Greatest Command

2 Kings 1, three times the king sent his army captain along with 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah. Two times the captains addressed Elijah as the "Man of God", but they did not bend their knee to him and give him the respect he deserved. They ordered him to come with them. Two times God sent down fire from heaven and destroyed the men. The third captain sent, fell low before him and begged Elijah to come with him. The third captain was genuine in his calling Elijah the "Man of God", where the other two before him were just addressing him with no belief behind their words. God was not in their hearts.

How many times have I addressed the Living God with no respect behind my words? My life was no reflection of my true belief; I was not willing to bow before Him. I knew who He was and I knew the appropriate name to call Him, but there was no respect for His authority in my life. Matthew 10:37, Jesus said,"If you love your father or mother more than you love Me, you are not worthy of being Mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than Me, you are not worthy of being Mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of being Mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for Me, you will find it."

Each new day of my life, I have to look at reality. Am I loving anything or anyone, more than I love Him? He is not asking for small, mediocre sacrifices from me. He is asking for everything.
1 John 3:9, "Those who have been born into God's family do not sin, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they have been born of God." Do we go on sinning so that grace may abound? No, we cannot live that way. So why are so many people living in sin? They are not rejecting God, as God, or their belief in Him. They are rejecting His moral laws. I never rejecting God or my belief in Him. What I was rejecting was His moral law, which was the core of God Himself. I was at my core, selfish. I wanted to do what I wanted to do. This is the root of all sin. Selfishness.

What is the greatest command? Matthew 22:39, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Look at your life, and I will look at mine. Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind? Do you love others, more than you love yourself? We must continually look truthfully at our lives. What is the most important thing in your life? John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." He loves us so much. Do you love Him enough to even give up your selfishness for Him? What are you holding on to? Let it go, so you can live!