Love is not separated from God's ETERNAL LAW (10 commandments). It is expressed through them.
ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS OF LOVE HANG ALL THE LAW
How can you separate the two great commandments of LOVE to God and man from the Ten Commandments when Jesus says they are connected to LOVE?
Jesus is quoting from
Deuteronomy 6:5 and
Leviticus 19:18 of the OLD TESTAMENT BTW.
Let's look at the scriptures in detail.
MATTHEW 22:36-40
[36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
[37], Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
[38], This is the first and great commandment.
[39], And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
[40],
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Notice the question above asked of Jesus. Now notice the same question asked of Jesus below...
MATTHEW 19:16-19
[16], And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
[17], And he said to him, Why call you me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.
[18], He said to him, Which? Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
[19], Honor your father and your mother: and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Similar question is asked of Jesus but look at the answers Jesus quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 says that on the two great commandments of LOVE HANG ALL THE LAW and the prophets. The rich young ruler comes to Jesus asking what must he DO to inherit eternal life? Jesus quotes back 6 of the 10 Commandments summed up as "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" [On these two Commandments of LOVE hang all the LAW and the prophets.
Now lets look at the same question from a Lawyer (someone who knows the OT laws)..
LUKE 10:25-28
[25], And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tested him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
[26], He said unto him, what is written in the law? how read you?
[27], And he [the Lawyer] answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.
[28], And he said unto him, you have answered right: this do, and you shall live.
Now take note; The very same questions were asked Jesus but both were answered in a slightly different way. Same question one was answered by Jesus quoting the 10 Commandments and the other was answered by the Lawyer quoting the two great commandments of LOVE from the OLD Testament scriptures in
Deuteronomy 6:5 and
Leviticus 19:18. It is the two great commandments of LOVE quoted from the OLD TESTAMENT known to Pharisees and experts in the OLD Testament laws that sum up God's 10 commandments as expressed as our duty of LOVE to GOD (first 4) and our fellow man (second 6) and is why Jesus says in
MATTHEW 22:40, ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW and the prophets...
PAUL understood what JESUS was talking about...
ROMANS 13:8-10
[8], Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. [9], For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [10], Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Notice what PAUL says here? LOVE is fulfilling [doing] God's Commandments. God's Commandments or duty towards your neighbor is summed up as you shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself v9. [On these two commandments hang ALL THE LAW and the prophets
Matthew 22:40].
PAUL agrees with Jesus that if you LOVE you will fulfill God's LAW. What about JAMES?
JAMES 2:8-12
[8] If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well: [9], But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convicted of the law as transgressors. [10], For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. [11], For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet you kill, you are become a transgressor of the law. [12], So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
James is using the second great commandment of LOVE and quotes the commandments showing our duty towards our neighbor. This is why Jesus says “On these two commandments hang ALL THE LAW and the prophets”
Matthew 22:40. and again..
JOHN 14:15 [15], IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.
You cannot separate LOVE from God’s LAW. Love is the FULFILLING of it and is demonstrated by OBEDIENCE to Gods’ LAW as our duty of LOVE to God and man. [“On these two commandments [of LOVE] hang ALL THE LAW and the prophets]
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CONCLUSION: It is very clear that JESUS, PAUL and JAMES are all in agreement that the two GREAT COMMANDMENTS of LOVE that JESUS quoted from
Deuteronomy 6:5 and
Leviticus 19:18 were used and known in the OLD Testament scripture to sum up our duty of LOVE to God and man in the 10 Commandments.... God's LAW (Ten commandments) is not separated from LOVE it demonstrates it. You cannot have LOVE without fulfilling God's Ten Commandments. [On these two Commandments of LOVE hang all the LAW and the prophets].
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If God's LAW is not establsihed in your life you do not have living faith and need to be Born again *
1 JOHN 3:3-10;
1 JOHN 2:1-4;
JOHN 3:3-8;
JAMES 2:18-20; 26.
We are not saved by keeping the law. Obedience to God's LAW is the very expression of what LOVE is as we have faith in God's WORD *
EPHESIANS 2:8;
ROMANS 3:31 and is why JESUS says IF you LOVE me keep my commandments *
JOHN 14:15. It is faith the works by LOVE that fulfills God's LAW in those who are born again *
ROMANS 13:8-10;
1 JOHN 3:3-10;
ROMANS 3:31.
Let's have a look at the scriptures in detail brother...
LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF GOD’S LAW
ROMANS 13:8-10
[8], Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. [9], For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [10], Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
You cannot separate God’s Law of love from the 10 commandments because they are connected to each other. There is no need for confusion here. God’s Word makes it very clear.
I think you miss the point of LOVE and how you cannot separate LOVE from OBEDIENCE to God's LAW because God's 10 Commandments are the very expression of what LOVE is.
* If you LOVE your neighbore will you steal from them?
* If you LOVE your neighbore will you lie to them?
* If you LOVE your neighbore will you kill them?
etc etc...
*If you LOVE God will you have other God's?
*If you LOVE God will you make other God's and bow down to them?
*If you LOVE God will you use his name in vain?
*If you LOVE God will you choose to not remember the SEVENTH DAY to keep it Holy?
We can go through all the 10 Commandments which are our duty of LOVE to GOD and our fellow man and how LOVE is expressed and why JESUS says...
ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS (Love to God and Love to man) HANG ALL THE LAW and the prophets *MATTHEW 22:36-40
ROMANS 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yes, we establish the law.
Hope this helps.