How to Love God Completely and Love One Another Respectfully

January 13, 2017
God's Love, Relationship Building

Jesus instructs us to love God completely and love one another respectfully. He told us the Scripture’s primary purpose is to help us learn to interact with God and one another:

And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him [Jesus] a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment of the Law?” And 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.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.”

“The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:35-40).

When this was written, “The Law and Prophets” was a term that referred to all recorded Scripture. Jesus reduced all Scripture into a simple dual relational concept:

Love God completely and love one another respectfully.

The Ten Commandments which were given centuries before, are an expansion of this simplicity. Have you ever noticed how the first few focus on our relationship with God while the rest focus on our relationship with one another? (See Exodus 20) The rest of Scripture expands on these Ten and the condensed two by describing what happens when we lovingly relate and what happens when we don’t.

When we pursue the presence of God and the way of life He designed us to live, our growth becomes a more enjoyable experience. Our daily interaction with God and each other takes on greater meaning when we partake of His way of life.

Interactive fellowship with our heavenly Father

Interactive fellowship with our heavenly Father allows us to receive His perspective about life and His direction for our life’s purpose. When we interact with God as our loving Father and relate to one another as siblings, we experience a strength that is illustrated by the three strand cord. We truly experience a fuller life as we learn to live out the greatest commandment: To fully love God and love one another as family.

The passage with Jesus’ response above in Matthew 22 is also repeated in Luke 10:25-28 and Mark 12:28-31. The gospel of Luke says the lawyer responded to Jesus’ comment with, “Who is my neighbor?” as though the lawyer wanted to justify his discriminatory love.

In response, Jesus told him about the Good Samaritan. The Jews of that day hated the Samaritans, considering them to be no better than dogs. Jesus used what was considered the most despised person to illustrate His point. In essence, Jesus said,

“Quit qualifying who is your neighbor. Just go and be a good neighbor to those within your reach.”

More than ever, we may find ourselves with beliefs and opinions that are very different than our co-workers, friends, and even family members. We may have been taught to see and believe in this way since we were small children. Looking at life from another’s perspective is very difficult, something that doesn’t come naturally.

Do you find yourself wondering, “How in the world can I just go and be that good neighbor” in the midst of so many differences? Perhaps you are searching for deeper ways to experience God’s inspiring presence in your own life, looking for insight about how to be the good neighbor Jesus instructs us to be. Or, maybe you’re hungering for more of God, wanting help in order to love Him more completely.

I’d like to help you with that. Over the years of my personal life-changing journey I’ve compiled countless insights about walking in the Ways of God. With the help of many others on the Relational Gospel Team, I’ve created resources that are freely shared here on our website.

-Keith Carroll, Relational Gospel Founder

Resources to help

Both of my books, Created to Relate, Insights Into Our Design and Purpose, and The Christ Culture, A Way of Life Like No Other are available for your devotional read, and for purchase in printed or eBooks.

Many folks are finding my books to be insightful reads, excellent for personal understanding and to share in small groups. We provide a Leader’s Guide to facilitate discussions.

And, I urge you to receive our blogs via email so you never miss our encouraging insights . Sign up at the top of this page.

Relational Gospel – we want to understand what we believe.

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