Most Christians are familiar with the passage in Matthew chapter 22 and Jesus’ response to the question, Which is the great commandment in the law? His response was that we are to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. The gospel writer Mark adds to that list, all our strength. That is, we are to love God supremely. With everything that we are. We are to love Him completely.
But how do we know if we love God like that? I’m sure most Christians would say, Of course I love God supremely. But do they?
Can we define what it means to Love God supremely?
I don’t have all of the answers, but there is one part of the answer that I’m sure of and that is this: To Love God Supremely is To Love God the way Jesus Loves the Father.
We can widen that picture by saying it is the way each member of the Trinity loves all of the other members of the trinity. The way the Father loves the Son and the Spirit. The way the Son loves the Father and the Spirit. The way the Spirit loves the Father and the Son.
To love God supremely
is to love God the way
Jesus loves the Father.
In other words, the way a perfect God loves Himself perfectly.
That kind of love does not exist outside of the Trinity. Nevertheless it is our calling.
To love God the way that God loves Himself. That is a perfect love.
The fact that we will never be able to love God with a perfect love in this life is not a reason to ignore the command or to give up. We are still under an obligation to try. Our effort is as important as our progress. Without effort nothing will be accomplished. Some progress is better than no progress.
So we are to love. Certainly we are to love others, as the second part of Jesus’ answer makes clear. But most of all we are to love God.
When we love God supremely – when that is our desire and goal, when that is our effort, the other areas of the Christian life will fall into place.
Just Love Jesus.
Love Him with everything you have. Love Him with everything you are. Love Him most of all. Love Him above all.
Make loving Jesus your purpose. Your life’s ambition.
Make loving Jesus what your life is all about.
Stay in the Word
Pastor Steve
A Word for the Week 