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So, the most important commandment of all of God’s commandments is that we love the Lord our God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. But this “love” is not an emotional feeling, though our emotions are definitely engaged in loving God. But to love God with this kind of (agape) love is to prefer what he prefers, which is what is godly, holy, morally pure, upright, honest, and faithful, etc.
For the believer in Jesus Christ it means to prefer to live through Christ, to embrace God’s will, to choose his choices, and to obey them through his power. So, it means that we are actively doing what God prefers, which means we are walking in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant, we are no longer walking in sin, but now we are living holy and godly lives to the praise, honor, and glory of God, in his strength.
And to love him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, is to love him with this kind of love with our entire being – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, verbally (but not just verbally), and with our actions (our behaviors, including our attitudes). It means our lives are dedicated to serving the Lord, to obeying him in all things, to going where he sends us, to say what he wants us to say, and to be who he called us to be.
And then and only then can we truly love other people with the love of God, with this love that prefers what God prefers, and which serves the Lord with our lives and not self. For this kind of love is self-sacrificial. And when we love others with this kind of love we will willingly lay our lives down for them to see them be free from their slavery to sin and to walk in holiness and in righteousness. And we will speak the truth in love to them for their good.
And if we are loving other people with this kind of love we are not going to sin against them, not deliberately, not habitually, and not premeditatedly. But we are going to do for them and say to them what is for their good, as God defines good, which is for their benefit morally, spiritually, and materially, where there are genuine needs. So we will not lie to them to make them feel good or so they will like us. For that is not loving them.
Love and Obedience
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 8:31-32,51; Jn 10:27-30; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:10; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 15:2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 5:9; Heb 10:26-31; Jas 1:21-25; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10,24; 1 Jn 5:2-3; 2 Jn 1:6]
Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength
Video Talk
July 8, 2023
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Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
