The First Commandment - Love

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. 

Mark 12:30

This is the first and greatest commandment -  that we are to love God!

To understand how we are to love God first and foremost, then others and ourselves, we must know what the Bible teaches on the subject. The spiritual fruit of love, this powerful force, is not the type of lustful or carnal love depicted by the world. It is “unfeigned” love, which means it is a holy, pure love. Unfeigned love is the type of love we are to show to others:

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. 1 Peter 1:22

This command did not start when Jesus came on the scene, God commanded the children of Israel:  

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  Deuteronomy 6:5

It was told to the historian, Luke:

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.  Luke 10:27

Our love for God is tested by our obedience to Him:

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  John 14:23

But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.  1 John 2:5

There is no misunderstanding or misinterpreting this commandment.  Jesus could not have put it more clearly:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.  John 14:15

The second greatest commandment is love of others:

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.   Mark 12:31

Jesus wants us to love others as much as He loves us:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  John 13:34

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. . .

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  John 15:9, 12

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.   John 17:26

It is by love that you are recognized as a believer:

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  John 13:35

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.  1 John 3:14

If we do not love other believers, God's love is not in us:

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  1 John 2:9-10

Jesus emphasized this to the disciples:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  John 13:34   

Love of other believers results in spiritual unity which is a powerful force. When the disciples were united in prayer, 

*        Pentecost happened                               (Acts 2), 

*       They were of "one heart and mind"     (Acts 4:32) and 

*         With power continued to testify          (Acts 4:33), 

*        They devoted themselves to the unity of fellowship (Acts 2:42) and 

*         Many signs and wonders were done  (Acts 2:43).

All other principles of spiritual power, all spiritual gifts, all ministries must operate through the power of love, or they are useless. When everything else fails, the power of love will succeed.

We are to love our enemies:

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. . . 

And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. . .

But love ye your enemies, and do good. . .   Luke 6:27-28, 33, 35

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.  Matthew 5:43-44

Our love is to abound, which means it is to continually increase:

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.   Philippians 1:9

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:   1 Thessalonians 3:12

We are to be rooted and grounded in love:

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:17-19

If we are to be filled with the fullness of God and His power, we must have love. It is important to power because it eliminates fear:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  1 John 4:18

We are to walk in love:

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.  Ephesians 5:2

We are to "forbear" or relate to others in love:

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

We are to keep our self in love:

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 21

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  1 Timothy 6:11

Faith, which is also important to power, works by love:

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.  Galatians 5:6

Our work for the Lord is to be a labor of love:

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;   1 Thessalonians 1:3

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Hebrews 6:10

As we near the end of time here on earth, the love of many will not endure. It will "wax cold," which means people will become uncaring:

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.     Matthew 24:12

But we are given the assurance that nothing can separate us from God's love:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35, 38-39

The greatest love is the love God has for this sinful world. He showed that love by sending Jesus to die:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.       John 3:16

Jesus demonstrated this great love as He willingly gave His life on the cross:

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

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:7-8

It is this powerful force of love  --the love of God--  that the Holy Spirit desires to develop in our life:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.   Romans 5:5

Remember, all other principles of spiritual power depend on this one: The power of love.

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