MATTHEW 22: 35-40 (Love requires faith; faith requires love)
(Scripture from King James and New King James translations)
First read 1 Corinthians 12: 27-31, 1 Corinthians 13
Charity may be defined as "Love in action."
When asked by a lawyer, "Teacher, which is the great command-
ment in the law? How did Jesus respond?
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great com-
mandment. And the second is like unto it; You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the
Law and the Prophets." (nkjv)
Selfless love, concern and care for others enabling the one
who loves to put the interests of the loved one above his own
interests. Would we even know "love" outside of Scripture?
Although these two commandments are found in Leviticus and
Deuteronomy, they are reiterated in Matthew by Jesus Christ as
He elevates them beyond the Commandments (10) found in Exo-
dus. As you look at the Ten, it is interesting that they are in the
order of Love God first and secondly, love your fellowman, or
neighbor. Love of God is preeminent and only because one loves
the Lord God, is he able to rightly love his neighbor. (Gender, in
this case, is not specific. When it is specific, it is always spelled
out)
It might be said, "the Great commandment intro-
duces Love of God and man into the ten command
ments, making love very personal"
One thing that comes to mind is the impossibility of loving God,
whom we cannot experience through our five senses. In our-
selves or in the "flesh," we are unable to love God. We must
love Him with an act of the will, by faith. In Hebrews 11: 1-3:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony;
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the
Word of God so that the things which are seen were not made
made of things which are visible."
How do we love one outside the realm of our five senses? As
wonderful and great as is our God, since He exists outside of
sight, sound, touch, smell or taste; our love for Him, of neces-
sity, must be an act of faith. Just as our belief in Him must be
of faith, everything relating to Him must be of faith. Every-
thing a Child of God, ie. follower of Jesus Christ does, is by
faith; faith in God and in His Word.
In Hebrews 11:6, we see, "But without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is
and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
In Romans 14: 23-b, "...whatsoever is not of faith is sin." So
we worship Him by faith and the prayer of faith is the way in
which we are saved. Our sins are forgiven through faith in
the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our lives are
lived through faith in God and His Word. Hebrews 10:38 says,
"Now the just shall live by faith." Remember He is the Lord
Jesus Christ, God the Son, who is also called the "Word," the
"King of Kings and Lord of Lords."
"The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Full
of grace and truth." John 1: 14
Now we have the issue of loving our neighbor, or persons
with whom we have a personal relationship based strictly
on those five senses we talked about earlier.
It is beyond our ability to love a neighbor through the effort
of the flesh, simply because we do experience him through
our senses. We find most people we know have qualities
making it difficult for one to relate to him in love. He is
flawed, just as we are. Since we are to relate to this one in
love, we find through faith is the only way in which we can
love him. So, loving by faith becomes the only way to love
anyone with "unconditional" love or the Love of God.
How does one secure "faith," as described in Scripture?
In Romans 10:17, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by
the Word of God." In order to fulfill the Great Commandment
we must be "people of the Book." In God's word we find the
tools needed to understand faith, it's origin and just what faith
in Christ can do. It can change a vile and sinful person into a
loving follower of Jesus Christ, giving our neighbor and our-
selves the potential to become Christ-like, loving through the
process of sanctification, or maturity, through the knowledge
of the Word, Jesus Christ. Through the gift of the Spirit is the
only way we may come to that place.
At this point, I would challenge anyone who reads this post
to show me in history, literature, government, religion or any
source, outside the Holy Scriptures, suggesting we should
"love" one another. "Love" is defined as selfless devotion to
another individual without consideration of gain or loss to
self. We must keep government from framing definitions for
the church on matters pertaining to the Spirit of God. This
would include redefining marriage outside the Biblical model
of one man and one woman for life. Marriage was instituted
in the book of Genesis, when God the Father performed the
the first, as He married Adam to Eve. Genesis 2: 21-25. with-
out an understanding of Scripture, marriage could not exist,
and the Government would be "free" to define it however it
pleased. We have a definition of marriage in the Scripture by
the one who was first to perform a marriage, and the one who
created it, and the world. He had the first Word on marriage
and he has the last... No one has the power to re-define it.
Finally: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He
who does not love does not know God, for God is Love. In this
the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His
only begotten son into the world, that we might live through
Him." 1 John 4: 7-9
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another." vs. 10-11
Propitiate: "To cause to become favorably inclined, win the
good will of..., appease or conciliate." (Websters New World
College Dictionary, fourth edition, 2001.))
"No one has seen God at any time, If we love one another,
God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."
vs. 12
Love: Selfless care and concern for another, without regard
for self-interest.
Faith: "...the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of
things not seen..," the only way we may know the
Lord God or His Son, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11: 1
11.17.14 donporter,sr, edited 5.18.15, 4.15.17
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