Daily Lesson for Wednesday 15th of November 2023
Read Matthew 22:37-40. How does what Jesus Himself said here compare to His answer to the lawyer, in Luke 10:27-28?
According to Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus made it clear that the everyday expression of true belief hangs upon these two commandments. And Luke 10:27-28 makes it clear that if a person does these two things, then he or she will have eternal life.
“Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian’s character. This alone can make and keep him steadfast. This alone can enable him to withstand trial and temptation.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 49.
Read Galatians 5:14; Micah 6:6-8; and 1 John 4:20-21. How do these verses reinforce what Jesus had told us?
According to Paul, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ ” (Galatians 5:14, NKJV). For Paul, loving God can be practically seen only when that love is exemplified in how we treat others. Even though he stated that “ ‘the righteous shall live by faith’ ” (Romans 1:17, ESV), yet living by faith is not something that is hidden, unknown or unseen by others. Paul, Micah, and John make it clear that practical works demonstrate the reality of the faith that we claim.
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Paul stated very forcefully that if one claims to have great knowledge or to do great deeds or to have the great faith or even to give up one’s life but does not have love, then that person has become like “sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1, NKJV).
Look at the Ellen G. White quote above. Notice what she says about how only in love can people remain steadfast and endure temptation. How does this idea show that the command to love is not salvation by works, but instead, an expression of the faith that we have in Jesus?
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