Why are we to love the LORD our God?

In Mark 12:28-34, a teacher of the law came to Jesus and asked Him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus responded by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18. The first of these is that we are to love the LORD our God with all our heart and with our soul and with all our might. Why is the LORD to be the object of our love? There are many, many reasons why we must love our LORD God, but I would like to list three based on who and what He is.

First, we must love our God, because our God is our Creator, who created us in His image. Bearing His image demonstrates whom we belong to. In Matthew 22:15-22, some Pharisees and Herodians tested Jesus by asking whether they should pay taxes to the Caesar. Jesus asked to see a coin and asked whose image and inscription the coin had. He then said to give to Caesar what is Caesar's. Bearing the Caesar's image demonstrated that the tax money belonged to him; bearing God's image demonstrates that we belong to God.

Furthermore, bearing His image demonstrates that God considers us extra special among all creation. There is no other creature that was created in His image. When God created man, He breathed into him to make him a living soul. There is nothing else mentioned in the Scripture into which/whom God breathed, other than the Scripture itself (II Tim 3:16) and man (Genesis 2:7). God considers us so special that "even the hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30), He has engraved us on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16), and He will rejoice over us with gladness ... and exult over us with loud singing (Zephaniah 3:17). God made us to rule over all the earth and all the creatures (Genesis 2:26).

Now since Jesus is the "exact imprint of God's nature" (Hebrews 1:3), the fact that we are created in God's image means that we are created in Jesus' likeness. In a way, we are Jesus' kind. Therefore, Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers (Hebrews 2:11). He even calls us to be His bride (Ephesians 5:22-33), His "flesh of flesh and bone of bones." Note that God's mating principle (i.e., who can be a husband and a wife) is that they mate among the same kind (Genesis 7; Leviticus 19:19). That Jesus considers us, His church, a worthy bride of His means that He considers us to bear His image and His likeness and therefore to be His kind. How wonderful and how mysterious!

Second, we must love God, because He is our Savior, who is also our Salvation. When we are saved and receive salvation, what is it exactly that we receive? Is it forgiveness of our sin, entry to the heavenly kingdom of God, or eternal life? Yes, in a way. Salvation does include forgiveness of sins, citizenship in the kingdom of heaven and eternal life. But salvation is much more than that. The Bible says that our LORD is Salvation (Exodus 15:2, Psalm 42:5,11, 43:5, 68:19, Isaiah 12:2, etc.) In Ephesians 2:8, it says that we have received salvation through faith by grace -- this is a gift from God. I think grace is a gift, faith is a gift, and so is salvation. The greatest gift that God wants to give to us is Himself, who is our Salvation. In Luke 11:13, Jesus says, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" The best gift we can ask our Heavenly Father for is Himself. He Himself is the object of our yearning, of our want, and of our love.

Only then, can we confess with David that "the LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). Or with Asaph that "Whom have I in heaven but You?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You." (Psalm 73:25). When we have God, we (should) have all that we desire. When we have God, all other good things follow; yet, it should not be because of all other good things that follow that we desire God. We should desire and love God, because He Himself is the object of our yearning and of our love. Our God who did not spare His own Son for us will not spare anything else, either (Romans 8:32).

In John 4, we read about a Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well in Sychar. She had had 5 husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband. Even though she had had 6 men, her thirst was not quenched. She had a void, was in darkness and in disarray. She was like the world, before God said, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:2). Then the light of God shone on the world to drive away the formlessness, darkness and emptiness (John 1:1-18). Jesus is the light and the giver of the living water that flows eternally. Jesus is our Salvation and the object of our love.

Third, we must love God, because He is a triune God who wants the same loving relationship that exists among the three Persons of Godhead to exist between Himself and us. In John 17, Jesus offered a priestly prayer for his disciples -- not only the 12 Apostles, but also all those who would come to believe in Him through their word (John 17:20). Jesus prayed, "... that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me." (John 17:21-23). Jesus prayed that we may be one just as the Father and the Son are one. Jesus said that the Father loved us even as He loved the Son. Wow! What an incomprehensible love that God has bestowed upon us! God has loved us even as He loved His only-begotten Son! It is only right that we love Him in kind.

"God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit! I love You with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, and with all my life. I love You and yearn for Your Presence in all of me. Fill me with Your Spirit. Dwell in me and empower me, so that all that I am and do may be in Christ Jesus and for Your glory. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Love your neighbor as yourself

In Matthew 22 and Mark 12, we read about an expert of law asking Jesus what the greatest commandment is? Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40). The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind. In Mark, there is another phrase added as well: "with all your strength." (Mark 12:30). In Luke 10:25 ff, the table was turned and Jesus asked an expert of law what is written in the Law about what he must do to inherit the eternal life. The expert answered similarly with the greatest commandments.

Previously in my postings of December 24, 2010 and March 12, 2011, I considered what it may mean to love the Lord "with all my mind" and "with all my heart." Today I would like to meditate on what it may mean to "love your neighbor as yourself."

In Luke 10, there was an ensuing conversation between Jesus and the lawyer. The lawyer asked Him, "who is my neighbor?" To this, Jesus answered with the parable of the good Samaritan, essentially pointing out that whoever you can have mercy on is your neighbor. There is therefore no limit to who is the object of my neighborly love. Indeed Jesus taught us to love even our enemies and pray for them, just as our Heavenly Father lets the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:43-48). Paul admonished likewise, "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10).

Having defined who our neighbor is, Jesus also tells us the degree to which we must love our neighbor. That is, Jesus commands "love your neighbor as yourself." What does "loving as oneself" mean? Is Jesus merely pointing out the fact that we all tend to be selfish and if we care for and love others as we would care for ourselves, that would be sufficient? I rather think that there is a deeper meaning.

In the Bible, there is one place where the expression "love as oneself" is used, besides in this Second Greatest Commandment. In Ephesians 5:25-28, after telling husbands to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church, Paul writes, "Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." He goes on to say that the mystery of the union between a husband and a wife is really about the mystery between Christ and His church. Just as Adam called Eve his "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (Genesis 2:23), Jesus considers us, His church, His "bone of (His) bones and flesh of (His) flesh," that is, His body. Therefore, to love as oneself is to love as Christ has set the standard in loving us, His church. His commandment for us to love our neighbor as ourselves is to love our neighbor in the way that He Himself has loved us. Indeed this is the new command He gave us: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34).

Ah, how high is the standard our Lord sets for us! High great are His expectations of us! The standard for our love is His love for us, just as the standard for our holiness is His holiness (I Peter 1:15-16). Even this high standard is evidence of His love for us that He considers us His children and therefore wants us to be like Him!!!

"Lord God, You are holy. Your love is from everlasting to everlasting. How high, how wide, how deep, and how long is Your love. Yet, You command me to be loving the way You have loved me. Thank you, Lord, for considering me worthy to receive the command. I only pray that Your Holy Spirit will lead me and enable me. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

요한복음 3장 11~21 절 – 니고데모의 방문 (2) – 중생의 설명

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니고데모가 9절에서 “어찌 이러한 일이 있을 수 있나이까”라고 질문한 것에 대해 이제 예수님은 찬찬히 설명을 하여 주신다.

1.     예수님의 증거 (:11-14)

ㄱ.  예수님의 증거는 확실하다 (:11)

·      예수님의 증거하시는 바는 “아는 것”, “본 것”을 증거하시므로 확실한 것이다.

·      더불어 하나님의 선지자들이 전하는 바도, 이와 같이 하나님께서 보여 주시고 알게 하여 주신 것을 전하므로, 그 내용이 확실하다. 사도 요한은 그 전한 하나님의 말씀은 “우리가 들은 바요, 눈으로 본 바요, 주목하고 우리 손으로 만진 바라”고 하였다 (요일 1:1). 직접적인 체험한 말씀이고, 혼자만 체험한 것이 아니고 여럿이 함께 체험하였음을 증거한다.

ㄴ.  예수님은 홀로 하늘에 올라가신 분이시고, 또한 하늘에서 내려오신 분으로서 증거하신다 (:13).

·      사람이 하늘에 올라가서 그리스도를 모시고 내려올 수 있는 것도 아니고, 사람이 음부로 내려가서 그리스도를 죽은 자 가운데서 모셔 올 수 있는 것도 아니다 (롬 10:6-7, 신 30:12-13).

·      사람은 육에 속하여 하나님의 일을 알 수가 없다 (고전 2:14). 스스로 지혜롭게 여기고 오히려 하나님의 일을 미련하게 본다 (고전 1:23). 그러나 실은, 이 세상의 지혜는 하나님께 미련한 것이다 (고전 3:18)

·      하늘에 하나님 품에 계신 하나님의 아들이 직접 육신을 입으시고 이 땅으로 내려오셔서, 하늘의 일을 증거하신 것이다 (요 1:18). 예수님 만이 하나님의 모사이시다 (사 9:6).

ㄷ.  예수님은 땅의 일을 가지고 하늘의 일을 말씀하셨다 (:12).

·      사람들의 눈 높이에 맞추어서 하늘의 일을 설명하셨다 – 떡으로 생명의 양식을 전하시고, 우물물로 생수를 가르치시고, 소경의 눈을 뜨게 하시는 것으로 참 빛에 거하여 참으로 보는 것을 가르치시고, 나사로를 살리심으로 부활을 증거하셨다.

·      그리고 구약의 예표가 되는 일들을 인용하시어 하늘을 증거하셨다.

n  모세의 놋뱀 (민 21:4-9)– 예수님께서 십자가에 달리실 것을 예표 (:14).

놋뱀이 높이 들렸듯이, 예수님께서 십자가에 달리신 것은 만인에게 드러났다 (갈 3:1). 누구든지 십자가에 달리신 예수님을 믿음으로 보면 살게 되는 것이다.

놋뱀은 예수님을 예표하는 일종의 sacrament였으나, 사람들이 그것을 우상화하였을 때 없애야 하게 되었다 (왕하 18:4).

n  요나가 물고기 뱃속에 있었던 것 – 예수님께서 죽으셨다가 부활하실 것을 예표 (마 12:40)

ㄹ.  사람들의 반응 – 땅에 내려오신 독생자 예수님의 증거를 사람들은 받지 않았다 (:11, 요 1:5,10-11).

·      그러나 사람들의 거부가 예수님의 증거가 진리임을 가리울 수는 없다.

2.     하나님의 사랑 (:15-16)

ㄱ.  하나님의 역설적인 사랑 (:16)

·      공의로우신 하나님께서 죄로 가득한 세상을 사랑하셨다 (:16).

·      하나님의 사랑은 우리가 경건하지 않았을 때, 죄인 되었을 때, 하나님과 원수 되었을 때에 나타나신 것이다 (롬 5:6,8,10).

·      세상은 하나님을 사랑하지 않았지만, 하나님께서 먼저 우리를 사랑하셨다 (요일 4:10).

·      우리가 전혀 하나님의 사랑을 받을 자격이 없는데 하나님이 우리를 사랑하셨으므로, 이것이 하나님의 은혜이다.

n  예수님을 통해 하나님의 사랑을 받기 전에는, 우리는 모두 멸망의 대상이었다 (:16).

n  그런데, 하나님께서 “그 기쁘신 뜻대로” 우리를 예정하시고 택하신 것이다 (엡 1:5). 전혀 우리의 행함에 근거하지 않았다 (롬 9:11-13).

ㄴ.  이 사랑때문에, 하나님은 자기의 독생자를 세상에 보내셨고 (:16), 그 목적은 우리를, 즉 자기의 백성을 구원하여 살리려 하심이었다 (:15-16, 요일 4:9, 마 1:21).

·      그러므로, 하나님의 아들 만이 온전히 우리의 믿음의 대상이시다 (:16). 예수님 만이 우리의 믿음의 주시요 온전케 하시는 이시다 (히 12:2).

ㄷ.  구원의 대상은 “저를 믿는 자마다” (“Whoever believes in Him”)이다 (:16).

·      모든 사람에게 구원의 문을 열어 놓으시고, 예수님을 믿도록 초청하시었다 (요 4:42, 6:33,51, 8:12, 참: 잠 2:20-23, 8:1-4).

·      그러므로, 아무도 자기 죄 가운데서 죽을 때에 핑계하지 못한다 (요 15:22, 롬1:20, 잠 1:24-26).

·      그러나 모든 사람이 예수님을 믿는 것이 아니고, 단지 하나님의 택하신 소수 뿐이다 (요 6:39, 10:26-29, 17:2, 롬 9:15-16). 믿음은 하나님이 은혜로 주시는 선물이다 (엡 2:8)

3.     구원과 심판 (:17-21)

ㄱ.  구원 – 믿는 자의 받는 구원은 멸망치 않고 영생을 얻는 것이다 (:16-17)

·      “멸망치 않고”

n  죄를 지으면 정녕 죽으리라는 것이 하나님의 법이다 (창 2:17, 롬 6:23).

n  그런데, 예수님을 믿어 그 안에 있는 자에게는 더 이상 결코 정죄함(condemnation)이 없다 (롬 8:1). 더 이상 심판(유죄라고 판결하는 심판)의 대상이 아니고 (:18), 하나님과 화목하게 되었고, 그 안에서 희락이 있다 (롬 5:11).

·      영생

n  영생은 이 세상의 생명이 무한정으로 연장되는 것이 아니다. 이 세상의 것은 썩어질 것이어서 영원한 것을 유업으로 받을 수 없다 (고전 15:50).

n  영생의 근원은 하나님, 또는 그 아들 예수님에게서 이다 (요 1:4, 5:26, 11:25, 14:6, 요일 5:20).

n  영생은 그 근원이신 하나님과 예수님을 아는 것이다 (요 17:3).

n  이 영생은 믿는 자의 현재 소유도 되고 (요 3:36, 5:24, 6:47, 요일 5:13), 사후에 부활하여 갖게도 될 것이다 (요 6:54).

n  이런 생명을 가진 자는 진리를 좇는다/행한다 (:21). 믿음이 선행을 가져오는 뿌리다.

ㄴ.  심판 (유죄 판결, condemnation) – 불신자가 사후에 받을 심판이 있지만 (히 9:27), 그들은 이미 유죄 판결을 받은 것이다 (:18). 이들에게는 본래 있던 하나님의 진노가 그 위에 머물러 있다 (요 3:36).

·      첫째 죄목은, 세상의 빛으로 오신 하나님의 아들 예수님을 믿지 않고 영접하지 않은 것이다 (:18-19).

n  하나님과 사람 사이에 유일하신 중보자이신 예수님 외에는 구원의 다른 길이 없다 (요 14:6, 행 4:12, 딤전 2:5).

n  하나님이 그 아들 예수님을 보내심은 하나님의 사랑 때문인데, 그 예수님을 배척함은 하나님의 사랑을 거부함이다. 예수님을 저버리는 것은 곧 하나님을 저버리는 것이고 (눅 10:16), 예수님을 믿지 않고 회개하지 않음은 심판의 대상이다 (눅 10:8-15, 마 11:20-24)

n  하나님의 아들 예수님의 이름으로 죄사함을 구하지 않음은, 하나님을 거짓말 하시는 이로 여김과 같다 (요일 1:10).

·      더불어 죄목은, 빛보다 어두움을 더 사랑한 것이다 (:19).

n  하나님께는 어두움이 조금도 없으시다 (요일 1:5)

n  어두움의 일은 정욕을 위한 육신의 일로, 온갖 방탕, 술 취함, 음란, 호색, 쟁투, 시기 등이다 (롬 13:11-14).

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n  악인은 어두움에 거하여 자기의 악한 행위가 숨겨진다 생각하나 (:20), 삶의 길은 죄를 자복하는 데에 있다 (잠 28:13, 요일 1:9)