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Boils Down to Love - Matthew 22:39-40

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And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands." (ERV)   Full Text

Key Thought

Jesus emphasized and displayed love. God uses it to describe his essential nature. The Holy Spirit pours it into our hearts. Jesus stressed it would be our identifying quality as his disciples. When it comes to discipleship, Christian virtue, spiritual character, and ultimate holiness, it boils down to love. Now we're not talking about some sappy, insipid, fleeting emotion. We're talking about that determined, disciplined, and deliberate commitment to others to work what is for their best good in every situation.
Love means caring and sacrificing for others. Love means supporting and encouraging others. But love also means correcting and disciplining others. Love means standing up for truth when others want to abandon it for something cheap and artificial.
We are to love God from our toenails to the tops of our heads. But we cannot claim to love God and not love others. It all boils down to love.

Today's Prayer

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Holy and loving God, thank you for loving me with an everlasting love. Please help me to show that same love, not only to you, but also to your children. Please give me the strength of character to love others as you have loved me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Today's Verses in Context

The Pharisees learned that Jesus told the Sadducees things they could not argue with. So the Pharisees met together. One Pharisee was an expert in the law {of Moses}. That Pharisee asked Jesus a question to test him. The Pharisee said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" Jesus answered, "'You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands." So while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them a question. Jesus said, "What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?" The Pharisees answered, "The Christ is the Son of David. " Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Then why did David call him 'Lord'? David was speaking by the power of the {Holy} Spirit. David said, 'The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Christ): Sit by me at my right side, and I will put your enemies under your control. ' David calls the Christ 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?" None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus' question. And after that day no person was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions {to try to trick him}.

— Matthew 22:34-46 (ERV)

 

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.
 
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I may speak in different languages of men or even angels. But if I don't have love, then I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. I may have the gift of prophecy ; I may understand all the secret things {of God} and know everything; and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I don't have love, then I am nothing. I may give everything I have to feed people. And I may even give my body {as an offering} to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing these things if I don't have love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (ERV)

Jesus said, "My children, I will be with you only a short time more. You will look for me. And what I told the Jewish leaders, I tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come. "I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other like I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other."
John 13:33-35 (ERV)

This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters {in Christ}. Suppose a believer is rich enough to have all the things he needs. He sees his brother {in Christ} who is poor and does not have the things he needs. What if the believer who has things does not help the poor brother? Then the believer who has the things he needs does not have God's love in his heart. My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No! Our love must be true love. We should show our love by the things we do.
1 John 3:16-18 (ERV)


 
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