The Greatest Commandment

A particularly damaging misconception about Jesus is that we cannot know Him as we know other people. We CAN know Him in the same way as we know other people, and even more because of His Spirit living within us. He is always with us whether we feel Him or not. We can know Him better than any other person. Another equally damaging misconception is that we can fully love Jesus without fully obeying Him. He said if we love Him we will obey His commandments. These are not just the commandments the Bible teaches us, but also the daily leading of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives.

Jesus said:

John 14:15

 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

These misconceptions continue because of man’s innately deceptive heart, which allows us to continue on in disobedience to Christ and yet continue to worship and pray as if nothing is wrong. Our hearts actively deceive us.

Jeremiah 17:9

 “The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?”

If one does not ever know Christ they will never know what the separation because of un-confessed sin feels like. If we don’t know Christ, we cannot possibly be saved.

 Jesus said :

Matthew 7:21-23

I Never Knew You

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

The fact that He says “I never knew you” proves that He can actually be known in person and in Spirit. What we must do is pray for our wills to be changed by God to His own will because our hearts and wills are innately deceptive and defiant towards God. We must give up our will, because we are innately sinful and cannot possibly make the best choices for ourselves, as only God can.

 Paul said there is nothing good in us (in our flesh):

Romans 7:18

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”

The practical implications of this misconception are extremely frightening and even horrifying. The thought that some “Christians” who attend church faithfully Sunday after Sunday being rejected by Christ because He never knew them is beyond what my soul can bear. Who is to blame? It is somewhat the fault of preachers not preaching the truth, but ultimately the blame lies on the people themselves who do not know Jesus.  We have the Bible available to each of us to read and we see this clearly in the word that we must KNOW Christ in person and in Spirit. The main topic of the Bible is relationship with God and it’s very hard to miss that unless the person is not reading it for themselves. The responsibility for personal relationship with God lays squarely on the shoulders of each of us. We are all commanded to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. This is the first and most important commandment, clearly shown in the Word, in both Old and New Testament. There is no excuse for not obeying it. 

Deuteronomy 6:5

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Matthew 22:37-38

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”