“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord
is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your strength. – Deuteronomy
6.4-5
Hear O
Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God
will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.’
Moses’
charge to Israel sets the foundation for everything else that follows all the
way through to the gospel. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment
of all was He said ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and
strength’ but then he added ‘and love your neighbour as yourself.’
Love is
integral. It is the key. Our faith is based on love. We only can love Him
because He first loved. In our natural state we are at enmity with God. Our
natural state is to love the world. Our natural state is to love ourselves.
The
instruction to love God with all of our hearts is difficult because it is in warfare
with our love for the world. We can’t possibly love them both. We are going to
love one and hate the other.
Choosing to
love God completely frees us from the pressure to love the world. Loving God
supremely frees us up to love others with His love.
Our part
starts with loving God. Loving God starts with Him loving us.
It’s all
about love.
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