YOU ARE OUR NEIGHBOR
AND WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS...
Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). That is why we love you as our neighbor. Please let us explain how God gave us love for those whom we do not know.
Previous to the above statement,
Jesus said we must believe in One God, “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is
one Lord.” He followed this with an all-encompassing commandment,
“And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: This is the first
commandment” (Mark 12:29-30).
Once a person learns to love God,
as Jesus said in this Bible passage, then we can see how to love our neighbors.
Concerning these two commandments of love, Jesus said, “There is no other
commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31). What makes these two
commandments so great? Can you think of any greater commandment? If
you say yes, then you are claiming more wisdom than Jesus. Let us test
what some claim to be great and really see if it is greater than un-compromised
love for the One True God:
Religious
works are not greater (Titus 3:5).
Baptism is
not greater (1 Corinthians 1:17).
Keeping
genealogies is not greater (Titus 3:9).
Angelic
messages are not greater (Gal. 1:6-9).
Knowledge is
not greater (1 Cor. 13:2).
Organizing a
group isn’t greater (1 Cor. 13:2).
What does it mean to love God with
all your heart, soul, strength and mind? It simply means what Jesus said.
There is one God, none before Him and none after Him (Isaiah 43:10, 44:8, James
2:19). We must love God truly from our heart, but Jesus pointed out a
problem with our hearts. Our hearts are full of evil thoughts (Mark
7:21-23). We are to love this true God from our soul, but Jesus pointed
out the problem of our soul. Our souls deceive us (Luke 12:19-21).
We are to love God with our mind, but the Bible points out a problem with our
mind. Our carnal mind is an enemy to God (Romans 8:7). We are to
love God with all our strength, but Jesus pointed out a problem with our flesh.
Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). God did not
abandon us in our despair. He provided the answer to life and love through
Jesus Christ.
Our sinful nature is what keeps us
from loving God the way Jesus said we should. That is also why people have
trouble loving their neighbors. Jesus does not want us to do it on our
own. He wants to work His love through us (Philippians 2:13).
The first thing we must realize is
that our sinful nature separates us from God (Romans 3:23, 6:23). The only
provision God has given us for sin is the atonement of Jesus on the cross
(Romans 5:8, 2 Cor. 5:21). We must receive Jesus into our life to be
forgiven of all sins and become righteous through His blood. It is
written, “... having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through Him” (Romans 5:9). And, “... the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 5:7). Jesus said, “I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will
come in to him and dine with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
Why put it off any longer?
If your desire is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, then
you can accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today by putting your faith in Him.
The Bible promises, “that is you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
(Romans 10:9). Pray to the true God in Scripture right now, ask Him to
forgive you of your sins and change your life. Ask Jesus to come into your
heart and He will keep His promise; you will be saved! Once you have done
this, read the New Testament to find out more about Jesus. Pray often and
attend a Bible-centered Church.
Copyright 2000, Kurt Van
Gorden