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How do we show that we love God? Many believe that Jesus Christ came to being a new way to worship God. But what does the Bible say?
by Duane Abler
esus Christ, the founder of Christianity, sprang from humble beginnings, although He admitted He was born to be king (John 18:37). During the few short years of His ministry, He was known by many as a great teacher. But what did He teach?
Did He come to do away with the laws of old? Was Jesus a rebellious son? Did He bring a new set of commandments to replace those the Israelites had received at Mount Sinai? Is God's law no longer valid, useful or necessary?
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets," Jesus proclaimed. "I did not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). What did He mean by "fulfill"?; The Greek word for "fulfill" is pleroo and can mean to "render full," "fill up" or "complete." Did Christ mean that God's law was made complete and therefore somehow rendered obsolete?
After all, Christ gave "a new commandment" that "you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). Did He mean for this new commandment to replace all the others and that what the whole world needs is love?
Rather than refer to other New Testament scriptures, let's examine Christ's own words in this regard. First, did Jesus Christ come to the earth for His own selfish purposes?
"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak" (John 12:49-50). Notice that Jesus equates His Father's commandment with "everlasting life."
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