Friday, July 18, 2025
"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"In this two-part answer, it is essential to remember that the first part, loving God, is the basis for the second part, loving your neighbor. As John said,
(Matthew 22:37-39 NLT)
We love because He[God] has first loved us. If someone claims, "I love God," but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, whom he has never seen. He gave us a clear command, that all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.
"Love your neighbor as yourself"!This command is what I want to emphasize today and what I want you to live in your life every day.
"Love your neighbor as yourself"!This command is the Father's royal law. This order is the law that gives you freedom. This charge is the only debt you should ever owe anyone. Faithfully living this one principle satisfies the heart of the law as you live in relationship with others with the righteous character and gracious compassion of your Father in heaven!
"Love your neighbor as yourself"!
If you put yourself on a pedestal, thinking you have become a role model in all things religious, but you can't control your mouth, then think again. Your mouth exposes your heart, and your religion is useless. Real, true religion from God the Father's perspective is about caring for the orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence of the world.
My brothers and sisters, I know you've heard this before, but stop playing favorites! Do not try to blend the genuine faith of our glorious Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, with your silly pretentiousness. If an affluent gentleman enters your gathering wearing the finest clothes and priceless jewelry, don't trip over each other trying to welcome him. And if a penniless bum crawls in with his shabby clothes and a stench fills the room, don't look away or pretend you didn't notice - offer him a seat up front, next to you. If you tell the wealthy man, "Come sit by me; there's plenty of room," but tell the vagrant, "Oh, these seats are saved. Go over there," then you'll be judging God's children out of evil motives.
My dear brothers and sisters, listen: God has picked the poor of this world to become unfathomably rich in faith and ultimately to inherit the Kingdom, which He has pledged to those who love Him. By favoring the rich, you have mocked the poor. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the rich who step on you while climbing the ladder of success? And isn't it the rich who take advantage of you and drag you into court? Aren't they the ones mocking the noble name of our God, the One calling us?
Remember His call, and live by the royal law found in Scripture: love others as you love yourself. You'll be doing very well if you can get this down.
(James 1:26-27; James 2:1-8)
Don't owe anyone anything, with the exception of love to one another - that is a debt which never ends because the person who loves others has fulfilled the law. The commands given to you in the Scriptures - do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not take what is not yours, do not covet - and any other command you have heard are summarized in God's instruction: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Does love hurt anyone? Absolutely not. In fact, love achieves everything the law requires.
(Romans 13:8-10)
For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: "Love your neighbor as yourself..."
(Galatians 5:14)
But if you show favoritism - paying attention to those who can help you in some way, while ignoring those who seem to need all the help - you'll be sinning and condemned by the law. For if a person could keep all of the laws and yet break just one; it would be like breaking them all. The same God Who said, "Do not commit adultery," also says, "Do not murder." If you break either of these commands, you're a lawbreaker, no matter how you look at it. So live your life in such a way that acknowledges that one day you will be judged. But the law that judges also gives freedom, although you can't expect to be shown mercy if you refuse to show mercy. But hear this: mercy always wins against judgment! Thank God!
(James 2:9-13)
A Year with Jesus is a daily devotional written to help us all reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'A Year with Jesus' is written by Phil Ware.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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