TOPICS LIST: http://www.eztech.combibletalks/topics.htm EMAIL: bibletalks@eztech.com Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Bible Talks about THE GREATEST AND NEW COMMANDMENTS. WHAT ARE THE GREATEST AND NEW COMMANDMENTS? MATTHEW 22:37 "Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." MATTHEW 22:38 "This is the first and great commandment." MATTHEW 22:39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Also in Mark 12:30,31; John 15:12.13). WHAT ABOUT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS GIVEN AT MT. SINAI? (These two commandments replace the Law, the 10 commandments given at Mt.Sinai to Israel. Israel could not keep the Law. Jesus the Messiah then fulfilled the Law, the 10 commandments, and released Israel from keeping the Law). MATTHEW 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." ROMANS 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." ROMANS 7:6 " But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." WHO IS TO FOLLOW THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? (No one is under the Law today. The 10 commandments were for the Israelites only, for only they had a covenant with God to follow the Law. Gentiles were not a part of the covenant. Since Jesus fulfilled the Law, both Jew and Gentile are to follow the new commandments. They cover everything the 10 commandments covered and much more.) (Reread Bible Talks # 11, "Ten Commandments: For Whom?") IN THE NEW COMMANDMENT, WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE GOD. HOW CAN WE LOVE GOD? (We love God when we obey His word and love our fellow man). 1. BY OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD: JOHN 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments". JOHN 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 2. BY LOVING OUR BROTHER AND NEIGHBOR. GALATIANS 5:14 " For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 1 JOHN 3:10. ".... Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." 1 JOHN 4:21 "And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also". WHAT MUST WE DO OR SAY THAT SHOWS WE ARE "LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR?" (By doing things to him and for him that are pleasing to God and of benefit to our neighbor). EXAMPLES OF "LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR." EPHESIANS 4:28. Work so that you will have something to share with others. DEUTERONOMY 15:7. Don't harden your heart or close your hand from your poor brother. JAMES 5:16. Pray for one another. JAMES 4:11. Speak well, not evil, of one another. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11. Build up one another. EPHESIANS 4:32. Be kind hearted. Be forgiving. GALATIANS 5:13. Through love serve one another. 6:2. Help bear each other's burdens. ROMANS 4:13. Do not judge one another. 1 JOHN 1:7. Have fellowship with each other. 1 CORINTHIANS 12:25. Care for each other. ROMANS 15:17. accept one another. 1 JOHN 3:18. Love in deed and truth, not just in word. WE ARE TO LOVE EVEN OUR ENEMIES, PERSONS WHO WISH US HARM IN ANY MANNER. PROVERBS 24:17 "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;..." LUKE 23:34. "....Father forgive them..." (Jesus asked for forgiveness for those who were killing Him). LUKE 6:27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,..." LUKE 6:28 "bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." ACTS 7:60 "Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Steven did as Jesus did - he forgave his slayers). ROMANS 12:19 "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord." ROMANS 12:20 "Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." BY LOVING OUR FELLOW-MAN WE ARE ALSO LOVING GOD BECAUSE WHATEVER WE DO TO ANY PERSON WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING TO GOD! MALACHI 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings." MATTHEW 10:40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me". MATTHEW 25:35 -40. "... 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;.... And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." LUKE 10:16 "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." JOHN 13:20 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." ACTS 5:4 (Ananias lied to the disciples about selling his property) "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." ACTS 9:4,5. " Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?....And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting...." SO WHATEVER WE ARE DOING TO OTHERS WE ARE DOING TO GOD. WHEN WE DO THINGS THAT BLESS THEM OR HELP THEM WE ARE LOVING GOD AND THEREBY OBEYING HIS GREATEST AND NEW COMMANDMENTS. In order to receive a particular Bible Talks, go to: http://www.eztech.com/bibletalks/topics.htm to select a Bible Talks by topic. Click on the topic you want and print or read on the screen.