Love God and love people

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'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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).

God's desire for us is summed up with love God and love people. If we want to know God's will for us, those five words contain it. While we may get some flak at times, we can never, ever, go wrong if we love God and love others, as Jesus loves us.  His love reaches to save all people, no matter where they are or what they have done.  His love knows no boundaries, and neither should ours. 

One of Jesus's main objectives was to restore the image of God to that of the loving Father He will always be. He came to obliterate the false impression the enemy has painted since the beginning, of a God who is a harsh, judgmental, cruel, and a cold taskmaster. This false picture was continually reinforced by the religious leaders of Jesus' day, who knew little about love and could not even see God's love sent to save them.

Jesus was the first one to call God our Father. He was the first to reveal the name, Abba, which means Daddy.  Jesus' life, actions, and death restored the right image of God for all who have eyes to see.  He repeatedly tells us that we have seen precisely what the Father and Holy Spirit look like in seeing Him.

…whoever has seen me has seen the Father… (John 14:9)

Sadly, since Jesus' day, the enemy has succeeded again in corrupting the true image of God in the minds of many.  The church needs to restore the image of God revealed in Jesus Christ. This world needs the love of Jesus that gathers and fulfils all things (Rom 13:18-10), not the letter of the law that only scatters.

It is the love and kindness of God that gathers, leading to repentance. Let us love and encourage everyone, everywhere, all the time, no matter what it may cost us, just like Jesus. 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NAS).

​Michael Edwards
Florida, USA - faithwriters.com; info@grace-lines.net