What does it look like to love God with all our heart?  According to Jesus, the two greatest commandments are to love God and our neighbors.  What the world teaches about love is pure fantasy.  Jesus did not emphasize not to lie, steal, or cheat.  He went deep into our stone cold hearts to highlight the 2 commands that all scripture spring from.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And then He added, and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets.”  Every word, every page of scripture, every move of the Spirit, every definition of holiness, all hangs on love.

The world crisis remains a lack of love for one another. The modern church is built on attendance, not on real affection.  Pulpits teach how to defend truth, but not how to demonstrate sacrificial love. Many think they are mature in Christ because they graduated from a 3 day seminar or seminary, but they struggle to forgive a  family member or the guy who cut them off in traffic. Being clear on pre-trib while gossiping.  Pridefully taking Bible notes but ignoring the widows and orphans.  Check list reading the Bible, but fretting over a neighbors unkempt yard. Our failures to love the unlovable is a self-deceived fraudulent faith. According to Jesus, the highest command isn’t doctrinal accuracy, it’s love. The loudest worshiper may skip to the next Christian event, but fail to choose love over a comfort zone.  Jesus loved those who brutally thrashed Him. Do we deny our flesh to love and forgive those who are cruel to us? If we honestly examine our love life, we have reason enough to repent. “Do I actually love God, or do I just agree with Scripture?” Because love is more than nodding along with the Sermon on the Mount.  It’s more than just admiring what Jesus accomplished on the cross, it is picking up our cross to follow His sacrificial example of love.

Love is persistently moving. Love lays hands on the sick. Loving hearts grieve over what grieves God.  The cost of love for Jesus was paid in tears, suffering, rejection, mocking, abandonment. If our love for God doesn’t cost us anything, it may not be the real thing. We are commanded to love one another as God loves every soul He created. He pours out His mercy on the just and unjust.  Jesus loves the sinner and the saint.