The Greatest Commandments & the Way

By Victor A. Atkisson

This book endeavors to establish the importance of love as the distinguishing characteristic of the disciples of Christ. It also seeks to establish the prophetic witness of the Scriptures to the divinity and Lordship of Jesus Christ. Also contained in the book is an essay on the subject of Christian unity, in which the author sets forth the biblical basis of Christian unity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512759563

Victor A. Atkisson

The author holds a Masters of Theological Studies degree from Lipscomb University, and currently resides in Ashland, AL. He has a deep passion and interest in Christian Apologetics and Christian unity studies. He has preached and taught in several churches in Alabama and Tennessee.

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Copyright © 2016 Victor A. Atkisson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version.

All Scripture quotations for Part I are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise specified. All Scripture quotations for the rest of the book are taken from the New King James Version unless otherwise specified.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5956-3 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/19/2016

CONTENTS

The Greatest Commandments

Love is the Fulfillment of the Law

The Lawyer’s Question

Brothers we See, God We Do Not See

Love is…

Love through Confrontation

Loving God

The Way

The Remnant

The Kingdom of God

Jesus’ First Official Act as King

Do You Believe that Jesus is the Christ?

Why Repent?

Calling On the Name of the Lord

Christian Unity

Christian Prose

A Crown of Thorns

Renew my Mind

Peace

Self-Control

Gentleness

Flesh vs. Spirit

I didn’t ask You to die for me

The wonder of prayer

The Greatest Calling – A Servant

A Life Well Lived

Praise and Thanksgiving

Pure Thoughts

Integrity

My strength is made perfect in weakness (II Cor. 12:9)

I have been crucified with Christ

Anxiety

The Lord Jesus Christ

A disciple is not above his teacher

God or Money?

Faith as a mustard seed

As a thief in the night

An Imperishable Crown

The sufferings of the righteous and the prophets

The Resurrection

The Heavenly Armor – The Belt of Truth

Living Sacrifices

Asking to be Used

Communion

Pure Words

Confess Your Faults One to Another

Steadfast Love and Mercy

The Alpha and the Omega

Miracles

Cloud By Day, Pillar of Fire By Night

Treasures in Heaven

The Lord is my Shepherd

Be Thou Faithful unto Death

Contend for the Faith Once Delivered

And All These Things will Be Added unto You

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

My Father’s Business

Forgive

The Christian Home

A Rule of Life

Unfeigned Love

Descriptions of Heaven – Revelation 21-22

The Pearl of Great Price

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS

CHAPTER 1

LOVE IS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8-10, NASB

Why is love given such a prominent place in the Scriptures? In the first epistle of John, he says in two different places, God is love.

I John 4:8 – He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. NKJV

I John 4:16 – And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. NKJV

If we were to express John’s statements as a mathematical formula, it would simply be: GOD = LOVE.

Man can often have perverted views of what love is, so we can only learn from the actions of God what love looks like. John’s epistle gives us the perfect definition of love, based upon God’s action: By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 4:9-10, NASB).

Jesus gives a commandment to his disciples, recorded in John 15:12-13 (NASB), This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. Truly there is no greater sacrifice that one person can make for another, than to give up one’s life so that another may live. But there are even smaller sacrifices which can be made, and other ways that we can lay down our lives for each other. Again, John’s first epistle speaks to this, We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (I John 3:16-17) John describes a brother in need, who lacks food or clothing, and the brother who has the world’s goods ought to help the one in need.

Often, the word commandment has a negative connotation. At best, it is an obligation or duty, at worst, it brings forth images of a master and slave relationship, in which the one being commanded is threatened with awful punishments if the master’s will is not obeyed. But listen to Jesus’ words, shortly after He gives the commandment that we love one another: You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:14-15). If we obey Jesus’ commandments, we are His friends. What a beautiful title given to the disciples of Jesus, friends. Instead of commandments being a negative and servile word, it is a most exalted concept in the kingdom of God. Jesus describes His own relationship with the Father, with the image of an obedient son. He says, Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love (John 15:9-10). The spirit of the world, which is the spirit of the evil one, views submissive relationships in a very perverted manner. If I were to submit to another, that means my thoughts and feelings do not count anymore, that I must stop thinking for myself, or, so says the reasoning of the world; without realizing that all human beings have already subjected themselves under the sway of the evil one, and follow the passions and desires of the flesh, so that they are in fact slaves already. Jesus promises freedom through obedience to Him, a novel concept. He once told a group of Jews who had come to believe in Him, If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:31-32). If one truly desires to be free, they must submit themselves unto the commandments of God. The world’s notion of freedom is only a self-destructive illusion.

So we have learned that love submits and love sacrifices. Submission and sacrifice are two key concepts in the kingdom of God. I have often found it difficult to adequately understand the measure of Christ’s love as exemplified on the cross. Jesus broke it down in simpler terms for us, though, in one memorable incident which occurred on the night of His betrayal. They were preparing to eat the Passover, and the Scripture says, …Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded (John 13:3-5). How would we react today, if our Lord and Savior were on earth, and knelt down like a servant to wash our feet? It is so opposite of what we would equate with greatness. The apostle Peter would have refused to allow Jesus to perform this act, but Jesus responded, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me (John 13:8). At this, the disciples allowed him to finish this act of service, and then He said to them: Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you (John 13:12-15).

How does Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet help me to better understand His sacrifice on the cross? As one might imagine, the washing of feet was a task reserved for servants in Jesus’ day. The hot climate, the dusty roads, and long miles that many people walked in those days, assured that this was a dirty and menial task.