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Our only duty is to love God and neighbor

Does not the Bible say that all I need to do is to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves? So why do I see emphasis on the Ten Commandments at World's Last Chance?

 

A valid question that requires that we refer back to the Bible to see what is being said on this matter:

"Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting him, and saying, 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 neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:35-40).

In the above words we do not see that Christ was setting anything that would be considered a new dogma. He was merely answering the Lawyer's question 'Which is the great commandment in the law', and in His answer Christ quoted from the Old Testament. (See Deuteronomy 6:5 ; Leviticus 19:18 ). This means that the two great commandments to love God and to love our neighbor are rooted in the Old Testament. And the Jews who were commanded to love God and their neighbor were given at the same occasion a clear-cut command to keep the Ten Commandments . For "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Therefore, we see clearly that these two commandments given by Christ do not in any way take the place of the Ten Commandments. And it would be very faulty position to attempt to separate 'to love God and to love your neighbor' from the Ten Commandments. For according to the Bible you can not separate love from the law. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:2, 3). If we truly love our neighbor, we will not steel his belongings or kill him. Likewise, if we truly love God we will render full homage and worship to Him, and not fall for any other idol. We also remember to keep His Sabbath day as He has commanded, for we truly love Him with all our hearts. Be ware of the Christian who claims to love God yet disobeys Him. For "he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 4:2).

 

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