Every Sunday we gather as the body of Christ because we love God and the reason why we love God is because He loved us first when by his grace, he sent his Son Jesus to die for our sins while we were still sinners. Giving eternal life to all who wants to be with God in his love forever by believing in his Son Jesus and obey him.
This is the greatest commandment Jesus want us to obey and that is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love God in this way is to seek with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength how to love God from his Word, Jesus.
Jesus teaches how to love God.
John 14: 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Jesus teaches to love God is to obey his teaching and commandments and when you do he will ask his Father to send the Holy Spirit to dwell in you forever.
Paul teaches in Ephesians 1 that the Holy Spirit becomes your seal that guarantees your eternal life. So, the Holy Spirit must dwell in you to be saved.
John 14: 23 "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Jesus said that his teachings and commandments is not his own it comes from his Father and the Holy Spirit will teach you and remind you of everything that he has said. Again, I cannot stress how important that we must all be disciples of God’s words especially that of Jesus.
In Matthew 5 thru 7, we learn the teachings and commandments of Jesus that he wants us to obey if we love him.
Matthew 5: 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
To love God is to never break one of his commandments or to teach other to break them.
Matthew 5: 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Jesus teaches do not call a fellow believer a fool meaning worthless or useless when you become angry with them, or you will be judged by God. Being angry is not a sin, it is what you do when you become angry, which may be a sin.
Ephesians 4: 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
Paul did not say anger was a sin, it is what you do when you are angry. It is sin to speak falsehood or to degrade someone in anger and not being truthful to them wanting to heal a broken relationship.
Matthew 5: 25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
Jesus wants us to settle disputes quickly and not let it linger because if it may evolve into a lawsuit where a worldly judge will settle the matter. That is why we must always lead with forgiveness and love and not keep any records of wrong.
Matthew 5: 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jesus teaches you commit adultery by just looking at someone other than their spouse lustfully. Having strong sexual desires other than your spouse.
Paul teaches in 1 Corinthian 7, how to keep a marriage faithful.
1 Corinthians 7: 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Husband and wives are responsible to keep Satan from tempting their spouse from becoming unfaithful.
Matthew 5: 31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Jesus teaches that marriage is holy to God. What God has joined together let no one separate. Therefore, believers must never divorce but are allowed only when a spouse is unfaithful in their marriage union. Jesus does not call divorce a sin. Sin occurs when a divorcee commits adultery when they marry someone else.
The other allowance for divorce other than unfaithfulness Paul teaches in:
1 Corinthians 7: 10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Paul teaches only when a non-believer wants a divorce then the believer is allowed to accept but not vice versa. When is comes to non-believers divorcing, they are not bound by Christ law because they do not believe in him as their Lord or want eternal life. God only bound marriages of those who love him and obey his Son and want to be with them forever. So, divorced unbelievers who become believers are not committing adultery when they remarry a believer but will be if they marry a divorced unbeliever. We must remember adultery is sexual immorality which will keep you from being with God.
Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and you will be found by him.
Ps. Glenn