Heart of the Law.

What is the common theme in all the following verses-

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 

Our WHOLE duty is to Fear God and Keep His Commandments.

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent. 

Jesus said-

Mat_19:17  … but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

Mat 22:37  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. 

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Whose Son Is the Christ?

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 

Rom 13:9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 

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The common theme is LOVE. When we love as God intends us to love, we NATURALLY keep the royal law- the commandments of God- the ten commandments. It's true. There is so much talk of Jesus teaching love and not law, but the truth of the matter is you can't separate the two, not when we are talking about the royal law, the ten commandments given by God Himself and placed in the Ark of the Covenant as no other law was. Jesus spoke the words pointing to the royal law as the great law. Jesus said all the law hangs on two - loving God and loving others.

Jesus lived this love perfectly.

Jesus wants us to live this love perfectly through Him.

Jesus wants us to recognize the love in the law.

When we take love out of the law we are left with nothing.

You see, when Jesus talked to the rich young man about keeping the law, the rich young man told Jesus he did that from his youth. Then Jesus grabbed the law and put heart into it to see if the rich young man comprehended the love of the law and not the formality. He told the rich young man to go sell all that he had and give it to the needy. The rich young man went away sorrowing, not able to part with his riches. The rich young man did not see the love in the law only the mere form of it. No, he didn't hurt anyone, didn't steal from anyone, didn't covet anything, didn't lie, didn't dishonor his parents, didn't worship other gods, didn't bow down to other gods, didn't speak of God in vain, and he remembered the Sabbath day to keep it holy- all these wonderful things he did- but not from a place of love.  As the law was opened up to him and its heart revealed, he rejected the heart of the law.

Saying you love God and love others but not keeping His royal law, the ten commandments is making yourself a liar.

Keeping the royal law, the ten commandments and not loving God and not loving others, is making yourself a liar.

The two are intertwined and this was revealed in the life of our Lord and Savior- Jesus Christ.

Lord, as our eyes are opened to Your truth, enable us to keep Your truth as we need to, as we long to, as we hope to. We believe, help our unbelief. We would be known by You, Lord. We would be known by You as those who love You and desire to know and keep the heart of the law, Your law. Guide us, help us, live in us and change us!

All in the name of Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!