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 "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

LOVING THE LORD THY GOD #1ST
LOVING THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF #2ND

Matthew 22:36-40  KJV  "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  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.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

 

Mark 12:30

KJV  "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."

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HOW DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF or YOUR NEIGHBOR? 

FIRST CONSIDER, ARE YOU UNDER THE LAW STILL (LEGALISM)

OR

ARE YOU REBIRTHED SPIRITUALLY UNDER GRACE?

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Let us review the comparison then of loving our neighbor in the Old Testament the law verses New Testaments grace where it is love that fulfills the law.  Keep in mind those of us in Christ are under grace where we do not rely on our own efforts but instead on the grace of God; see Romans 13.  However, for those under legalism still of the Old Testament in Leviticus is shown how God looked at loving a neighbor as you love yourself.  Demonstrated below is the comparison and scripture for both law vs grace.​​

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LAW (LEGALISM) | To love your neighbor as yourself under legalism of the Old Testament:

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Leviticus 19:9–18 

9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 

10 "And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God."

11 “You shall not steal;  you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 

12 "You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord."

13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning."

14  "You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall lfear your God: I am the Lord."

15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor."

16  "You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not  stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord."

17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 

18 "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."

 HOW TO DEAL WITH A FELLOW CITIZEN IN AN OUTLYING TOWN

2 Chronicles 19:10 Common English Bible

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10 "In any case that comes before you from a fellow citizen in an outlying town, whether it involves bloodshed or is an issue of instruction, commandment, regulations, or case laws, you must warn them not to sin against the Lord, consequently making him angry with both you and your fellow citizen. Do this, and you won’t sin."

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF WHEN UNDER GRACE IN CHRIST JESUS

NEW TESTAMENT

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Romans 8:3-4 (NKJV): 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

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Matthew 22:35-39 (NKJV): 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

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Romans 13:8 (NKJV): 8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

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Romans 13:9-10 (NKJV): 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

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Galatians 5:14 (NKJV): 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

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Galatians 5:6 (NKJV): 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

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James 2:26 (NKJV): 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

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1 Corinthians 13:2 (NKJV): 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

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1 Timothy 1:5-6 (NKJV): 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk.

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Romans 6:15 (NKJV):
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

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