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Make the world a better place
pastor corner

Perhaps one of the greatest utterances of the Lord was when He was being tempted by the religious leaders of His day. Yes, the religious leaders sought to entrap the Lord and to test His knowledge of the Law. 

This conversation can be seen in Matthew 22:36 – 40. The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt.22:36-40). They must have been shocked to hear Jesus summarize the Law. Love of God, and love of fellow man.

The Ten Commandments (summary of the Law of Moses) showed this very thing.

The first four commandments have to do with man’s relationship with God and the last six with man’s relationship with man.

This answer by Jesus is one that would change the world of only men would follow His commands. All men need to seek God with their very being. God loved man enough to send Jesus to die for man’s sin, man ought to be thankful enough to return that love.

However, God also gave man the power to choose who they want to serve, and many choose to serve Satan rather than God.

As to caring for one’s fellow man, Paul wrote, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of other”. (Phil. 2:3-4). Some fall into the snare of Satan by only looking to their own desires. Many do not even realize the “snare has been sprung” about them until they have turned their backs on God and their fellow man. Christians must be on guard all the time against Satan’s attacks. Some who fail the caring test are extremely versed in the scriptures, but knowing the scriptures is not enough. One must act upon what they know.

James put it this way, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). It is possible to deceive oneself into thinking that it is everyone else who needs to be doing more. They feel they are perfect individuals when they are ensnared in the trap of Satan.

God’s word tells how early Christians acted toward God and each other. They obeyed the gospel of Christ, and then began to care for each other.

“And all that believed were together and had all things common” (Acts 2:44); “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common” (Acts 4:32).

Christians must remember the words of the Lord, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself ”. This world can be a better place.

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