Those who follow the commands of Jesus have access to many promises. Many people think that these commands are the 10 commandments. While they aren’t completely off the mark, they have still missed the mark. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, stating that it’s equally as important as worshiping only God (Mark 12:29-31, Matthew 22:37-40).

In John 15 verse 12 Jesus says, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you”. Then not much later he says again in verse 17 “This is my command: Love each other”. He tells us this so that we would know what he means when he tells us in verse 10 “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love…”.

You may be wondering, what about the 10 commandments? God gave the law to Moses for the Israelis to follow in the Old Testament. It was given as a standard for righteousness and also to show people just how hard it is to be sinless by their own effort. It exemplifies why we need a savior. Jesus overcame the law when he died on the cross (Romans 10:3-4). Paul also reiterates Matthew 22:40 in Galatians 5 verse 14 saying “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

John points out in 1 John 2:7 that this command is not new! It may seem new, but it really isn't. It is just been rephrased. Verse 9 of 1 John 2 also states that if you claim to love God and hate your neighborhood, then you are living in darkness. He says this after telling us in verse 5 of the previous chapter, that God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all! If you're living in darkness, then God has no part in you! So always strive to live in the light! Remember, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13).