They wanted a summary, and they got it from the highest authority, the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE NORTHLAND AGE, Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Pharisees had more than 600 laws. They had also questions: Which laws are more important? Which laws are less important? Another question was also: What is the most important law?

An expert in he law, who should have actually known the answer, asked the Lord Jesus Christ the last question: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LAW?

What does the Lord Jesus Christ do? His answer comes from the Bible; he is quoting from the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.

Deuteronomy 6:5 “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR [MIND AND] HEART, AND WITH YOUR ENTIRE BEING, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT.” (The Amplified Bible)

Leviticus 19:18 “YOU SHALL NOT TAKE REVENGE OR BEAR ANY GRUDGE AGAINST THE SONS OF YOUR PEOPLE, BUT YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. I AM THE LORD.” (The Amplified Bible)

We keep all the others by fulfilling these two commands. These two commands summarize the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament moral laws.

We find the Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus, chapter 20:1-17.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  That are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:14.

When we forgive others, we acknowledge our common ground as sinners. All of us are in need of God’s forgiveness. In Romans 3:23 it says, “…, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, …”

“FORGIVEN”

On what is God’s forgiveness of sin based? It is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. Ephesians 4:32 teaches, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” It is not a direct result of our forgiving others.

What should we ask ourselves, whenever we ask God to forgive us for sin? We should ask ourselves, “Have I forgiven the people who have wronged me?”

Psychologists are telling us also about the benefits of learning to forgive: better health, better sleep and better relationships are some of them.

In Matthew 6:15 the Lord Jesus Christ says, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father  will not forgive your sins.”