ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
January 13, 2014
This is a letter to our friends –
LOVE
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said unto him,
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment,
And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
[Matthew 22:36-40] (New Testament)
See also [Deuteronomy 6:3-9] (Old Testament)
I believe Christ was affirming that “Love God & love others” is the basic reason each person has been placed upon earth. Anything that comes ahead of that is rebellion.
Thus, we had best have a working definition of “love”!
The best definition I have found: To love is to “unselfishly will the very best for the loved one.” See John 3:16 – “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,”
The world likes to define the counter-concept of “love” as “hate”. The counter-concept of my definition of “love” is “selfishness”.
Think about it – “Selfishness” is “What can you do for me?” “Unselfishness” is “What can I do for you”
In a society based upon “selfishness,” there will never be enough. It will be unstable.
In a society based upon “unselfishness” there will be an abundance. Unselfishness is a stabilizing influence.
Granted: There will never be a wholly unselfish society, but any degree of unselfishness will be a stabilizing influence. The Judeo-Christian philosophy will always strengthen a society. Those who claim otherwise are those who have not learned from history.
Respecting others is a form of unselfishness. Thus – Civil liberty has always improved under Judao-Christian influence. Laws that protect life, liberty and property against encroachment (taking what is not yours – selfishness) produce stability and peace.
Loving God and others (vertical and horizontal relationships) is a pattern we see everywhere. Whatever is of supreme importance in your life is your “god.” Whatever that is, will come ahead of everything else.
How do you discover what that is? Do you easily inconvenience yourself to serve others? Christ did!
The loving God, deserves your unselfish devotion in return. NOTE – He never makes a duplicate! Every obedience to God is unique to you. Only in that obedience will you find peace and fulfillment. Outside of that is selfishness toward both God and others.
