Skip to main content

Recall the Words...and the Command


Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. (2 Peter 3:1-2)
         According to my study Bible's notes, this is supposed to refer to the Day of the Lord spoken of by the prophets. It's probably right, but what comes to my mind is that the Law and the Prophets, and Jesus' "greatest command" was to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Yes, we're back to that again. Obeying that commandment is likely to become more difficult as the Day of the Lord approaches, because the people we're commanded to love may suffer greatly and even if we don't suffer ourselves, we'll suffer with them; or the people we're commanded to love may be responsible for our suffering.
         The command to love God and love our neighbors is a constant theme in Scripture. One of the benefits of listening to the Bible on CD, especially on a long trip like Pennsylvania to Florida is that you hear phrases and ideas repeated in a comparatively short time. The first command to love the Lord is in Deuteronomy 5.  It is connected with obeying God in Deuteronomy 11:1 13 and 22 and 19:9, then again in 30:16 and 20. Joshua 22:5 and 23:11 mention it.  So does Psalm 31:23. Psalm 97:10 associates loving God with hating evil. Of course, Matthew 22:37-40 and Mark 12:30-31are the gospel account in which Jesus brings together loving God and loving one's neighbor.  In John 14, Jesus talks about the disciples loving Him by obeying Him. Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him.
         In addition to the passages in Matthew and Mark in which Jesus puts the ideas together, you can't read anything by John (except perhaps Revelation) in which loving others is not discussed. Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27 and 35 are all commands to love our enemies.  In Romans 13:8, Paul commanded us to love one another, and of course, I Corinthians 13:4-8 is a well-considered description of love.  Peter commanded us to love one another in   I Peter 1:22, and James does so in  James 2:8. The idea is first mentioned in Leviticus 19:18. 
        Many years ago, I heard that if God mentions something once, you need to pay attention. If He mentions it twice, you really need to take notice. If He mentions it more than twice.... I guess the obvious conclusion is that this is vitally important to God, but then, as John put it, God is love.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more