There are some
Christians who say we should still be obeying the Ten Commandments, yet others
who believe we don’t need to because we live this side of the cross under grace
and mercy. Personally, I can see both
sides. Certainly, going in depth of the
ten make us fully aware of our many sins: against God, others and even
self. Jesus said not one thing would
fail to pass from the Law until all was fulfilled (v.18) when He said this:
So whoever
sets aside* one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the
same will be called least in the kingdom from heaven. But whoever does them and
teaches them will be called great in the kingdom from heaven
Mt.
We will all
choose what to do with this Scripture. What
really sticks out in my mind is another place where Jesus said to a Pharisee
lawyer who was trying to trick Him by asking about the greatest commandment:
…You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is
like it, You shall love your neighbor* as yourself. On these two commandments
hang all the Law and the Prophets. Mt. 22:37-40 (*a neighbour, a friend, any
other person)
We love Him because He first loved us. 1Jh. 4:19
So Jesus
takes his seemingly simple question meant for harm and turns it around to
reveal the only two commands that encompass all the others, but also so much
more. How is that? Because when we love someone, we would never
purposely- and would take great care to never- do ANYTHING to harm them. We wouldn’t cheat them, lie to or about them,
steal from them, or hurt them in any way, “…in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than themselves.” (Php. 2:3)
Of course,
the greatest law is to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. Why? Because if we genuinely love God with
all our being, then we would NEVER do anything to ‘hurt’ Him (diminish Him in
any way, idolatry, irreverence). We
would strive to improve ourselves, pray He helps us to change, and we would
sincerely love all of His creation because He made them- meaning every man, woman and child. We would also care for the earth and the
creatures on it because we love Him. We
would never place ourselves as better than anyone else, would show no
partiality, oppress no one, and go out of our way to help.
If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray
the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you
forever, the Spirit of Truth… Jh. 14:15-17 (love- agapao in all) the Spirit
helps us with these two…
He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is
who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love
him and will reveal Myself to him. Jh. 14:21
Ah, shared divine love…
Jesus answered and said to him, If a man loves Me, he
will keep My Word. And My Father will love him, and We will come to him and
make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My Words… Jh 14:23 ,24 Ah, divine living with us…
This is My commandment, that you love one another as
I have loved you. Jh. 15:12 (also in
v.17) Brotherly love included…
The
proof of our love is obedience, not because we HAVE to obey (are forced to obey
out of fear and such) but because we want to.
Our love for the Lord will change our desires to love and cherish Him
AND to only do the things that would please Him- all because we love Him with
all of our being. This means we would
always try to please Him by loving others as well.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God,
and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. The one who does
not love has not known God. For God is love. 1Jh. 4:7,8
How are we
doing on the two greatest commandments of Jesus?
Reveal it to us
oh Lord!