Fulfilling the First and Great Commandment

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. –Matthew 22:37&38.

Many of you are familiar with the account of Ananias and Sapphira, found in Acts 5:1-11. Leading up to this account we find that the early believers in Christ were living together in one accord; even to the point of selling their possessions; the proceeds of which were then distributed amongst the brethren, as each had need. Ananias and Sapphira were among these believers.

Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,  And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. –Acts 4:34 & 35.

Ananias and his wife sold their property, giving only a portion of it to the apostles-although they claimed that it was the full price they had received! Each of them then fell dead at the apostles’ feet. This story has several applications, but I now focus on only one; that Ananias and Sapphira falsely claimed to have given all to God, when they were really holding out on Him. They conspired to do this deliberately. I think that we today, especially in America, also commit this sin; but we do it by rationalizing away the need for obedience to this First and Great Commandment.

Most of the time that this great commandment is addressed among believers, it is taken together with the second great commandment, as we find here;

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.–Mark 12:29-31.

What I have been observing in the organized church is an emphasis to fulfill the 2^nd great commandment as if it were the first. Churches here often work to satisfy the material needs in the world surrounding them, but neglect the need of their salvation. How can we fulfill the 2^nd command, without having done the 1^st? We would only be operating in our own wisdom, not God’s. There is a perverse reasoning at work here. The churches have learned that they will be well received for giving away food, clothing, and services. Frankly, this amounts to a bribe. Esau sold his birthright for food, and God despised him for it. In John 6, the people wanted Jesus to be their king, NOT because He was God incarnate, but because He had fed them food! Please read the account for yourself, there are 71 verses. If Jesus Christ directly showed us that He wouldn’t accept this type of reasoning, why do we do it today? God warns us about the taking of gifts;

And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. –Exodus 23:8.

every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. –Proverbs 19:6b.

We need to keep the 1^st great commandment prioritized over the 2^nd. I believe that the reason Jesus puts these two together is a reminder not to merely spiritualize our love for God; we must show it also in a tangible way, as other scriptures point out.

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. –James 2:15-17.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.  –I John 4:20 & 21.

What I’d like to point out now is some of the bad spiritual fruit (Matthew 7:16-20) that often accompanies a professing Christian life where the First and Great Commandment isn’t being fulfilled.

Understanding Salvation. Many who profess Christ today have never even been saved. To receive salvation, we must first see ourselves as God sees us-hopeless sinners who are incapable of achieving the righteousness of God. We must first repent of our sins; which means to ask forgiveness, and then turn away from wicked works. But then we must receive Jesus Christ for our salvation, for it was His blood that atoned for our sins. Acts 3:18 & 19; Romans 3:10-12, 5:8; Titus 3:5-7.

Counting the Cost. There really is a cost in becoming a genuine Christian, even though our works can never save us (Ephesians 2:8 & 9). We will not be popular. Our approach to life is one of self denial, and the daily crucifying of the flesh. This one passage says it all;

 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. and whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. or which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish…  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. –Luke 14:26-30 & 33.

Prayer and Devotions.   It is incredible to me that so many who profess Christ spend almost no time seeking Him alone. And just as bad are those who take time for Him only at the end of their day! How can Jesus be your Lord, when you aren’t even attempting to put Him first? Just look at this example from Jesus directly, and understand how crucial prayer is for the start of your day;

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. –Mark 1:35.

Dependency on God Alone. This goes hand-in-hand with the above mentioned need for prayer. To go out and take on the obligations of your day without seeking God is like claiming that you can live a pleasing life for Him without His power. We need to recognize that all of our enablement for God’s service actually comes from Him. That’s why God gave us the Holy Spirit.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. –John 15:4 & 5.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. –Luke 24:49.

Worthless Religious Works. Those forsaking the great commandment often begin to place their confidence in religious good works. Hey, it’s a lot easier to devote a portion of your physical energy than it is to bring your heart, mind, and soul into submission, right? And so their devotion focuses on church attendance, holiday services, and putting a check in the offering plate. All that they do is coming from learned and accepted religious practices; they are content in their ways, and go unchallenged!

Real Christian service comes from seeking God’s will, and following that which He reveals to you; this will have grounding in God’s Word. Remember that “to obey is better than sacrifice” according to the scripture (I Samuel 15:22).

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. –I Corinthians 3:10 & 11.

 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. –Galatians 4:9-11.

Studying God’s Word. There is probably a decided lack of Bible study in one that isn’t fulfilling the great commandment. If there is any study at all, it is often corrupted by being incomplete, or in just by taking the study and determination of a “learned” Christian leader. In other words, they will not look at the Bible objectively and thoroughly for themselves; they simply won’t take the time for it. Maybe they think it is the pastor’s job, because he’s being paid for it!

It is our duty as believers to study God’s Word, and to know that the truth is being preached. This is for our benefit, and we can’t get out of it. If our souls have been regenerated in Christ, we should then have a longing to know more about the God who saved us!

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. –Acts 17:10 & 11.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. –Matthew 7:24 & 25.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. –Romans 10:17.

Worldly Affections. Today’s church in America is worldly. They love the world, long for its pleasures, and don’t want to leave it. I was at a fellowship meal gathering in a home after the church service. All of the conversation was about sports, video games, and other temporal distractions. No one seemed to care about real Christian living in this evil world. Sometimes there is a close acquaintance that is facing a terminal disease, and how do we take it? By hoping that they can be cured by doctors, after long, expensive, dubious treatments- only to spend a couple more months or years in this miserable world! It seems that these would rather have the torments of the flesh than the blessed home Jesus has promised for His own! In cases such as these, we really ought to wonder whether such a person is in right relationship with God at all. I’m tired of seeing this! I read about converted brethren in places like China, Iran, and Israel, who really choose suffering when they choose Jesus. These do rejoice for the peace God has given, in spite of any momentary cost. Eternity is better than earth! Brethren, we need to separate ourselves from the world, and worldly affections.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?  –Luke 9:23-25.

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. –John 15:18 & 19.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. –II Corinthians 4:16-18.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. –James 4:4.

We understand that as long as we are in the flesh, that we will never achieve the full perfection God wants us to have (Matthew 5:48). Yet we ought to be pursuing that perfection, crucifying the flesh, and putting away bad fruit. Keeping the First and Great Commandment in view is a good place to start. Have you really given your all to God? That is what He requires; and if we love Him, we shall.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 3:12-14.