THE GREATEST COMMAND

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

When commands are given it is expected that they will be obeyed. Commands are given by generals to their soldiers and if disobeyed they can be court-martialed. Commands are given to employees and if they are not carried out they can lose their jobs.  Parents give commands to their children and if they are not followed discipline often occurs. Those with designated authority give commands. Their position of authority is often earned or appointed, but it is a position where respect is expected. Commands often have a sense of coldness about them usually. They are not open for discussion or debate. The rule is to simply follow the commands that are given without question otherwise you will suffer the consequences.

 

How do we approach the commands God gives? Are God’s commands cold and hard? Is there a consequence for disobeying them or failing to carry them out? Does God have the right to give commands and expect us to obey them?

 

To answer these questions we must first understand who God is and His qualifications for giving such commands. Very likely the best way to understand why God can issue commands comes from the first verse in the Bible.

 

Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

 

Who is better qualified to give commands and orders in our lives than the God who created the universe and all it contains. God is in control and in charge. He maintains life and the order of all of creation (Colossians 1:17). Who is better to give commands than the Creator of all life and everything in existence?

 

God is also qualified to give commands and orders because He is perfectly good, holy, just and without sin (Leviticus 11:44, 45, 1 Peter 1:16). He never changes in character (Hebrews 6:17, James 1:17). His judgments are never plagued by emotions or shadowed by His having a bad day. He has pure wisdom in making decisions and any commands He gives are without question as to their value and purpose. This brings us to another aspect of God that establishes His right to give commands.

 

He is omniscient, or all knowing (Proverbs 2:6, 15:3, 1 John 3:20). He has complete knowledge of everything there is to know, including the past, present and future. Because of this, His commands are based on complete knowledge. He has perfect understanding of situations and conditions. There are no unforeseen circumstances for Him to consider for He foresees everything at all times. He knows that His commands are not only best for His will, but are best for all those concerned who must carry them out or live under them.

 

Finally, something that helps us understand why we can accept and follow our Heavenly Father’s commands is the fact that He is a loving God. He is not some stonehearted general or crusty old man who demands we cringe under the heavy weight of unjust orders. He is not overlooking our needs and our well being when He sets His commands before us. The following portions of scriptures are well known but often taken for granted. They illustrate a crucial aspect of the character of God that fosters a desire to obey His commands.

 

1 John 4:16

“God is love.”

 

John 3:16-17

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 

God loves like no one can. He knows all that lies deep within our hearts, minds and souls and yet He still loves us deeply. He knows we will not always obey His commands and still He is faithful to love us without measure. This character quality should motivate us to obey His commands because we are responding to orders given by someone who loves us more than anyone ever could.

 

So what is the greatest commandment that God has ever given to mankind?

 

Matthew 22:37-38

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

 

 

When we read this command we might be taken aback. How can someone, even God, command us to love Him? Love is defined in our day as an emotion that grows spontaneously as we grow in a relationship. How can we be ordered to love someone? Believe it or not, our present-day perceptions of what love is can often be distorted or inadequate of what true love is. True love is an act of the will. True love is more than a fleeting emotional desire. Much of love today is based on feelings. If we feel good, we can love. If it makes us feel good to love, we can love. If we can meet our needs by loving someone, we can love. God calls us to love Him not by how we feel or the condition of our circumstances. He calls us to love Him because He commands it and knows that love is a choice.

 

The love God commands us to give Him is one based on our will. We can choose to love Him and act on our choice. This means that we can make up our minds to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and obey His command. We do this by putting His word in our mind and letting it seep down into our heart. As we let His word permeate our heart and mind it pours over our soul and the emotions and convictions of love for Him develop. When we begin to act on our love through actions of service and worship we further establish our love for our Heavenly Father. When we have His word deep in our lives and listen for His Holy Spirit to speak to us, we foster the relationship we have with Him. We grow in our love for God and we find that there is nothing that can take the place of our love for our Creator and Lord.

 

Why does God command us to love Him? I believe there are several reasons. First, He desires us to love Him. He takes pleasure in being loved by us. He doesn’t need us to love Him for He exists independent from everything, but it does bring Him pleasure for our love to be expressed towards Him.

 

Secondly, He desires us to experience what its like to love Him and knows that we can experience no greater pleasure. God’s command to love Him is not just for His pleasure but also for ours as well. When we choose to obey the greatest command, we step into a lifelong relationship based on pure holy love for God. We were made by God to love Him and when we follow His instructions to love Him we feel complete and fulfill the purpose for which we were made.

 

Lastly, God very likely commands us to love by an act of the will and not by emotions or feelings because this it what it takes to love others. It’s easy to love those that love us. Its easy to love those who are easy to love; the intelligent, attractive and friendly individuals who come into our life. But we often come in contact with people who are unlovely, who are not only cranky but down right difficult to love because of their anger or behavior. The only way to love such people as servants of our Lord Jesus Christ is by choosing to do so through the power of the Spirit. We must choose to love those who persecute us or who cause us discomfort because our feelings tell us otherwise. God gives us the courage and power through His Spirit to carry out our decision for if left to ourselves we are incapable of loving in this manner.

 

Are you obeying the greatest commandment? If you aren’t, you’re missing out on the most fulfilling and pleasurable experience you can ever have. Seek ways in which you can love God with all your heart, mind and soul and see how it changes your relationship with Him and others.

 

Psalms 19:8

“The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”