Love Thy Neighbor
Scripture: Galatians 5:13Devotional Series: The Good Shepherd
Teaching: The Good Shepherd pt. 1 (SUN_AM 2021-03-07) by Pastor Star R Scott
In the hour we live, you are going to hear that Antinomian spirit more and more; you will hear teaching of how much liberty you have and how we shouldn’t be under this bondage; but that spirit of antichrist, this secret power of lawlessness, will ultimately lead to strong delusion until you believe these lies. The Epistle to the Thessalonians says that it’s something we need to be aware of; and what gives place to that is when we give place to a spirit of independence: the attitude that we are no longer under authority, we are entities to ourselves. We grab little verses out of context such as, “The Spirit…will guide you into all truth.” You’re actually saying the opposite of what you are trying to defend: If the Spirit is leading you into truth, then He is going to lead you to the Law of God, into the Word of God, for “Thy Word is truth…” The only people who don’t want to be “under Law” are the lawless. Jesus came and fulfilled the Law in His obedience. James 1:25 says that we are to look into the perfect Law of Liberty; amen? The Law sets you free! Today, in the church, Law is almost a dirty word: “I don’t want to be put under the Law.” You will not be under the Law if you are alive and walking in the Spirit; you will be fulfilling the Law. Walking in the Spirit reveals how precious this Word is, how authoritative it is, how it is administrated and how we should respond to it as we continue in this journey of faith.
Jesus taught in Matthew, Chapter 5, verse 17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” That’s a powerful comment about how we relate to the Word of God, and how vital it is that we teach others. He goes on to say in Chapter 22 of Matthew, starting in verse 35, and look how this pertains to the Law of God: “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, ‘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 neighbor as thyself’. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’” We are admonished to recognize the need to pursue that communion, that fellowship, with Father, pursuing Him with all of our hearts; He said, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). When we look at Galatians 5, the Holy Spirit is leading the apostle to emphasize what was spoken by Jesus, saying in verse 13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’” This Law of God, which Galatians 3:24 says is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, the moment we get outside of abiding in Christ, and His Words abiding in us, the moment we transgress, the moment self‑will becomes prominent, dominant, again in our lives, thank God this Law there to point us back to Jesus; amen? When you’re off course, you don’t need some kind of inner witness, you don’t need a prophet to come and prophesy to you; this Word is alive in your heart, but thank God that we have brothers and sisters, thank God that there are ministry gifts that have been put in the church to bring us this Word, which is profitable for rebuke and for instruction in righteousness.
Jesus taught in Matthew, Chapter 5, verse 17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” That’s a powerful comment about how we relate to the Word of God, and how vital it is that we teach others. He goes on to say in Chapter 22 of Matthew, starting in verse 35, and look how this pertains to the Law of God: “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, ‘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 neighbor as thyself’. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’” We are admonished to recognize the need to pursue that communion, that fellowship, with Father, pursuing Him with all of our hearts; He said, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). When we look at Galatians 5, the Holy Spirit is leading the apostle to emphasize what was spoken by Jesus, saying in verse 13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’” This Law of God, which Galatians 3:24 says is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, the moment we get outside of abiding in Christ, and His Words abiding in us, the moment we transgress, the moment self‑will becomes prominent, dominant, again in our lives, thank God this Law there to point us back to Jesus; amen? When you’re off course, you don’t need some kind of inner witness, you don’t need a prophet to come and prophesy to you; this Word is alive in your heart, but thank God that we have brothers and sisters, thank God that there are ministry gifts that have been put in the church to bring us this Word, which is profitable for rebuke and for instruction in righteousness.