Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Most Christian doctrine focuses on the second commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. See the link at the bottom of this article for my note on the second commandment.

Ps 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil...

The first command guides the second, in that we won't ignore sin and wickedness in others (because God does not ignore sin in anyone, and He hates sin), but that we will warn them to the saving of their soul, not sitting back and "loving" them in their sin while they run headlong into hell. The most hateful thing you can do to someone is to let them think they're ok when you know they're heading straight into destruction and the lake of fire.

We absolutely must first focus on the first commandment! We can't even hope to successfully obey the second commandment if we do not obey the first!

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength!

This is the ROOT of everything!

This is the FIRST thing!

Without a consuming love for God, before everything and anything else, we aren't obeying the first and greatest commandment.

Without a consuming love for God, we don't have a burning desire to please Him.

Without a consuming love for God, we don't care most in our lives about what He cares about and hate what He hates.

Without a consuming love for God, we don't have the foundation to even have any faith.

If our love for God does not overshadow everything else in our life, we have no salvation, no faith, no virtue, no Holy Spirit, no knowledge, no Godliness, no ANYTHING!

God is a holy God! He's pure, righteous, just, true!

1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy ; for I am holy.

We should live a holy life, free from wickedness, walking in His ways and worshiping Him in all we do.

Hab 1:13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.

Think about it for a second. When you're in love, you are consumed by the person you fell in love with. You can't stop thinking about them. Your every waking moment is spent thinking about how you can please them and be with them and make them smile and laugh! You're consumed by them!

Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength means we are consumed by Him! We should be IN LOVE WITH HIM!

We should hate even the thought of wickedness. It should make our heart break to hurt Him so badly by having sin in our life or around us in any way!

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

God loves us so much that He came to the earth as a man and died for us!

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

How can we not love Him back with the same passion and consuming desire as we do those we love on the earth?

Jesus said, "Matt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

If someone does love God above all things it's apparent in their life. Their fruits give them away.

• They are eager to study His word.
• They seek Him in every thing, not their own.
• They hate sin.
• They desire His gifts.
• They obey Him and study His word to find the things that He loves and the things that he hates.
• They hang out with other people who are Godly and love God with all their heart.

If someone does NOT love God above all things it's apparent in their life. Their fruits give them away.

• They treat Him like a gold-digger treats their rich husband! Shower me with presents and give me things I want!
• They make excuses to not study His word and be around others who love the Lord.
• They hang out with worldly people instead of Godly people.
• They argue about things like obedience and putting God before family and friends.
• They try to find ways to make people who love God look bad so they can justify their own sin and disobedience.
• They love to point fingers in an ungodly fashion.

How can we be around people that do not love God without feeling like we're rubbing our soul against sand paper?

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

How can we sin without feeling revulsion for our own wickedness?

The fulfilling of the law is to love God, which means we're not bound by the law, BUT we love God so we can use the law to give us information on what God loves and hates, right? Paul says love for others means we don't lie, cheat, steal, or do anthing that would hurt them, so loving GOD should be the MOST important and doing things that please Him!

We should do all the things He loves and hate all the things He hates!

So what does God love, and what does He hate?

Things God loves:

• Modesty!

  • Prov 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

    1 Tim 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

    Prov 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

    Turn away from the worldly ways of showing your nakedness (your bare skin) for everyone to see!

    Be modest for God! This includes men, not just women!

    Ex 20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. Ex 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

• A cheerful giver

  • 2 Cor 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

• Humility

  • Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

  • Prov 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

  • James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

• Mercy / Forgiveness

  • Matt 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

  • Dan 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

• Righteousness

  • Ps 146:8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

• Those who love Him and Pursue Him in obedience!

  • Ex 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

  • Prov 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

• Praise

  • Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

  • Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Things God hates:

• Sexual sin!!!

  • Click here to see my article on sexual sin and how much God absolutely hates it!

  • Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (This doctrine of the Nicolaitans is the teaching that sexual immorality is ok, just like today's teaching that being gay and free sexuality is ok)

• Liars

  • Zech 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate , saith the LORD.

• Pride

  • Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

• Murderers, Pride, Liars, Plotting Evil against another, Being Quick to Mischief, Sowing Strife

  • Prov 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

• Adutlery

  • Ezek 22:11 And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law;

• Being a friend of the world

  • James 4:4 ... know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

  • 1 John 2:15 Love not the world , neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

• Loving and/or helping those who are ungodly and hate God

  • 2 Chron 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

TAKE HEED that you LOVE GOD!

Josh 23:8 But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. 9 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. 11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. 12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: 13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

Pick up your Bible and read 2 Peter 1:1-11. Pray for those 8 things daily and seek them with all your heart! Those 8 things please the Lord and ensure your salvation!

2 Peter 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Eccl 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

 

For more information, see the following pages:

The second commandment and what it means - click here

The conclusion of the Whole Matter - click here