Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Mark 12:31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Mark 12:31 "This is the second: 'YOU SHALL [unselfishly] LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." [Lev 19:18] |
Subject: being/knowing you are beautiful |
Bible Note: Hi, Larry... I can sympathize. In my studied opinion, there are only two kinds of problems that humans face: physical problems and spiritual problems. Of course, I would hope that you are seeing a physician in order to rule out physical problems. Regarding the spiritual problem, I'd venture that you are still suffering from a form of self-love. Let me explain: Your self-loathing is taking on a judgmental role that belongs solely to God. The truth about Larry is that God loved him so much that He sent His own Son to die for him! You see, emotions arise out of thoughts. Our thoughts arise from how we interpret what we know and what we've experienced. The Scripture tells us how we are to interpret reality. Even Adam and Eve were given explicit instructions about who they were and what they were to do... and all that well before the fall! Human beings were created to walk in every word of God. Now, if you are saved, then God has imputed your sin to Christ, just as though Jesus had done them! However, God did more than that! He also imputed Christ's perfect life of righteousness, to you, just as though you had lived that way! But it is even more exciting, because it goes beyond just redeeming you and atoning for your sin. Justification also means that you are placed into a right, perfect, and loving relationship with God. You are an adopted son! I was telling someone else recently what being adopted means. In our society we think of being adopted as being something less than natural born. But that isn't how the ancients thought of it at all. Indeed, in ancient times a father could reject a natural born son, disavowing their kinship, and removing him as an heir. But an adopted son could never be disowned. Nothing could remove his legal right as heir! That's why Paul uses adoption as a picture of the believer's relationship with God. Your self-loathing stems out of a failure to properly understand your true worth... You weren't created to make that call. Your truth worth is set by God. As your creator, He is the only one who has the perfect right and the perfect knowledge to assign value to you. So, Larry, if a perfect and holy God thinks that way about you, who are you to contradict Him with a differing opinion? Understand? Your only hope... and my only hope... is in the Word of God. Fill your life with it. Memorize it. Pour over it. Think about it. Breathe it. In Him, Doc |