THE GOSPEL ENABLES LOVE
Love is a major theme throughout the gospel. Jesus explained that the two Great Commandments, otherwise known as God’s radical double-love command, are a summary of all of God’s commands and are the key to eternal life (Matt. 22:36-40; Mk. 12:38-41; Luke 10:25-29). On this side of heaven, God realizes we will fail to fulfill this double-love command, but Christ perfectly fulfills this call to love through His sinless life. God enables what He commands. God demands we love; God supplies such love.
… the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom. 5:5)
God desires for each of His children to come to him with a broken and dependent heart that pleads for God’s mercy and grace to love like Christ. The mission of the gospel flows out of these two overarching love commands.
The First Love Command
‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ (Matt. 22:37; cf. Deut. 6:5; 10:12)
We are to know and love God with our whole life (cf. Rom. 12:1). Since we no longer live, but Christ lives in us, we are to live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose again for us (cf. Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Matt. 16:24). Jesus is our greatest treasure (Matt. 6:21; 13:44; 19:21). Knowing Him is of surpassing value (cf. Phil. 3:8) and in his presence, we experience ultimate joy and eternal pleasures (Ps. 16:11).
Given the first love command, we are called to help our members grow in their personal, intimate knowledge of and affections for God. God’s primary means for such growth in grace are His Word and prayer in private and in community.
The Second Love Command
‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ (Matt. 22:39; cf. Lev. 19:18)
We are often fooled by our assessment of how well we love God. We think we love God when we pray with eloquence, when we teach with all knowledge, or when we sacrifice all of our possessions for the sake of the gospel. But if we do not love others, we do not love God (1 Cor. 13:1-3; Jas. 3:9-10). God issues the second love command as a watertight pathway demonstrating our true love for God—Jesus states if we love one another, we love God and will be known as His children and disciples (John 13:34-35; 1 John 3:10, 14; 1 John. 4:12-21). According to the second love command, before we can love others according to the gospel, we must know how we should love ourselves in a way that glorifies God.
Some questions for you … Have you given much time to consider why and how all of God’s commands are summed up by God’s double-love command? Given the call to love God whole-heartedly, how much of your time and thoughts are captured and compelled by the perfect and infinite love of God? How does God make you aware you of the huge gap between your professed love for him versus your practical love for him–as evident in how you may or may not love others?
Next time, we will take a look at how should we love ourselves, which serves as a key in how we are to love others …