The Two Great Commandments Part 2

​Here’s Part 2 of “The Two Great Commandments”.  The second commandment Matthew 22:39 “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.   Why is it important to you and me?  It’s about being set free from all effects of sin. There are four basic concepts of being set free: being a caring and likeable person (an attitude towards someone), overlooking (overlook faults; not about forgiveness at this point), healing (how it is for us, family and friends), and finally, total forgiveness.  The list could go on and on.  Jesus showed us how to be set free by loving his neighbor as himself.  How?  Jesus performed such actions.  You see, Jesus lived a sin free life.  He understood and knew how victorious life was to be by living out that testimony of a sinless life and through his death, taking on our sins, he made it very clear that we were forgiven.  I believe we need to come to the same understanding.  I want to close out with two things: a passage in Leviticus that supports the second commandment and how Part 2 works with Part 1. 
 
Here are the four concepts.
Being a caring and likable person – This is a display of attitude towards someone. Caring is serving people and likeable is being accepted, receivable and not condemning.  Jesus served and demonstrated his love by not judging his neighbor.  Jesus was set free by living the standard of these two verses: “Mat 7:2 - For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”  Jas 5:9 – “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.”  Remember the old saying “What Would Jesus Do”; he served and cared for his people.  We need to apply that application to our lives.
Overlooking – Don’t focus on the negative in people.  Overlooking here is not total forgiveness it’s about completely seeing past their problems and guiding them to a better life.  Jesus overlooked our problems (our sinful nature), turned it into good fruit that lead to repentance (being set free), and becoming his disciples (as himself).  Overlook our neighbors’ problems and turn it into good fruits.  So, they can be set free of sin through Jesus and help advance Jesus’ kingdom.  Jesus over looked our stumbling blocks and built a path way that removed all things that would stop us from receiving him and our blessings.  Isa 57:14 – “And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.”  We are to overlook and pave a way for our neighbor.  This creates an open door to set our neighbors free.
 
Healing – We read about Jesus performing healings; also notice he was never sick. Why? Because he lived a sinless life but also he offered healing to us.   We are healed through him.  1Pe 2:24 – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”  If we fully receive this we are free of sickness as well.  He then told us to lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.  Jas 5:14-15 – “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”  How did this work?  He extended his love to us and we are now extending his love through us so they can receive the same healing from Jesus.
 
Forgiveness – The Father already knew that we needed forgiveness.  How?  He sent his son for us and wanted us to believe on him:  Joh 3:15-17 – “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  He sent his son to free us from sin.  Jesus saw this coming, read:  Mar 14:4 – “And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”  He was handed over by sinners and when he went to the cross he forgave us anyways.  All we have to do is read and do what this verse says and be set free of sin:  Rom 10:9 – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  We should be spreading this confession to our neighbors.  Now, this shows us that loving our neighbor will help us (receiving Jesus) and them to be set free (extending his invitation through us on his behalf).
 
Here is the passage out of Leviticus that supports the second commandment: Lev 19:33-34 “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.  But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
Can you see “Love thy neighbor”, “How it set us free” in the four basic concepts?  Look at verse 33 “you shall not vex him” which means don’t hurt them; you help them.  This establishes loving thy neighbor as our self as you can see in verse 34.
 
Here is the thing “Jesus knew no sin; so, he was free of sin”.  By accepting Jesus and having him in our heart causes the Father to no longer see our sins.  Jesus loved us (his neighbor) by taking on and covering our sins with his death.  Remember this; Jesus was man showing us the power of truth from Part 1 to being set free in all areas of life by loving our neighbor as ourselves in Part2.  He was guiding and training us to be set free through his power so we could pass it on.

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