“And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” 1 John 3:23
“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29
“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 22:37-40
I love how He really summed up ALL the commandments by essentially combining them into two commandments. The first four commandments are God related (vertical) and the last 6 are mankind related (horizontal). If we believe in Jesus, we will by shear love for Him want to keep the first four commandments. If we love one another, again, just by shear desire to do this we will keep the last 6 commandments.
Just think if we believe in Jesus we won’t have a desire to serve other gods, make idols, profane His name. (Now, I am not sure about the fourth commandment, it doesn’t seem like many keep this commandment anymore. I need to do some serious research on this one. I know God has never rescinded any of His commandments, so it is still a viable commandment.)
In the same way, if we love each other, we will desire to honor our parents, we won’t lie to each other, steal from each other, we won’t commit adultery, covet what each other has, kill each other.
But, can we do this ALL on our own? No, of course not, when we believe in Jesus, He will give us the strength and power to keep these commandments. We can NEVER do it in our own strength. The desire will come when we commit our lives to Him and allow Him to do the work in our lives.
I am so thankful that He doesn’t leave us to our own strength to do His will, once we accept His gift of salvation. He is always right with us, guiding us, empowering us and strengthening us.
“But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” John 16:13
“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
“Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:11
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