The Two Greatest Laws

When Yahshua was asked by a scribe what commandment was foremost, He replied, “The first of all the commandments is, hear, O Israel: Yahweh our Elohim is one master: And you shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

Yahweh tells us that if we keep His commandments we love Him. As for those who do not keep his commandments the love of the father is not in them. “But whoso keeps his word, in him is the love of Yahweh perfected: hereby know we that we are in him,” 1John 2:5. “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

The same message is found in John 14:21-24, John 15:9-10, 1John 3:24, and 1John 5:3. Many other verses show that through obedience to Yahweh’s Word, we are showing Yahweh that we love Him.

Yahshua said that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. We can see that same commandment given by Moses in Leviticus 19:18, “But you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am Yahweh.”

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? It means to love and treat the people we come into contact with as we would want to be treated ourselves.

“If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well” (James 2:8 ).

The follower of Yahweh will love and respect those around him, including his enemies. “For if you love them that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans so? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5: 46-48).

By loving your neighbor you are fulfilling the law (Rom. 13:8-10). Yahshua also tells us that there is no greater love than to give the ultimate sacrifice: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” John 15:13.

Yahshua demonstrated this by giving his own life so that we would have an atonement for our sins and could appear before him without blemish: “As the Father knows me, even so know I the father: and lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15).

The Messiah told us to love our enemies and pray for them. “You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy: but I say to you. love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you” (Matt. 5:43-44).

We as Yahweh’s True Believers should always keep our faith in Yahshua the Messiah, and look past one another’s faults, including those of our adversaries. We should strive for the perfection that Yahweh wants.

Keep in mind that when we were caught up in the sins of this world, we were Yahweh’s enemies. Through the love Yahweh showed us by giving us His only son, and allowing us an atonement for our sins, we try to show the same love to our enemies.

Paul reminds Timothy that we cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in this world. Our hearts and treasure must always be focused upon Yahweh, while being a bright and shining light to this world.

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise Elohim our savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever” (Jude 24-25).

Let us love one another from the heart and allow Yahweh’s spirit to grow within each one of us. May we remember that with the right heart we are already keeping Yahweh’s commandments. May we keep the faith of our only Savior and appear before His throne unblemished in preparing for the Kingdom.

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Posted in Biblical Law and Torah Studies.
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Gillian
Gillian
3 years ago

Thank you for your work.