Love : The Greatest Commanment

LOVE: THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

Saints, the Lord has commanded me to minister the message of cleanliness to the Body of Christ. He has placed urgency in my spirit that if we have not until now, we must clean ourselves immediately. God wants complete holiness. He is returning for a church that is without spot or blemish and we will not be a part of that church He is returning for if we are almost clean. Some have measured holiness by factors such as gifts, participation and dedication in the church but I submit to you saints that this is not enough. We need only to be satisfied when we are spotless of sin.

Galatians 5:13

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Liberty: power to do what one pleases; freedom from restraint.

Much of the Body of Christ has laid aside the importance of being clean. When we were once held captive by sin, our conscience was bound and we could not obey the commandment to love even when we wanted to. Now that we have been made free, what are we choosing? Are we choosing sin or righteousness, love or iniquity? If we are not loving as the spirit loves, we will always sin. When I sin it is because the pleasures I can experience through this natural body is more important than the well-being of my brother. When you sin it is because the pleasures you can experience through your natural body is more important than the well-being of your brother. This is what Apostle Paul means by using liberty for an occasion to the flesh. Many of us, as God wants us to, have examined ourselves. We have taken inventory of our hearts, and come to the conclusion that we are not clean, but God does not want His people dismayed. If He has called us to holiness, He has shown us a route.

Galatians 5:14-15

14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

The Apostle Paul teaches us that the whole law is fulfilled through genuine love for our brother. Let us compare the way we love our brother or our sister with the way we love ourselves. If we are honest, we would admit that our love for others comes second to our love for ourselves. If we can answer no the question of whether we love our neighbor as ourselves, we should answer yes to the question of whether we bite and devour one another. A lack of love is the same thing. To bite and devour is not to consider our brother, gossip about our sister and have no regard for leadership. When aspects such as these are in a church family it stems from a lack of love. Because we love ourselves, we would not sit back calmly while someone accuses, demeans or discourages us. If we truly loved our brother, we would not allow someone to do so to them. When I need mercy, I want mercy to be granted. Why then, would I not grant the same to my sister in her time of need if I really loved her as I do myself. When we can, we do everything in our power to make life easier, burdens lighter for ourselves. We say that we love one another in purity but when tested we do not always do this for our neighbor.