One thing I will point out, though, is that it seems to me that there was a reason this one was given by Christ, and not on the mountain to Moses. It was done this way because following Christ is more important than following the law. Christ came to perfect the law, after all, not to destroy it (Matthew 5:17). And that is how we arrive at number eleven.
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
John 13:34
One thing I will make clear on this point, and I will not back down from it, is that this Commandment from Jesus does not in any way excuse or exclude the Ten given from the Father. In fact, it expands the Ten given from the Father exponentially. Think about it for a second, if you will... seeing the love that Jesus shows, and modeling that love for all that you encounter, knowing that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that imitation is the highest form of flattery... putting all that together means that we are certainly focused on God as God first, recognizing that He loved us; we are not giving credit or homage to anything other than the Father; we certainly are not using His name in vain; this love would extend to the honoring of our parents, the reason and love with which we would look upon any and all offenses, the protection of our marriages, the truth that we must tell, and the contentment that we would have.
And we should note that it is Jesus who gives us the definition of which people are classified as "neighbors" in the world, and it is ALL PEOPLE! Anyone you come into contact with, regardless of race, creed, religion, lifestyle, age, or any other such ridiculous and human characteristic is our neighbor. And as His love is unconditional and covers completely, so should the love of those who follow Him be.
You see, there is a difference between believing in Him and believing Him. Believing in Him acknowledges His place and purpose. It defines that He is Savior and Lord of all, the Son of God, the Messiah, the only Name that saves, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel! But believing Him means that you trust in what He says He will do, and that you follow what He tells you to do... and that means that we show love that is unbridled and unconditional, pouring grace upon grace upon grace onto all people with reckless abandon to the glory of God the Father. Because if you keep thinking about it, when you look (as I have recently) at what you actually deserve and have earned in response to the nature into which you were born, there will NEVER be a time that either you or me or any other person on this planet can say that they "deserve" the love that is shown from God and from Christ. Further, if you (as we have recently) look into the law as it was given and recognize that it was given with the precise purpose to show that we are INCAPABLE of keeping it, you bring yourself back down to the level at which we all should be... we are the creature, and He is the Creator.
Go out today, and show love to all as Jesus shows it to you. Do not hold back any more than He did, and do not stop any shorter than He did. Make certain you forgive every area that He forgives, and listen just as well as He listens.
With that, I'll say that I love you all, and there's nothing you can do to stop it! And, as always, I pray grace and peace over each and every one of you.
God bless you all!!!
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