“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This is the question of the lawyer who approached the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Law answer to this Law question is “love God and your neighbor.” Of course, the Gospel answer is “nothing.”
Have you ever noticed that there is no “I” in Gospel? The Gospel has nothing to do with us earning our salvation. It has everything to do with our Lord Jesus Christ earning our salvation.
The command to love God and our neighbor is impossible. The Greek word for love used here is “agape.” Agape is a perfect, selfless, unconditional love. There is no “I love you because...”
The 10 Commandments illustrate our lack of love. We cannot even get past the first one without sinning, “You shall have no other gods before me.” We continually place something before God. And we most assuredly do not love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,” (1 John 4:8).
Agape love is what God has for us. It is not because of anything we have done that God loves us. It is because God is love. He has shown us love through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. It is through this act of love that we love God and our neighbor. Because we have no agape love of our own, God has given us His love to give back to Him and to our neighbor.
Once again, it all comes down to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was, is, and will be forever God’s perfect act of love.
“Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity, and as we do obtain that which You promise, make us to love that which You command; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
(Collect for Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity)
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Philippians 4:11b
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