New Testament Christianity is the response of a born-again believer to the supernatural creator God. This creator God reveals Himself as the God who is an intimate Father of perfect saving love. Therefore, Christianity is correctly characterized as a religion of love. Loving those who were in rebellion against Him, God the Father created a plan of salvation in which the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ, would become man and die for the sins of those who were the objects of God the Father’s saving love. The incarnate Jesus Christ faithfully accomplished that plan on Calvary. The Father and the Son together sent their Spirit to apply that accomplished salvation in the life of each of those who were the object of God’s love. All this work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was done to save sinners from a life of misery and lead them into glory. Believing in this and being overwhelmed by this amazing reality of divine love sustains love for God in a manner that the Greatest Commandment requires. Matthew 22:35-38, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
The Background for Christ’s Answer
The answer that Jesus provided to the lawyer in Matthew 22:37, “‘You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
was not a new answer. Jesus knew that the lawyer was a recognized expert
in the law of God as revealed in all the Old Testament. In particular,
the lawyer was an expert concerning the first five books of the Bible, the
books of Moses, or simply, the books of the law. Jesus’ answer was
referencing Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Deuteronomy 6:1, “Now
this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and
judgments which the Lord your
God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land
which you are crossing over to possess.” The children of Israel were
preparing to go into and conquer a new land, the promised land. There
would finally be a home for these homeless people. The children of Israel
had been in the land of Egypt for 400 years. Even though they were
brought out of that land of bondage by God’s mighty hand, they rebelled against
God as He led them to the promised land. After wandering for 40 years in
the wilderness, God, by His grace, was ready to lead them into this land
flowing with milk and honey. But the children of Israel needed to know
how to live in this new land. God repeats, reiterates, and restates His
law that they desperately stood in need of as they were called to live to God’s
glory in their new home. This law, given now the second time, (hence the
name of the book), Deuteronomy, is so that God’s people can not only survive,
but thrive in the new land. Deuteronomy, 6:2-5, “that
you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His
commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the
days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore
hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be
well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of
your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ “Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your strength.”
A Different Type of Obedience
God had given many laws and statutes covering every area of
their lives. Were these people of this new land, this promised land,
supposed to obey all these laws? Were these people of God supposed to
yield their own wills and desires to this law of God? The answer is,
“Yes, of course, absolutely.” While that is the correct answer, it is
crucial that we understand first and foremost, that God wants more than outward
obedience. God wants more than lips that always say the right
things. God wants more than hands that always do the right things.
God wants more than feet that always walk in the right paths. God wants
all those things. But, primarily, He wants our hearts. God wanted
this people of Israel to love Him deeply, personally, intimately, uniquely, and
passionately. In the same manner, God wants us to love Him deeply,
personally, intimately, uniquely, and passionately. God wanted their
all. God wants our all. He wants us, in fact, He commands us to
love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind.