to love us enough to die for us. When we see a child of God, we ought to see a mirror of ourselves. All the good we see in our neighbors, we ought to see in ourselves. All the bad we know about our neighbors, we are capable of being ourselves. In other words, before God, we are no better or worst than our neighbors. In truth, our neighbors have no race or color, they are just creations of God.

 

LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS  1 Peter 4:8

V:40. \” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.\”

I am told that there are 613 commands in the first five books of the Bible. We can\’t know all of them, therefore we can\’t keep all of them. The Word says if we are guilty of one, we are guilty of all of the commandments (James 2:10). We can\’t help ourselves because we born in sin and shaped in iniquity. The Lord Jesus is our help and our strength. These two great commands that Jesus gave covers all our sins. Jesus death on the cross paid our sin debt, past, present and future. Jesus freed us from the penalty of the Law. It is by God\’s grace and His mercy that we exist in His presence.

 

A LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12:1-2

V.12:1-2. \” Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God\’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.\”

When we consider what God has done to save us from our sins, there ought to be some conviction to commit ourselves to His will. The Apostle Paul urges us to sacrifice our fleshly desires for God\’s spiritual blessings. It is true that we are saved, sanctified, justified and sealed to an eternal destination of eternal life with Jesus. However, there is much more to the Christian life than just being saved! We should be on a continual spiritual growth path.

We can only grow spiritually if we lay aside self and summit ourselves  to the  commands of God. We have been equipped to serve God, but if self gets in the way, we will stay  inactive and spiritually void. We must transform our thinking to consider the will of God before we  consider ourselves. We have to make room for God in our schedules, make ourselves available to God and we must seek ways to served God. We must study His Word to know what God wants us to do. We must make a commitment to serve.

Transforming ourselves is easy to talk about, but difficult to put in practice. It can be done but it takes effort on our part. Pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17) because prayer is our line of communication with God. Before you start your day, have a talk with God. Let God lead your daily activities. Make it a habit of lifting up Jesus in all you do. The ways of the world changes daily. The Word of God never changes. Make all your decisions according to the Word of God.

\” Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may   know how to answer everyone. \”   Col 4:6

Grace is a favor in love. Encourage everyone with your words. At the same time be truthful.

A DEBT OF LOVE

Romans 13:8-10

V:8. \” Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for   he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. \”

The word debt here refers to being controlled by the ways of the world. The only controlling factor in our lives should be the Word of God. We are not obligated to do what the world does. We are to be convicted by the Holy Spirit to follow the commands of God. The only debt we owe to others is to love them as God commands. When we love someone, we have their best interest in mind. Even those who mistreat us are to be loved.

Matthew 5:44 states, \” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray  for those who  persecute you.\”

Not an easy or desired thing to do, but it can be done. Though the power of the Holy Spirit, we know that the blessing of   God follow our obedience to His commands.

THE GIFT OF LOVE

V:9-10. \” The commandments, \”Do not commit adultery,\” \”Do not murder,\” \”Do not steal,\” \”Do not covet,\” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: \”Love your neighbor as yourself.\” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.\”

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom 3:23 It by God\’s grace and mercy that our sin debt was paid in full by the death Jesus  Christ on the cross. That was a single act of the love of God that set us on a heavenly path. Our eternal destiny is sealed by the blood of Jesus. God does not owe us eternal life, but His love for us guarantees it. How can we deny others the same love that God granted to us freely? Jesus is our perfect role model for the righteousness of God. If we love as God has commanded, our neighbor has to be our object. We can only experience the joy and peace of love by loving our neighbors. Love is an action word. We show our love by how we treat others. Love should be our life style it is loved that redeemed us. We can show that redeeming love to others. We must consider that we were blessed so we can be a blessing to others. We are commanded to be in the business of loving others. Seek the best for others and not harm in any way. When we seek the best for others, we show God\’s love.

 

 

Rev. M. Mitchell