I’m not titling this anything, just putting it out there as something I personally want to express today.
For me, it is a biblical fact that if my relationship with Christ doesn’t translate into greater love for others, something is either missing or wrongly understood. I can think of no clearer way to communicate this than as Paul instructed the church at Rome:
“Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).
Yes, there are many other commandments. I may have my points about what is righteous and unrighteous, about what is sin and what isn’t sin, about what is God’s standard and what is not. But this is clear: all other commandments are summed up in “Love your neighbor as yourself,” or treat others the way you would want to be treated. This is the top actionable directive from God and is therefore my daily objective. If I miss this, I’ve missed. All the piety in the world does not replace this as my daily task. For me, this is the output of my thriving, amazing, and fascinating relationship with Christ, and it is the end goal of accurately representing Him.
When I stand before the Lord one day to give an account of my life, I do not fear judgment. I don’t fear condemnation. I don’t fear being exposed to the whole world watching the interview on a big screen. I am totally confident there will be nothing but love coming from Him. And the housewarming love gift I want to give to Him as I enter my eternal home is to be able to say, “Lord, with the love You filled my life with, I went for the sum of all Your commandments: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ That was how I sought to honor You.”
With so many voices out there trying to direct my Christian duty, I am glad His voice is clear.
Leave a Reply