How Is The Greatest Commandment Kept?

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Hidden In Him

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But to love God that way one must go (raptured or translated) to be where He is in Zion. One must walk in the Spirit...in the resurrection life of Jesus Christ.

:)

I like your answers. But one more time: How does that work out in your own life in practical terms? I respect your privacy, btw, so if you chose not to go into any detail, it's fine by me.
 

Hidden In Him

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Blessings and thanks for the invite. For me and in my relationship with Christ it is reckoning myself dead to sin and alive unto God... This is a moment by moment reckoning whereby me, myself, I, my will is set aside and now His will (righteousness) is sought after in all things.

Not that I’m complete by any means, but as long as today is more than yesterday and tomorrow more than today. God is at work and will perfect that which concerns me. That I might live up to the standard to which I have obtained.....(always)

Be blessed in Him, Not me

I like your answer, and value your opinion. When you say "This is a moment by moment reckoning whereby me, myself, I, my will is set aside and now His will (righteousness) is sought after in all things..." Is this accompanied by prayer? By meditation? If so, how much do you pray and/or meditate in the typical day?
 

Prayer Warrior

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soul man

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and your whole strength. Seems to me that defining what that means in practical terms, and how the commandment is kept in one's daily affairs would be of primary importance.

Everything can be fullfilled by love. My understanding is love is a fruit of the Spirit or who Christ is. We love by the love that is in us, Christ in you the hope of glory. He doesn't give us the fruit of the spirit, we get him and the fruit comes from him, he is the love and all fruit of the Spirit expressed as your creation. You cannot separate Christ from anything we are or do.
 

Episkopos

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:)

I like your answers. But one more time: How does that work out in your own life in practical terms? I respect your privacy, btw, so if you chose not to go into any detail, it's fine by me.


That's just it. There is no getting the human intellect involved. So you will never figure it out or formulate anything remotely close to an understanding of oneness with God.

Of course people here will try to fudge the issue with their religious notions of this...saying how devoted they are...etc. Just watch for all the posturings of people trying to be holy and such....and this according to their own understanding.

But translation into God's presence is supernatural and happens all at once with NO effort at all. It is an acceptance of faith by God. Like a sacrifice being accepted....think Abel. Like Enoch who walked with God.

And once there there is a keeping power that keeps us in that place....like a magnetic force. So again, no need to exert effort once one is there.

The only thing that can cause a man to lose that place is to be enticed to take up one's own life again by the call of this world...and other loves.

That's why Jesus said that we must FIRST love God and actually hate all else by comparison. He is speaking to they who (already)walk in Him in victory over sin.
 

Not me

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I like your answer, and value your opinion. When you say "This is a moment by moment reckoning whereby me, myself, I, my will is set aside and now His will (righteousness) is sought after in all things..." Is this accompanied by prayer? By meditation? If so, how much do you pray and/or meditate in the typical day?

Scripture says;

“access by faith into the grace wherein we stand”

All things come from God through faith...Through the faith of the heart turned to Him.

Constantly moment by moment (as much as I can and find in me) I keep the desire of my heart turned towards God....prayer, meditation, listening/reading scripture and other books I find that feed me...Just do all I can to be constantly presenting myself before Him...Still growing, but as I mentioned as long as I am growing I’m on my course.

Be blessed as we grow up and into Him in all things, Not me

Edit;

ps, seeing Him in all things helps and knowing there is a righteous response to all things and that righteous response is His will.

Hope it helps, Not me
 
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Not me

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I like your answer, and value your opinion. When you say "This is a moment by moment reckoning whereby me, myself, I, my will is set aside and now His will (righteousness) is sought after in all things..." Is this accompanied by prayer? By meditation? If so, how much do you pray and/or meditate in the typical day?

I was also thinking, that I constantly ask myself walking into a store, dealing with any and all people; (as much as I can and hopefully in a constant growing state)

What is love, what is righteousness, what is being a peacemaker. I ask myself those three question, and I do my best to walk in the answer.

Be blessed as we work our salvation out, Not me
 

Steve Owen

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Well personally, I thank God that I'm not like other people; you know - cheats, adulterers and so forth.
I regularly go without food and give multiple tithes away.

I'm quite sure that God is going to declare me righteous. ;)
 
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101G

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and your whole strength. Seems to me that defining what that means in practical terms, and how the commandment is kept in one's daily affairs would be of primary importance.

This is primarily a theoretical question, so I am asking for responses about what you consider proper obedience to this commandment to look like, but if you wish to answer on a more personal level and describe how you best fulfill this commandment on a daily basis in your own personal life, that's good too.

Blessings in Christ to all who respond.
HiH
GINOLJC, to all.
First thanks for the invite, second, our Lord answer the question himself. listen,
Matthew 22:35-40 "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying," 36 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." 38 "This is the first and great commandment." 39 "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 40 "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

so the proper obedience to this command is the fulfilling the second one unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself".
God, who is a Spirit, whom you cannot see or touch, said this. 1 John 4:11-14 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." 13 "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." 14 "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."

1 John 4:19 "We love him, because he first loved us." 20 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" 21 "And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."

so by observing the Second GREAT COMMAND we fulfills the First and Great command in real time.
PICJAG.
 
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ScottA

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Thanks for the response, Scott, and great to hear from you again. I read your response again, and decided to ask you the same question I asked Brakelite and Episkopos: In practical terms, then, how does that manifest itself in your daily life and affairs?

Please note: To everyone involved in the thread, giving details on one's personal life is not everyone's cup of tea, so I understand for those who don't wish to. But again, I would think of all the things we discuss on this forum, practical obedience to this commandment in particular would be among the most important.
In elaborating I will take the liberty to address the idea of "daily life" applications, not just for what is "practical" but what is prudent for understanding. But don't misunderstand, I don't mean to say anything contrary. This is not an argument but an elaboration and clarification of why we are allotted a lifetime of practical applications, and, yes, why we are not to think of it as the primary objective.

What we do in daily applications is not the primary objective, but is practice for that which is.

I hate applications!

The examples I gave of Abraham, Job, and Jesus, are just that: examples of them dealing with their daily life and affairs, regarding the things and applications each did in the midst of their worldly circumstances. Each thought not of their own life, but rather of what their circumstances meant to Him who gave them their life to live. That of course is perhaps life's greatest question: "Why am I here?"

The answer is, that we are not here in this life and in the world to make "practical" "applications" at all. In other words, the things of God that we read and learn, though they also come with worldly benefits, they are not for us, but for God...except that we too are the benefactors of what it is that He is doing. The main objective of this life is not ours, but His.

Thus, then, the question of "how does that manifest itself in your/our daily life and affairs?" Perhaps a parable: The body of Christ should be as the body of a deer navigating a thicket. It is the Head that sets the course, and the body that follows with grace. What does that look like? It means making only those decisions that pertain to our part, and none of those that direct our course or direction--not even by the nose, for the nose does not actually lead, it sniffs...so the daily life duty is to sniff. Each of us has been put on a course that we cannot claim. Not really. If we don't do our part, yes, we can claim that; and yes, then our given part will (according to Christ) be given to another. And that is the daily charge, that we should heed His direction, follow, and do our part as if unto the Lord.

As for me personally...surly I am a bruised and groaning rib, with the best of intentions, but often falling short.
 
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brakelite

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@Hidden In Him its about loving those folk without expecting any reciprocal response. The homeless. The hungry. Even in one's own family they're is a need to love those despite their indifference. And love is not a feeling or emotion. Love is an action word. It's doing for others what they cannot do for themselves...like what the son of God did for us. Even though He knew many would not respond, He died for even them. Our dying daily isn't for God's benefit...nor for our own....it's dying for others. It means giving up your own agendas and selfishness that others may live and maybe one day recognise God's love in your actions and be willing to open their hearts to the source of that love.
 
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Enoch111

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and your whole strength. Seems to me that defining what that means in practical terms, and how the commandment is kept in one's daily affairs would be of primary importance.
To love God is to obey Him and to worship Him in Spirit and truth. And to obey Him is to obey Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ said that if you love me you will keep my commandments. And one of His commandments is to follow Him. Another of His commandments is to love one another as Christ loved us (which would extend to sacrificing oneself for others). And one could add many others to this.

So if we wish to understand the meaning of loving God we must see how the Son of God -- while on earth -- obeyed and did the Father's will, and did the Father's *business*. Jesus summed up this business in Luke 4:18,19, and this is the business of every Christian:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he hath anointed me
(1) to preach the Gospel to the poor;
(2) he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
(3) to preach deliverance to the captives,
(4) and recovering of sight to the blind,
(5) to set at liberty them that are bruised,

(6) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

But going even further than this, to love God is to do all that we are told to do in the New Testament. And it begins with obedience to the commandment to be baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

There are some people who promote the idea of "do-nothing" Christians, but the life of Christ on earth shows the fallacy of that nonsense. And James tells us that "do-nothing" Christians are sham Christians.
 

Steve Owen

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And James tells us that "do-nothing" Christians are sham Christians.
James 2:10. 'For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.'
Romans 10:3-4. 'For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes.'
 

Truth

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and your whole strength. Seems to me that defining what that means in practical terms, and how the commandment is kept in one's daily affairs would be of primary importance.

This is primarily a theoretical question, so I am asking for responses about what you consider proper obedience to this commandment to look like, but if you wish to answer on a more personal level and describe how you best fulfill this commandment on a daily basis in your own personal life, that's good too.

Blessings in Christ to all who respond.
HiH

Simply Put! Treat others as You would like to be Treated! We all want to be Loved, well most of us!
Beginning with Gods Love, through Us!
 
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Giuliano

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and your whole strength. Seems to me that defining what that means in practical terms, and how the commandment is kept in one's daily affairs would be of primary importance.

This is primarily a theoretical question, so I am asking for responses about what you consider proper obedience to this commandment to look like, but if you wish to answer on a more personal level and describe how you best fulfill this commandment on a daily basis in your own personal life, that's good too.

Blessings in Christ to all who respond.
HiH
It took me a long time to find an answer for this. God is such a mystery. What do I know about Him? I know what I read in the Bible, and I've had private revelations; but I knew God was a lot bigger than I could grasp. How could I love what I couldn't grasp?

Then finally I noticed the lines after that:

Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

How was the second commandment "like unto" the first? Then I realized that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God. Perhaps they don't express that fully -- but then neither do I -- but I could still see the good in most people I meet. I also realized that every person was unique. How is that possible? How can so many people that are so different all be in the image and likeness of God? Then I remembered that God must love diversity -- look at the life on this planet with its many forms of life. Each person is intended to be a unique son of God -- to be a unique Temple for the Holy Spirit. Each person is like a clue about God's purposes.

Then I remembered what John wrote:

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

These two commandments really seemed like each other to me then. The more I can learn how to love other people in all their diversity, the more I am learning how to God who created them all.
 

amadeus

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and your whole strength. Seems to me that defining what that means in practical terms, and how the commandment is kept in one's daily affairs would be of primary importance.

This is primarily a theoretical question, so I am asking for responses about what you consider proper obedience to this commandment to look like, but if you wish to answer on a more personal level and describe how you best fulfill this commandment on a daily basis in your own personal life, that's good too.

Blessings in Christ to all who respond.
HiH
How do we do it? We really don't except that we have somewhere hopefully decided to surrender to Him completely and kept on and keep on surrendering until all of the work is finished in us as it was with Jesus. Lots of people have probably at least started on this, but then...

"Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away." Matt 13:5-6


How does one see to it that his "earth" is rich and fertile so as to bring forth rather a hundred fold or sixty fold or thirty fold?
First perhaps taking up those stones so that it is not such a "stony place"...


"Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people." Isaiah 62:10

And then...

"For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." Jerem 4:3

I was always, beginning shortly after my marriage in 1972, a 'would be' gardener. In the Santa Clara Valley [San Jose] of California with its rich soil, with just a little of that stone removal task and the breaking up of the ground with a spade and planting the seed... and it almost sprung up by itself. Then in 1985 I moved with my job to Wyoming...

That first spring after arriving and finding a place to live I went out at first with shovel and then had to resort to a pick. The ground was too rocky to dig it with the spade alone. The ground was rocky like I'd never seen rocky. It seemed like there was more rock than simple dirt, but I worked on it. When I finally after long hours with the pick and the shovel I had a small plot prepared. I thought well in this barren place I will certainly need some fertilizer. In the local paper free horse manure was offered. I borrowed a pickup and got load of it to mix into my garden plot.

I worked harder that spring on my garden than on any garden I had ever planted. The yield reminded me of seven thin ears of corn in Pharaoh's dream. Yes, I had a crop, but they were by far the worst vegetables I had ever grown in spite of having worked harder and longer on it than on any other garden in my life. Even with the rocks removed, that alkaline soil was worthless to a farmer. I was remember, only a 'would be' gardener/farmer'.
Wyoming may be an excellent place for cattle ranches and coal mines, but where I was there was no fallow ground there to break up to obtain a 30, 60 or 100 fold crop.


Can a rocky, alkaline soil of a Wyoming be made as rich and fertile as a California soil?

After 2 years I moved to Oklahoma... not so rich perhaps as the Santa Clara valley, but certainly no semi-arid wasteland like Wyoming. I had gardens every year until last year when I could no longer break up the ground and keep it clear of weeds. My new man is OK, but the old man is effectively dead when it comes to gardening. Hey I'll be 76 next month.

So what shall we do to make our soil rich enough to have good yield, 30, 60, or 100 fold? What shall we do to keep those two greatest of commandments according to Jesus? We cannot make Wyoming soil into California soil, but do we not serve a God who can do anything? What saith our Lord?

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

And then...

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

How do I personally work on this? I start each morning with God. Always, no matter what else is happening or is necessary for that day, in my time spent with God in His written book and immersed in His Holy Spirit lies the answer to the questions of the OP for me. Get rid of the rocks. Break up the soil... and yes, when and where necessary make that parched dead alkaline soil into rich black and fertile soil by surrendering continuously to Him as we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus daily. How much Life is needed to give the proper answer to the questions? How much do we want? Is there a limit with God? Any limit is in the man...
Give God the glory!
 

Hidden In Him

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Everything can be fullfilled by love. My understanding is love is a fruit of the Spirit or who Christ is. We love by the love that is in us, Christ in you the hope of glory. He doesn't give us the fruit of the spirit, we get him and the fruit comes from him, he is the love and all fruit of the Spirit expressed as your creation. You cannot separate Christ from anything we are or do.

Thanks for the answer, Soul Man. I appreciate it. The specific question I've been asking everyone is how your answer plays out in practical terms in every day life. Think you could go into a little more detail? Thanks again for the answer.
 
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Hidden In Him

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That's just it. There is no getting the human intellect involved. So you will never figure it out or formulate anything remotely close to an understanding of oneness with God.

Of course people here will try to fudge the issue with their religious notions of this...saying how devoted they are...etc. Just watch for all the posturings of people trying to be holy and such....and this according to their own understanding.

But translation into God's presence is supernatural and happens all at once with NO effort at all. It is an acceptance of faith by God. Like a sacrifice being accepted....think Abel. Like Enoch who walked with God.

And once there there is a keeping power that keeps us in that place....like a magnetic force. So again, no need to exert effort once one is there.

The only thing that can cause a man to lose that place is to be enticed to take up one's own life again by the call of this world...and other loves.

That's why Jesus said that we must FIRST love God and actually hate all else by comparison. He is speaking to they who (already)walk in Him in victory over sin.

Now this is a VERY interesting answer, and worthy of a full-blown discussion. Looks like I finally got several other responses as well, but I'm going to take off for the rest of the day and get into a response with you on this when I get back. I will give you my answer and we can go from there.

Blessings, brother, and glad you responded. Hopefully you have some time to cover this one in-depth with me : )
 
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Hidden In Him

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Well personally, I thank God that I'm not like other people; you know - cheats, adulterers and so forth.
I regularly go without food and give multiple tithes away.

I'm quite sure that God is going to declare me righteous. ;)

Glanced at this one before logging off, and got a great chuckle out of it : ) Also worthy of a good response, but hopefully you're patient man, LoL.
 

Enoch111

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James 2:10. 'For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.'
Romans 10:3-4. 'For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes.'
You are trying to vainly suggest that James is contradicting Paul. But that is totally false. No part of Scripture contradicts other parts. So please get a proper understanding of James who has the SAME teachings as Christ, Paul, and the apostles.