In Matthew chapter 22, Jesus spoke:
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.”
The question is how do we fulfill this commandment? How do we express our Love to the Creator of the universe? The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 John chapter 2:
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The first great commandment is to Love FATHER and we do so by keeping and acting on HIS Word as the Beloved Disciple wrote. IF we are keeping HIS Word then we are uninterested in what the world has to offer. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life no longer have any power over our focus and attention. They have become non-events that are of no consequence to those who are keeping FATHER’S Word. In John chapter 14 Jesus spoke:
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
When we keep the commandments without question or complaining, we are expressing our Love, trust, and faith in both the FATHER and the Son. Are there any commandments meant to do us harm? Not at all. Each commandment is meant to lead us toward unity, eternal life, and a closeness with both FATHER and Our Lord Jesus Christ. If we want to be well pleasing to FATHER, let us walk in faith by adhering to HIS commandments. Let us not do it out of duty or by some formula, but let it become our way of life. How else can we become HIS expression on earth other than hearing and responding to HIS Pure Word in our lives? Keeping the first commandment becomes easy as we realize that the motivation of all HIS commands are based on HIS Love for us. Let us respond accordingly.