When Jesus Said Two Equals All

When Christ was asked which is the greatest command, He said:

“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. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

Sadly, some people claim this means we don't need to obey any other commands in Scripture. But that claim is refuted in the very next verse which says:

“The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:40

Christ was giving us the “condensed version” of the commands, the two most important. But He made it clear that if we obey those commands, we'll automatically obey all of the others. 

For example, if we choose to steal or lie or engage in immoral sex, we are disobeying both of the two greatest commands.  

God has made things simple for us by giving us two basic commands that encompass all other commands. And He's given us a simple way to prove that we truly love Him: 

As He explained in John 5:9-10, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

In all things, let's prove our love for Christ.