35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,
36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
38"This is the great and foremost commandment.
39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
40"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 22:35-40
Isn't this awesome! In all the complexity of life, Jesus makes it all rather simple! If you strive to follow these two commandments, everything falls into place.
What I wanted to address, however, is the idea that some have come up with saying that there is a third commandment here: "... love your neighbor as yourself..." Some have tried to say that there is a commandment to love one's self in this Scripture. Do you have to command a bird to fly, or a fish to swim? We naturally love ourselves, therefore no command of that nature is necessary. In fact, if you think about it, all sin is ultimately rooted in love of self. We can deceive others, and even ourselves, but we can't deceive God -- we all love ourselves plenty!
There are clearly only two commandments in this Scripture; Jesus even said "the second", therefore:
5Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6Do not add to His words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.
Proverbs 30:5-6
An accurate paraphrase of verse 39 would be: "...love your neighbor as you [already] love yourself..."
29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Ephesians 5:29
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Who Can Thwart God's Plan?
Do you ever feel like things are out of control? Do you ever feel like nothing makes sense? God is still very much in control. Even though that seems to be an over-used cliche, its eternal truth is clearly taught in His word. Here is just a sample of the many Scriptures that attest to this:
9Whatever you devise against the LORD,
He will make a complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
12Thus says the LORD,
"Though they are at full strength and likewise many,
Even so, they will be cut off and pass away
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no longer.
Nahum 1:9, 12
9"Thus says the LORD, 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," for they will not go.
10'For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'"
Jeremiah 37:9-10
14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
1 Samuel 23:14
10"Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted;
State a proposal, but it will not stand,
For God is with us."
Isaiah 8:10
5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
6so that we confidently say,
"THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"
Hebrews 13:5-6
28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:28, 31
6For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until (A)the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
9Whatever you devise against the LORD,
He will make a complete end of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
12Thus says the LORD,
"Though they are at full strength and likewise many,
Even so, they will be cut off and pass away
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no longer.
Nahum 1:9, 12
9"Thus says the LORD, 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely go away from us," for they will not go.
10'For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'"
Jeremiah 37:9-10
14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
1 Samuel 23:14
10"Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted;
State a proposal, but it will not stand,
For God is with us."
Isaiah 8:10
5Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
6so that we confidently say,
"THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"
Hebrews 13:5-6
28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:28, 31
6For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until (A)the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Hard Times and Encouragement
2The godly person has perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among men
All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a net.
3Concerning evil, both hands do it well
The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the desire of his soul;
So they weave it together.
4The best of them is like a briar,
The most upright like a thorn hedge
The day when you post your watchmen,
Your punishment will come
Then their confusion will occur.
5Do not trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a friend.
From her who lies in your bosom
Guard your lips.
6For son treats father contemptuously,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
7But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation
My God will hear me.
8Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.
Micah 7:2-8
28"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
33"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35"For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
36and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
37"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."
Matthew 10:28-39
And there is no upright person among men
All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;
Each of them hunts the other with a net.
3Concerning evil, both hands do it well
The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the desire of his soul;
So they weave it together.
4The best of them is like a briar,
The most upright like a thorn hedge
The day when you post your watchmen,
Your punishment will come
Then their confusion will occur.
5Do not trust in a neighbor;
Do not have confidence in a friend.
From her who lies in your bosom
Guard your lips.
6For son treats father contemptuously,
Daughter rises up against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
7But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation
My God will hear me.
8Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy
Though I fall I will rise;
Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.
Micah 7:2-8
28"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31"So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
32"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
33"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35"For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
36and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
37"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."
Matthew 10:28-39
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Humility
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,
and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,But humility goes before honor.
Proverbs 18:12
For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
"I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time
1 Peter 5:5-6
And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,
and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
"Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,But humility goes before honor.
Proverbs 18:12
For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
"I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time
1 Peter 5:5-6
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