The Christian's Most Important Thing

               Most successful people and organizations have a laser-like focus on accomplishing their most important thing. Stephen Covey has famously said, “The main thing is to keep the main the main thing.” In his book The One Thing, Gary Keller wrote, “Big success comes when we do a few things well.”

                For Christians to be “successful,” is there One Thing that ought to be our object of a laser-like focus? Out of all the things we could do, is there One Thing that we must do? Is there One Thing that if we fail to do it, the rest doesn’t really matter? I think there is One Thing and that One Thing is love.

                I’ve never counted for myself, but I’ve read many times that there are 613 commandments in the Old Testament. When Jesus was asked which one of these 613 was the greatest, the most important, commandment, he replied: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and the first commandment.” But he didn’t stop there. He continued, “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love God. Love others. Then Jesus said something really profound. He said, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

                Do you see what makes that statement so profound? If all the Law and the Prophets, in other words, all the other 611 Old Testament commandments depend on love for God and love for others then that means that all the other commandments must be built on a foundation of love. Obedience to the other commandments must be shaped by love. Every thought, every action, done out of obedience to God’s commandments must first of all manifest love. Or to put it another way, without love, obedience falls short of God’s purposes, every time. That sounds a lot like what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13. He said that obedience without love gains nothing and is nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

                Henry Drummond, a 19^th Century evangelist from Scotland, wrote an essay called “The Greatest Thing in the World” in which he considered the Ten Commandments informed by love:

Take any of the commandments. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” If a man love God, you will not have to tell him that. Love is the fulfilling of that law. “Take not his name in vain.” Would he ever dream of taking his name in vain if he loved him? “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Would he not be too glad to have one day in seven to dedicate more exclusively to the object of his affection? Love would fulfill all these laws regarding God. And so, if he loved man, you would never think of telling him to honor his father and mother. He could not do anything else. It would be preposterous to tell him not to kill. You could only insult him if you suggested that he should not steal—how could he steal from those he loved? It would be superfluous to beg him not to bear false witness against his neighbor. If he loved him, it would be the last thing he would do. And you would never dream of urging him not to covet what his neighbor had. He would rather they possessed it than himself. In this way, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” It is the rule for fulfilling all rules, the new commandment for keeping all the old commandments, Christ’s one secret to the Christian life.” (Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing in the World, and other selected essays, ed. William R. Webb, Kansas City, MO.; Halmark Editions, 1967, pp 10 – 11.)

                It is also striking that Jesus elevates love as the One Thing that marks people as disciples. How will others know that we are his disciple? It is not great preaching. It is not correct doctrine. It is not building large congregations. It is not dynamic evangelism. It is not doing good and helping others. It is not even, what I would have guessed, right worship. All these things are good and even necessary, but the One Thing that shows that a person is a disciple, that he or she belongs to Jesus, is love. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

                It is no surprise then that when Paul came in his letter to the Romans to write about the characteristics of an authentic Christian life he started with love.

                The first 11 chapters of Romans are about doctrine. Paul carefully lays out what the Christian ought to believe. God exists, things in the world are very wrong and people are under his wrath (Chapters 1 – 2). All have sinned and are separated from God (Chapter 3). Being made right with God is a matter of faith (Chapter 4). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Chapter 5). Though being born dead in Adam, we have been made alive in Christ (Chapters 6 – 7). There is now, therefore, no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Chapter 8). God calls all kinds of people to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, and is making one body of them all (Chapters 9 – 11).

Beginning with Chapter 12 Paul writes about the “so what?” If all that doctrine is true, then, so what? What every-day, where-life-really-happens, difference should it make in our lives? Verses 9 – 21 in Chapter 12 deal with very practical characteristics in our relations with others that must mark the life of a believer. You can probably guess which characteristic heads the list. Love!

 Love must be genuine. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor (Rom. 12:9-10).

Genuine love, informed by turning from evil and holding onto good, shown in family-like affection, that honors others above yourself – this is the first characteristic. When it comes to our relationships with others, it’s our One Thing. It’s the Christian’s most important thing.

In my next post I’ll explore love put into action in the Christian community.