When asked about the first commandment, Jesus answered, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He further emphasized the second commandment that you shall love your neighbor as yourself, and there are no other commandments greater than the two (Mark 12:28-34).

The first two commandments cannot be separated because you cannot love God and not love your neighbor whom God created in His image.  If a man says, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20).

You have to love someone before committing yourself to that person, and here, we are referring to God, the Creator of all. Remember, He first loved us by giving His only begotten Son to provide us with eternal life. Walking with Christ is a daily commitment. Jesus also shows us that commitment takes sacrifice when He says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Jesus further made the sacrifice of following Him evident to us when he said, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him, shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels”  (see Luke 9:23-26). The Apostle Paul reiterates this message when he writes to Timothy that if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will deny us (2 Timothy 2:12).

Our daily walk with Christ requires us to be righteous in all our dealings, to be merciful to others because blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8). Our daily walk with Christ also requires us to be humble. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (see 1 Peter 5:5-6). If you must boast of anything, see what God says we can boast of in Jeremiah 9:23-24.

All followers of Jesus Christ are commissioned by Him to go into all nations and teach, preaching the good news about Jesus, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are saved to reconcile sinners to God and not to keep the good news and joy of Christ to ourselves. (see Matthew 28:18-20).

We all are called to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), he that win souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30), and they that turn many to righteousness will shine as stars for evermore (Daniel 12:3).

Especially in perilous times, we have to make it our priority to preach the good news of Jesus at every opportunity we have.  Jesus does not want any to perish, but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

One of the most significant ways to preach the good news of Jesus that will be an odor of a sweet smell, acceptable and well pleasing unto the Lord is our character. We have to make sure our character does not contradict what we preach (see 1 Corinthians 9:27).

Jesus chose to lay down His life for us out of love so we all can be redeemed from eternal condemnation, see John 10:18. The most precious gift is redemption.  Christ brought it to us, and many that have received Him are redeemed. Undeniably, it is a glorious redemption, the Father giving His only begotten Son (John 3:16).

What other love can we expect from the Father, and we can boldly say we are His friends if we do all He has commanded us, (see John 15:13-14).

Does your daily lifestyle reflect these fundamental values of Christ?