GOD’S PROGRAM OF LOVE – PART TWO

SCRIPTURE OF INTEREST

“Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God” (Joshua 23:11 KJV).

MY COMMENTARY

IT’S OUR TURN TO LOVE

Just think for a moment and this can be dangerous. Yes, you can think as well as I can. I would really like you to focus on what I am about to share with you. So the thought that has been circulating in my mind and I would like you to get it, is about our capacity to love. Can we love? Yes we can!

Each one of us has been created with the potential to love or hate, and to despise or hold to something. Jesus touched on this subject in Luke’s gospel 16:13 MEV when He said, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

This truth can be applied to many different things especially when it comes to relationships. And relationships come in the form of husband and wife, parents and children, pastors and congregations, and included in this is God and the devil. By the way, we can include another relationship in this and that is you and you. Either you can hate yourself or love yourself.

However, the subject matter before us is the relationship between God and ourselves. This is the relationship that is of my concern in this blog. In the previous commentary I talked about the fact that God loves me and that He loved me so much that God the Father sent His Son to die on the cross to demonstrate His love for us to rescue us from the damnation of sin. This is incredibly awesome.

But in this commentary, I want to concentrate on us responding to that love. Jesus responded to a question that was asked by a scribe in Mark 12:28 MEV ‘One of the scribes came and heard them reasoning together. Perceiving that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all’?” This scribe who was familiar with the law knew the number of commandments or laws that were in the books covering various segments of society which in turn created arguments as to which was the most important. It was very apparent that the scribe was not interested in picking an argument with Jesus but was serious in his question.

Jesus responded with an answer that the scribe was in total agreement with “The first of all commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29 – 31 MEV).

Looking at this answer Jesus was pointing first of all to the fact that there is one God and our responsibility is to love Him. From this flows the love for our neighbour. But getting back to the first commandment where Jesus indicates very strongly that our love for God involves our whole being, our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. This means surrender to God and His will. How can you love someone without committing yourself to them, and in this particular case it is God?

DOES LOVING GOD MATTER?

Very good question. One thing that we all want to know is this; does God really love me? The answer is ‘yes’. It is important for us to know that. It is also true in other relationships that we know that we are loved. For many of us that seems to be the crux of the matter and we stop there. However, though that is vastly important, so is loving. To love is to acknowledge, to care, to show appreciation, to create, to build and it provides a healthy outlook on life. When you choose to love God it changes the chemical structure in your brain and affects our emotional well-being.

To love God opens our heart to seeing God in a different light. You see Him as your God and Father and your source. You will see things as He sees things. Dynamics change. Let me share one more passage of Scripture that is crucial in this argument that I am presenting that will help you to understand the importance of this truth. Proverbs 4:20 to 22 MEV says, “My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their body.” Please understand that what Jesus said is true and that when you and I begin to love God and we continue on that path we will change and the surroundings or circumstances begin to look different.

Jesus words in Mark’s gospel about loving God and loving your fellowman (neighbour) when applied, will lead us to experiencing more freedom, peace, life and health. It is absolutely critical that we choose to love God and learn to love Him. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 MEV).

Q AND A

Question: Can you or I lose our salvation?

Answer: I prefer a better worded question: Can you or I forfeit our salvation? I believe the answer is yes. However, I would encourage each one of us to focus not on whether I can forfeit my salvation but rather focus on the promises of being safe in Him. Look at Romans 8:38, 39 MEV “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

One thing is certain; God will not force you to stay if you choose to deny Him. He will not take away your freedom to leave. If you choose to live a life of sin it is your choice. But even there He works to show you a better life. Therefore you and I should focus on the promises that He has promised to keep you and that He is working on your behalf. Scripture tells us that believing on him makes us His child. Look at this verse found in 1 John 4:4 MEV “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

The question that I have for you is, “Why would you want to walk away from Him when He has done so much for you?” Think and digest that question.