Many might study the Bible from Genesis through Revelation and might
decide that any one of the many commandments from God could be the first
and great commandment. Some might decide that a commandment having to do
with love should be considered the greatest. They wouldn’t be far wrong;
however, many today simply emphasize loving one another. In fact, some
today would emphasize loving one another to the false assumption that we
must overlook the doctrinal differences between each other. Love is a part
of the first and great commandment. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each include
this great commandment. It is surprising that John, the apostle of love,
is the
only gospel writer that does not mention the first and great commandment.
If you are still in doubt as to which commandment is the first and great
commandment listen to Matthew, “Master, which is the great commandment
in the law? {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. {38}
This is the first and great commandment. {39} And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {40} On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
There can be no doubt as to which is the first and great commandment because
Christ Himself has already determined which it is.
Notice particularly the conditions placed on our love for God the
Father. 1. THOU SHALT LOVE GOD...WITH ALL THY HEART. Of course this is
not speaking of the physical organ, the blood pump. Christ is speaking
of our intellect, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears
are dull
of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they
should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew
13:15). Paul said, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Man follows
God through understanding
His word and then by committing himself in obedience to that word.
Understanding requires a right kind of heart as noted from Matthew 13:15
above. Even more so, man must be a student of God’s word, “Study to show
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). 2. THOU SHALT LOVE GOD...WITH
ALL THY SOUL. This speaks to the very fiber of mankind. Man is different
from all other creatures made by God, in that man has a living soul, “And
the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).
We must note that our
soul is given us by God’s choice. It is the part of us that makes
us in the image of God (Genesis
1:27). God gave us a soul because He desires to have a relationship
with His man creature. The relationship exists no matter what man may think
of God. The sad thing is that many care little about this relationship
and they have broken it through their love for sin,“And this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds
were evil” (John 3:19). Man must put off his love for the world
and love God with all his soul.
3. THOU SHALT LOVE GOD...WITH ALL THY STRENGTH. Mark (Mark 12:30)
and Luke (Luke 10:27) mention this form of love whereas Matthew does not.
There is no contradiction between the three. Mark and Luke just mention
even another way to love God. This obviously refers to man’s abilities,
his might, his power to choose. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:10 and 12, “Therefore
I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory....{12} “If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.” Spiritual
strength will give us the character that God wants to see in His children.
4. THOU SHALT LOVE GOD...WITH ALL THY MIND. Here Jesus speaks of the will
power of man. We might call is a “change of mind.” Paul stated, “But God
be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the
heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you” (Romans 6:17). We
must change from following our will to following the will of God. Read
the parable in Matthew 21:28-31. A man who is unwilling to leave off following
his own will cannot be a faithful child of God. Such a man has no real
love for God though he might profess such a love. Jesus said, “If ye love
me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15); and “Jesus answered and said
unto him, If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). The first and great commandment
is to love God, and to love God with the specific characteristics given.
The second commandment is to love our neighbor (one another) as we love
ourselves. But, notice, love for God precludes any love that compromises
His will. This first and foremost love will cause men to place following
the will of God above our love for fellowman. We must love men’s souls,
but we must hate their sins. We must love their souls, but not their false
doctrines. And, we cannot compromise the Truth in order to fellowship those
in error, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid
them” (Romans 16:17).
—John D. Cotham
Shady Valley, TN
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