What is the Greatest Commandment? | GotQuestions.org

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Today's question is, what is the greatest commandment? In this video I'll answer that question from a biblical perspective.

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Afterwards, as always, I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end. Jesus was asked this very question by a

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Pharisee who was considered to be an expert in the law, Matthew 22, verses 34 -36.

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Jesus answered by saying, "...love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.

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This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself."

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All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments, Matthew 22, verses 37 -40.

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Jesus gives us two commandments that summarize all the laws and commandments in Scripture. The ten commandments in Exodus 20 deal with our relationship with God and then our relationship with other people.

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One naturally flows out of the other. Without a right relationship with God, our relationships with others will not be right either.

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The cause of the world's problems is that man needs to be reconciled with God. We will never love our neighbor as ourselves if we do not first love

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God with all our heart, mind, and soul. All of man's best efforts toward world peace will fail as long as men are living in rebellion against God.

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When asked by another Pharisee how one could inherit eternal life, Jesus answered that it is by keeping these two commandments,

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Luke 10, verses 25 -37. Only two commandments to obey, yet how often do we, like this

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Pharisee, try to justify ourselves? Because saying we obey these commandments is much easier than really living according to them.

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When carefully considered, Jesus' answer was really a perfect response not only to the

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Pharisees of His day but also to all modern -day Pharisees who try to measure a person's righteousness by how well he conforms outwardly to a series of laws and commandments.

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Both the Pharisees of Christ's day and today's many versions create a whole system of rules and regulations for people to live by and yet are guilty of breaking the most important commandments of all because they cleanse the outside of the cup and dish but not the inside in Matthew 23, verses 25 -26.

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When we prayerfully consider Jesus' words and the fact that all the laws and commandments in Scripture can really be summarized by these two commandments, we understand just how impossible it is for us to keep

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God's commandments and how often we fail to do so and can therefore never be righteous before God on our own accord.

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That only leaves us with one hope, and that is that God justifies the ungodly. Romans 4, verse 5.

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God's law and our failure to keep it brings about wrath. Romans 4, verse 15.

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But God demonstrates His own love towards us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

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Romans 5, verse 8. While we will never keep God's commandments or be righteous before Him by our own efforts,

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Christ did. It is His sacrificial death on the cross that causes our sins to be imputed to Him and His righteousness to be imputed to us.

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Romans 4, 5. That is why, if you confess with your mouth the

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Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

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For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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Romans 10, verses 9 -10. After all, the gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.

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For the just shall live by faith. Romans 1, verses 16 -17.

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Because Jesus answered this very question and His answer is recorded in Scripture, we don't have to wonder or search for the answer ourselves.

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The only question left to answer is, do we live according to these commandments? Do we truly love

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God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds? And do we really love our neighbor as ourselves?

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If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we do not. But the good news is, the law and the commandments were given as a tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

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Galatians 3, verse 24. Only as we realize our sinfulness and hopelessness will we turn to Christ alone as the only hope of salvation.

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As Christians, we strive to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And as our hearts and minds are transformed by the indwelling presence of the

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Holy Spirit, we are able to begin to love others as ourselves. Yet we still fail to do so, which again drives us back to the cross of Christ and the hope of salvation that stems from the imputed righteousness of Christ and not from any merit of our own.

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Want to learn more? Subscribe so you don't miss the next video! Visit GotQuestions .org for more great content.

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And check out the details section below this video, there you'll find one book I recommend, along with links to several related questions.

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If you'd like to learn about Bible Munch, or if you're interested in Bite -sized devotionals, subscribe to Bible Munch on YouTube, it's linked right here.