The Command to Love God

Sermon Notes Concerning the Command to Love God

Loving God

[Deu 6:4 ESV] "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

[Deu 6:5 ESV] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Jesus points out the highest Command in Matt, Mark and Luke. 

[Mat 22:37 ESV] And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

[Mat 22:38 ESV] This is the great and first commandment.

[Mat 22:39 ESV] And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

[Mat 22:40 ESV] On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Joshua exhorts the people. 

[Jos 23:11 ESV] Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God.

The Ten Commandments 

First 4 is your relationship towards God

Six towards fellow mankind. 

1. The 5 books of the OT

2. The Jewish Oral Law

Jesus Concerning the Law of God.  (Why, Law; Justice is Good)

[Mat 5:17 ESV] "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

[Mat 5:18 ESV] For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

[Mat 5:19 ESV] Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

[Mat 5:20 ESV] For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The OT Law. 

Civil: Contextual to the Jewish Nation. 

Ceremonial: Fulfilled in Christ.  

Moral: The response of the Saved towards God and Mankind

This Question is illustrated and answered in Acts and Galatians. 

Should Christians follow all the OT Civil Laws or Ceremonial Laws?

[Act 15:10 ESV] Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

[Act 15:11 ESV] But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."

[Act 15:15 ESV] And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

[Act 15:16 ESV] "'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,

[Act 15:17 ESV] that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things

[Act 15:18 ESV] known from of old.'

[Act 15:19 ESV] Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

[Act 15:20 ESV] but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.

Ceremonial Law:  Hebrews 7-9.  (There is no ceremony left that can reconcile man to God)

[Heb 9:24 ESV] For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

The Book of Galatians Paul confronts Peter about Gentiles Believers, not being burdened with the Jewish Laws.  

Back to Jesus.

Jesus now mentions 

“It was Said”

It is Written,  the OT. 

It is Said, Oral tradition.  Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t. 

Jesus goes straight for highest expression of the Moral Commandments. 

Murder:

[Mat 5:21 ESV] "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'

[Mat 5:22 ESV] But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.

Adultery and Fornication:

[Mat 5:27 ESV] "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

[Mat 5:28 ESV] But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

[Mat 5:31 ESV] "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'

[Mat 5:32 ESV] But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Not Telling the Truth

[Mat 5:33 ESV] "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.'

[Mat 5:34 ESV] But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

[Mat 5:37 ESV] Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

Justice VS Revenge, to the highest form – LOVE.  Love and Justice are not in conflict. 

[Mat 5:38 ESV] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

1. The Law:  Justice; That is Good.

2. “It was said”. Twisted for the sake of Revenge, it is bad.

3. Love the evil person, a. no room for revenge and God will see that Justice is met. 

[Mat 5:39 ESV] But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

[Mat 5:40 ESV] And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

[Mat 5:41 ESV] And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

[Mat 5:42 ESV] Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

[Mat 5:43 ESV] "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

1. The Law / OT: doesn’t say anywhere to hate your enemy. 

2. “It is Said”; twisted from it’s original intent.  

[Mat 5:44 ESV] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

[Mat 5:45 ESV] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

[Mat 5:46 ESV] For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

[Mat 5:47 ESV] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

[Mat 5:48 ESV] You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Now what does that look like concerning Self-defense or fulfilling the Command to provide for your family?

Your Command; Love God: to provide for your family; wife, children, parents. 

Highest Form of Love Obey God

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