A Radical Love, a Rare Loyalty

 

Jesus taught us to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37). This concept was nothing new, it was taught in the Old Testament as well, in Deuteronomy 10:12. As believers, we so need to obey this command in our generation. Jesus was talking about a love beyond the ordinary, that’s what “radical” means. God requires this of His people, it’s not a suggestion. We are to love God supremely, above all others and to love Him fervently. 

Then notice, it is to love “the Lord thy God”. This deals with the issue of “loyalty”. Again, the basis for this is found in the Old Testament, the first of the Ten Commandments; “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”. Loyalty of this kind is rare in today’s world.

You remember the sin of the golden calf in Exodus 32? Not long after the Israelites had witnessed countless miracles, they made an idol, another god for themselves. They violated the covenant between them and God. How perverse and unfaithful, it’s almost unbelievable! When Moses came down from the mountain and saw what the people had done, the Bible says his “anger waxed hot”. Why; because Moses understood the holy character of the Lord. He knew God required a “radical love” and a “rare loyalty” from His people.

May God help us, who know Jesus, to love Him fervently and to maintain our loyalty to Him, even in a generation where it’s hard to find. My friend, go ahead and love God with ALL your heart!


The Pastor’s Pocket
Pastor Bruce Freeman

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