How Is The Greatest Commandment Kept?

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Hidden In Him

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As the astute denizens of this site have already pointed out, keeping His commandments is surely the most central way to follow the greatest commandment.

I will divulge how I have failed to keep this great commandment and we can contrast. Below are a list of ways I have failed--

1) Failing to trust God. To trust his plans and timing.
2) Feeling like His will isnt enough. Trying to have my way instead.
3) Breaking the commandment of loving thy neighbor as thyself. The second greatest commandment is related to the first.
4) Being fretful, anxious, fearful of the future. Indicating a lack of trust and peace.
5) Seeking alternative or worldly passions and joys instead of making God the source of all my joy and peace.
6) Being angry or irritated with God. Feeling like God owes me something.
7) Seeking out the world, the pride of life.
8) Failing to apply the teachings of his word in daily life. Being a forgetful hearer and giving in to my desires.

Not to worry, Friend Of. The part I haven't gotten to yet is that the demand of this commandment is, in my opinion, extremely high. It's so high that I think this is why it singly gets overlooked. Certainly He is a God of grace, but what He calls us to and what He wants in asking for our whole heart, mind, soul and strength cam leave one a little despondent for failing Him in so many ways.

I could list all my failings as well. I am not there yet at all. But I see fully grasping His expectations and how far I still have to go as progress. To me this is far better than just thinking I'm the next best thing to sliced bread when I'm nowhere near walking in the kind of godliness and devotion to Him He has asked all His people to walk in.
 

Hidden In Him

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9) completely ignoring Jesus' sendings, and going to Luby's instead!

LoL!

Luby's is the Devil's Den, brother. I would repent if I were you, and QUICK!

cat-laughing.jpg
 
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Hidden In Him

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No bribin', no conivin', no strivin' will do
They'll never make no change in you
You can hold your breath, stand on your head
Still the changes won't come, till the Spirit led
Abidin', that's when the changes come
Abide in Jesus, He's the best at gettin' it done (Chorus)

Thanks for posting, Prism. I like your song (especially the chorus. Kinda hard hearing about Ben and Sue, but the chorus is good).

So how would you answer Post #48?
 

Episkopos

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Do you not believe that prayer, worship, study of the word and service unto God would be common characteristics in the lifestyle of someone who was fulfilling the greatest commandment?

I appreciate that people are sincere in their devotional life towards God. I appreciate your own devotional life towards God. After all there were the desert ascetics who lived a life of devotion to God after forsaking the world. This might seem extreme to some but there it is! People will go to great lengths in order to prove or to seek after the love of the first commandment. Fasting is one devotion...and one that Jesus Himself authorized by saying..."when you fast." But one needs to realize what the calling of Christ is...the nature of the kingdom of God...or else every devotional motivation can be aimed in the wrong direction. So then knowledge of the kingdom of God is crucial if one wants to actively seek after this.

In the Eastern churches there are the monks on Mt. Athos who sleep only 3 hours a day and seek for union with God with every waking hour.

So then surely there are many who are pressing into the kingdom of God. And some of these will indeed receive visions and have periodic times of visitation and revival.

I see this as a body thing over and above...but not replacing....the individual seeking. Intentional community...like the Moravians. Learning to put our own preferences and ideas aside in order to seek God as one people.

Our job is to gather...THEN God visits. But we are waiting for God to gather us. So we are in a standoff situation.

Disciplining the body has benefits...but conforming to the body of Christ (and therefore the mind of Christ) has more. Discerning the body. If the minimum standard of salvation is to do unto others as if it were us, thus seeing them with as much care as ourselves...is not the chief commandment even more body conscious than the second?

So my conclusion is to love God in others. You can't impress God by trying to do so. A child who thinks he's cute is no longer cute. We humans have difficulty doing things by the short route. We almost need to be fooled into doing the right thing the right way. How can we say we love God (as nothing more than an idea?) and not His brethren whom we see all the time?

But we do have the brethren in our midst.

We are to be one as Jesus and the Father are one. How much of that is by OUR attitude? God isn't going to do that for us. We need to turn our devotion from the nebulous to the here and now with the brethren.

Some cultures have people coming together naturally....and this makes it easier to become the body. So then an extra effort needs to be made in a culture that worships individual pursuits.

So I would start there...as something "pragmatic". Not a direct seeking only....but also a coming together in obedience to the Spirit and to oneness in the Spirit. Taking Jesus seriously at His word. Just read John 17...and hear the heart of Jesus on the matter.
 
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Giuliano

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I like this answer, Giuliano, and you put it even more eloquently maybe than some of the others who presented a similar viewpoint. But how would you answer Post #51, then?
I agree they are definitely two separate although connected commandments. I think considering other people can teach us something about God and often too about ourselves. I believe studying many things in God's creation can help teach us things about God. Even in a fallen world, there are clues about God's purposes hidden in His creation.

Thus Solomon said to go to the ant, and Jesus said to consider the lilies. God has His ways of trying to get our attention in order to teach us things about him. Paul said to give thanks in all things; and it may be really be true that everything that happens to us is an attempt by God to deal with us. God provides exactly what we need. Can we believe that, or do we stumble unable to see God working to teach us something?

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

It really can be a challenge to give thanks in all things as Paul suggest we do; but if we are seeing things properly, we may be able to perceive the Hand of God at work. If we cannot perceive it, that is a clue to us that we aren't seeing things correctly. If we cannot perceive God's Hand in something, if we cannot give thanks, we are confused, but we can know that something needs to be corrected. This in itself is another blessing. The first step to curing ignorance or falsehood is the realization we don't know what we used to think we knew. Confusion may ensue from time to time; and this is like the troubled waters. It is a blessing that doesn't appear to be a blessing at first. Any defect we may have can create confusion temporarily so it boils up and can be healed.

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

If I lacked faith in God, I could not believe that "all things work together for the good" for those who love God. I might also see other people as beyond all hope, as worthless as swine and start to believe I shouldn't obey the Golden Rule unless others are too. I might also doubt that everything will end well, doubting either the God's Love, Power or Wisdom. Any and every idea that even implies an imperfection in God must be dismissed as not possible since we could not really have faith in a fallible God and could not love such an imperfect God either. If we read the Bible and think it may infer any imperfection in God, we err one way or another; and we need to realize "it is the glory of God to conceal a matter."

The commandment to love God must mean He is worthy of being loved; and it is up to us to search things out if it doesn't seem so in some cases at first glance. We can learn something about our own flaws by doing so.
 
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Not me

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Excellent answer : )


Also good. This fleshes out the response Brakelite had just a little. He said something similar, and I agree. I would classify this under service to God, in that we are seeking to minister His grace unto others.

Thanks, and may I say, I taste your relationship with Christ in your response...but so blessed in Him.

I would agree;

“I would classify this under service to God, etc”

Yes, this is the fruit of Christianity, the manifestation of righteousness to the other.

As we grow in Him, Not me
 
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VictoryinJesus

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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

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Know you wanted some personal testimony(if I understood correctly) but the above “power to become the Sons of God” ...to me is necessary in keeping the greatest commandment...as the power to do so comes (is given)from God and keeps the greatest commandment: John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

As He said “follow Me” ...in “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,”
 

ScottA

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This is a similar response to what Episkopos posted, Scott. So I think here I would direct you to the question I asked him in Post #48 (if you wish to answer it).
Post #48 >
Do you not believe that prayer, worship, study of the word and service unto God would be common characteristics in the lifestyle of someone who was fulfilling the greatest commandment?
No, not necessarily. Those can all be counterfeit works, as opposed to genuine.

We must first be abandoned to all such activities, showing first that we have surrendered all, having died to our former self and the ways of the world--which works is no evidence of. Thus, if works can be genuine or counterfeit--then works is not the measure, but rather a contrite heart and abandonment, having evidence of forsaking the world. Then, and only then, are works-based activities genuine.

Thus, works are not to be judged or any measure of service to God, but rather a contrite heart.
 

Giuliano

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Post #48 >
No, not necessarily. Those can all be counterfeit works, as opposed to genuine.

We must first be abandoned to all such activities, showing first that we have surrendered all, having died to our former self and the ways of the world--which works is no evidence of. Thus, if works can be genuine or counterfeit--then works is not the measure, but rather a contrite heart and abandonment, having evidence of forsaking the world. Then, and only then, are works-based activities genuine.

Thus, works are not to be judged or any measure of service to God, but rather a contrite heart.
The wonderful thing about the contrite heart is that the person won't repeat his past mistakes. The "old heart" has been circumcised; and behold a "new heart" has appeared. That being said, I think good works should follow automatically.
 

VictoryinJesus

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No, not necessarily. Those can all be counterfeit works, as opposed to genuine.

We must first be abandoned to all such activities, showing first that we have surrendered all, having died to our former self and the ways of the world--which works is no evidence of. Thus, if works can be genuine or counterfeit--then works is not the measure, but rather a contrite heart and abandonment, having evidence of forsaking the world. Then, and only then, are works-based activities genuine.

Thus, works are not to be judged or any measure of service to God, but rather a contrite heart.

but rather a contrite heart.

Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so? [48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:”...goes beyond man’s righteousness and is the righteousness of God. He does those things: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

“...immediately they are offended.” And fall away ...departing as it was never for His Name Sake but for their own righteousness sake.

 
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Hidden In Him

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I appreciate that people are sincere in their devotional life towards God. I appreciate your own devotional life towards God. After all there were the desert ascetics who lived a life of devotion to God after forsaking the world. This might seem extreme to some but there it is! People will go to great lengths in order to prove or to seek after the love of the first commandment. Fasting is one devotion...and one that Jesus Himself authorized by saying..."when you fast." But one needs to realize what the calling of Christ is...the nature of the kingdom of God...or else every devotional motivation can be aimed in the wrong direction. So then knowledge of the kingdom of God is crucial if one wants to actively seek after this.

In the Eastern churches there are the monks on Mt. Athos who sleep only 3 hours a day and seek for union with God with every waking hour.

So then surely there are many who are pressing into the kingdom of God. And some of these will indeed receive visions and have periodic times of visitation and revival.

I see this as a body thing over and above...but not replacing....the individual seeking. Intentional community...like the Moravians. Learning to put our own preferences and ideas aside in order to seek God as one people.

Our job is to gather...THEN God visits. But we are waiting for God to gather us. So we are in a standoff situation.

Disciplining the body has benefits...but conforming to the body of Christ (and therefore the mind of Christ) has more. Discerning the body. If the minimum standard of salvation is to do unto others as if it were us, thus seeing them with as much care as ourselves...is not the chief commandment even more body conscious than the second?

So my conclusion is to love God in others. You can't impress God by trying to do so. A child who thinks he's cute is no longer cute. We humans have difficulty doing things by the short route. We almost need to be fooled into doing the right thing the right way. How can we say we love God (as nothing more than an idea?) and not His brethren whom we see all the time?

But we do have the brethren in our midst.

We are to be one as Jesus and the Father are one. How much of that is by OUR attitude? God isn't going to do that for us. We need to turn our devotion from the nebulous to the here and now with the brethren.

Some cultures have people coming together naturally....and this makes it easier to become the body. So then an extra effort needs to be made in a culture that worships individual pursuits.

So I would start there...as something "pragmatic". Not a direct seeking only....but also a coming together in obedience to the Spirit and to oneness in the Spirit. Taking Jesus seriously at His word. Just read John 17...and hear the heart of Jesus on the matter.

Well, regarding how spiritual disciplines relate to the oneness of the body, I would think a person who leads a life of continual prayer and worship in his personal life would be that much more welcoming to the Spirit of God when among the brethren than those who do not, yes? I've found it's the ones who are not spending time with God in their personal lives who actually hinder His presence the most. I'll never forget when I used to lead worship. I could immediately tell when people sitting/standing in the first few rows were fleshly and carnal, and living in the world rather than spending time with God, because you could literally feel it on them. Sometimes they would hinder worship badly. Same thing with preaching. Ask any preacher who has much experience and they will tell you. If the congregation you preach to is close to God, the Spirit flows freely and preaching is a joy. On the other hand, if they are dead spiritually, it's like beating a dead horse. It's not going to be going anywhere no matter how hard you try, LoL.

So regarding corporate worship, I think those who maintain a closeness to the Presence of God in their personal lives are actually the biggest assets to a congregation, not the biggest hindrances to it : )
 

Episkopos

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Well, regarding how spiritual disciplines relate to the oneness of the body, I would think a person who leads a life of continual prayer and worship in his personal life would be that much more welcoming to the Spirit of God when among the brethren than those who do not, yes? I've found it's the ones who are not spending time with God in their personal lives who actually hinder His presence the most. I'll never forget when I used to lead worship. I could immediately tell when people sitting/standing in the first few rows were fleshly and carnal, and living in the world rather than spending time with God, because you could literally feel it on them. Sometimes they would hinder worship badly. Same thing with preaching. Ask any preacher who has much experience and they will tell you. If the congregation you preach to is close to God, the Spirit flows freely and preaching is a joy. On the other hand, if they are dead spiritually, it's like beating a dead horse. It's not going to be going anywhere no matter how hard you try, LoL.

So regarding corporate worship, I think those who maintain a closeness to the Presence of God in their personal lives are actually the biggest assets to a congregation, not the biggest hindrances to it : )


While what you are saying is true about Sunday church or speaking engagements...I'm not talking about a religious gathering....but a shared life. Check out Acts 2.

Not everyone is motivated to be spiritual on their own. Some people are meant to help the brethren do their spiritual work. So these can't be expected to follow along with the spiritual brethren. A community functions like a body...different gifts...different roles.

Does everyone farm? Does everyone learn the bible languages? Does everyone teach?

But every part contributes according to their place in the body.

So I don't see meetings or crusades as indicative of body potential.

An introvert is that way often because they shun vain speaking and surface talk. The big talkers are not always the big actors. Sometimes it's the quiet ones who are more willing to sacrifice themselves.

Of course there are they who are just spiritually dead...carnal in their every action and thought. But the solution is not to make everyone the same.
 

Hidden In Him

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It really can be a challenge to give thanks in all things as Paul suggest we do; but if we are seeing things properly, we may be able to perceive the Hand of God at work. If we cannot perceive it, that is a clue to us that we aren't seeing things correctly. If we cannot perceive God's Hand in something, if we cannot give thanks, we are confused, but we can know that something needs to be corrected.

This was wonderfully put.
 
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Hidden In Him

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Thanks, and may I say, I taste your relationship with Christ in your response...but so blessed in Him.

That's very kind of you. I'm working more towards it all the time, like we all are.

Thanks for the kind words : )
 

Hidden In Him

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John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Know you wanted some personal testimony(if I understood correctly) but the above “power to become the Sons of God” ...to me is necessary in keeping the greatest commandment...as the power to do so comes (is given)from God and keeps the greatest commandment: John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

As He said “follow Me” ...in “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,”

It is necessary, Victory, and I fully agree with you : ) So how would you answer something like Post #48? I'm especially looking for replies on what obeying the greatest commandment would look like in practical terms.
 

Enoch111

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This is more in line with what I was getting to. How would you respond to Post #48?
I am in full agreement with what you have said in that post. But after that there is work to be done, and unless that happens we are not doing the Father's will. Please note:

King James Bible (John 5:17)
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Even though I do not use or promote the NIV, I will quote it in this case as a paraphrase of the above words:
New International Version
In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."

The Lord Jesus Christ has given His Church a job to do, and it is not being done very well (Mt 28:18-20):
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.Amen.
 
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Hidden In Him

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No, not necessarily. Those can all be counterfeit works, as opposed to genuine.

We must first be abandoned to all such activities, showing first that we have surrendered all, having died to our former self and the ways of the world--which works is no evidence of. Thus, if works can be genuine or counterfeit--then works is not the measure, but rather a contrite heart and abandonment, having evidence of forsaking the world. Then, and only then, are works-based activities genuine.

Thus, works are not to be judged or any measure of service to God, but rather a contrite heart.

Ok, so suppose a Christian has a contrite heart but makes no effort to spend any time in prayer, worship, study and service to God?