HEAR, O ISRAEL….
We find this passage twice in the entire bible,
being witnessed once by Moses and once by Jesus. In other places this is left out, but this is the first commandment and the others rest upon this,” I AM.”
This is what the Lord is saying, I am these things, I am love, this is my nature, my character, this is what I created man to be, this is the height that man fell from, and to which he is to be restored… What does the scripture mean when it says that the Lord is one? Is it referring to the trinity? It cannot be because it says immediately afterword, and thou shalt… In other words it says because I am so shall you be..
In Deuteronomy chapter 6 the Lord is saying essentially the same thing
[1]Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
[ 2]That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
[ 3]Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
[4]Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
[5]And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
[6]And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
[7]And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
[8]And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
And In Mark 12:29
[29]And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
[30]And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Now the law commanded these things, but could not give the power to accomplish them..Heb 7: 19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God
To Know God is to be like Him and to be like Him is eternal Life. Christ came that we might know the Father, in fact the scripture says over and over that He is the exact representation and the revelation of the Father.
In John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
In John chapter 14, Jesus tells them that He is the way to the Father and tells them not to be troubled that He is preparing that way for them, that if they would come to the Father they must go His way, they must follow Him, but Phillip says “show us the Father”.. And Jesus replies that if they have seen him they have seen the Father…again pointing to Character, and perfect love
In Jeremiah 22:16 /The Lord is speaking to his prophet and gives us a picture of His character “He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him, was not this to know me? saith the Lord”
This is what Paul means when he tells us that we have liberty, not the liberty to sin, but the freedom to do the will of God by the new and Holy Spirit that is our new birth. Paul points out that all the law is fulfilled in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. He here is trying to show them that only the spirit of God can do and keep this command, that we must obey the spirit of God as he reveals these things..
In Gal 5 verse 16 -26, all this is summed up, not as an option but as the true and only way. The way of the Spirit we receive when we first believe…
[16]This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
[17]For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
[18]But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
[19]Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
[20]Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
[21]Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
[22]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23]Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
[24]And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[25]If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
[26]Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
[2 Cor 3: 17-18] Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
So what happens if we see God through the glass of some man who does not know Him aright? What if you see Him through some doctrines of man?
The whole intent of God in sending his son was to restore to us what we lost in the garden, namely oneness with him, that as he is so we shall once again be. And tells us it is as we know him that we are changed into that same image.. So we better be sure that we know him rightly, for we will be in the image that we hold…
Hear O Israel takes on an importance never before felt.. For in this and the words that follow the everlasting God is revealed in His glory, His Character clearly seen. God is love..
The Old Testament gave the command that it could not fulfill, but Christ did fulfill all things and He gives you the power of His life. All things are new in Christ.. In keeping His word, in obeying Him we are one with Him.
[Jn 14:22] Jesus answered and said unto him; “if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
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[In Gal 5] We are told Christ will become of no effect to us if we try to come to him in any way except by obedience, to His will and walking in his way.
In verse [7] “ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
In verse[13] We are told that we are called unto liberty; But this liberty is not liberty to sin but liberty to do right, for we are told that we must not use it for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
In Romans 8 The way of God and the path Christ sets us on is very clear.. The difference between those who know the word and will of God and those who do not know are clearly delineated, those who live their life in the works of the flesh [listed in Gal 5] do not know him and do not belong to Christ. But those who live the life of the Spirit of God belong to him…
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[2]For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
[3]For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
[4]That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[5]For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
[6]For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
[7]Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
[8]So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[9]But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
[10]And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
[11]But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
[12]Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
[13]For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
[14]For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
[15]For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
[16]The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
[17]And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
[18]For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
So all the” if’s” in the scripture start to make sense, if you have been baptized into Christ you are baptized into His death to sin, but made alive unto righteousness. You have a new life, HIS life, a new Spirit that you obey, not the spirit of this world that lives according flesh, which is death, but the Spirit that comes from God, the Spirit of life.