(26) He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" (27) So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,'and 'your neighbor as yourself.'" (28) And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." New King James Version Change email Bible version
These verses give us a formula for entering the Kingdom of God. It is just that simple—or is it? We should love the Lord our God more than anything else. Nothing is to take precedence over Him, not our desires, our will, nor anything else. God is always first. We are to love God with all of our soul. We are to be ready to give up our lives to honor God, if it is required. We are to endure all types of ridicule and torment for His sake, if it falls our lot. That is part of loving God. It is our loving God with all of our strength. Whatever we possess has come from God. If we do something to physically serve God, or if we have to give our substance as living sacrifice, this, too, is just part of loving God with all of our strength. Adam Clarke summed up the first part of verse 28: In a word, he [one thinking with and using the mind of Christ] sees God in all things; thinks of Him at all times; has his mind continually fixed upon God; acknowledges Him in all his ways. He begins, continues, and ends all his thoughts, words and works, to the glory of His name. This is the person who loves God with all of his heart, his might, and strength and his intellect.
That is a tall order, but it is exactly what God wants from us. He wants us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, loving our neighbors as ourselves. It is self-explanatory. If we are in trouble, do we want someone to come and help us? Of course! Do we want someone to listen to us when we need someone's ear? Of course! Do we want someone to rescue us when we find ourselves in financial difficulties? Certainly! Likewise, we should be concerned for others, as we are concerned for ourselves. — John O. Reid To learn more, see: Don't Take God for Granted
Topics:Great Commandment Living Sacrifice Love for Christ Love for God Loving God with all our strength Mind of Christ Mind of God
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