Go! And Love with All You Are - Mark 12:29–30
Introduction
Today, we continue our “Go! And…” series with a message that takes us to the very heartbeat of God’s commandments—straight from the lips of Jesus Himself. This isn’t just another rule; this is the foundational call of our faith.
Title: Go! And Love with All You Are
In a world of distraction, division, and dilution of truth, God calls His people to radical, undivided love for Him. Today’s message is a call to full-surrender devotion, to love the Lord not with part of who you are, but with all that you are.
Mark 12:29–30 (NLT): “Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”’”
In Mark 12, Jesus is responding to a scribe who asked, “Which is the most important commandment of all?” This was not a mere theological exercise—by Jesus’ time, the rabbis had identified 613 commandments in the Torah! Yet Jesus, full of divine wisdom, cuts through the complexity with clarity and quotes the Shema—the ancient daily confession of Israel from Deuteronomy 6:4–5.
Let’s look at each phrase:
1. “The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.”
Jesus affirms monotheism—that there is only one God, and He is Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is a bold proclamation in a pluralistic world.
Hebrew word “echad” (?????) — means “one” or “united one.” This is not solitary isolation but a unity of being—perfectly fulfilled in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus is proclaiming that God is not an option among many, He is the only true and living God.
2. “Love the Lord your God…”
The Greek word for love used here is “agape” (???p?)—not emotion-driven, but volitional, covenantal, self-giving love. This is not shallow affection; it is devotion with action.
II. Loving with All That We Are
Jesus lists four spheres of love—heart, soul, mind, strength—not as compartments, but as a holistic call to love God with every fibre of our being.
A. Love Him with All Your Heart
The “kardia” (?a?d?a) refers not merely to feelings but the core of your identity—your will, emotions, and desires.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT): “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Max Lucado says, “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.”
When our hearts are surrendered to God, even when the road is tough, we walk with purpose.
Give God not just your Sunday worship, but your deepest affections, your motivations, your ambitions.
B. Love Him with All Your Soul
The “psyche” (????) is the essence of life—our eternal, God-breathed self.
Genesis 2:7 (NLT): “Then the Lord God formed the man… and breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”
Charles Stanley once said, “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.”
When we entrust our souls fully to the Lord, we live with eternal assurance, even in earthly uncertainty.
Love Him even when your soul is weary. Worship through pain. Trust Him beyond understanding.
C. Love Him with All Your Mind
The “dianoia” (d?????a) is your intellect, your reasoning, your thoughts.
Romans 12:2 (NLT): “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
Tim Keller reminds us, “The Gospel is not just the ABCs of Christianity, but the A to Z.”
Loving God with our mind means letting the Gospel reshape every thought—not just how we begin in faith, but how we live each day.
Immerse yourself in Scripture. Test your worldview through the lens of God's truth, not the world’s logic.
D. Love Him with All Your Strength
The “ischys” (?s???) represents capacity, capability, energy—your doing.
Colossians 3:23 (NLT): “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
John Piper wrote, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
When we use our strength to honour God in every action, our lives become worship.
Your job, your parenting, your service—pour it all out for God’s glory.
Supporting Passages and Themes:
1. Deuteronomy 6:4–5 – The origin of the Shema.
God’s covenantal command to Israel to love Him wholeheartedly.
2. Matthew 22:37–40 – Jesus links love for God to love for others.
“The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
3. 1 John 4:19 (NLT)
“We love each other because He loved us first.”
The cross is the reason and power behind our love.
The Torn Title Deed
A missionary once shared how a villager inherited land but never claimed it. He kept the torn title deed in his Bible but never stepped onto the land. Many believers treat God’s promises that way—we admire the verses, but don’t live them.
Loving God with all we are means claiming His promises and living like they’re true!
The Burning Candle
A woman once kept a candle lit in a window during her son’s deployment. She told neighbours, “As long as it’s burning, he knows I’m waiting and loving him.” Loving God is a flame that doesn’t flicker based on circumstances—it burns constantly, faithfully.
The Gospel Call
How can we love God like this? Only through the transforming power of the Gospel.
Romans 5:8 (NLT): “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NLT): “Christ died for our sins… He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day.”
The cross is not only where God proves His love—it’s where He empowers our love. We cannot love God with all we are until we are born again by faith in Christ.
Call to Action:
Friend, have you truly loved God with all that you are? Or have you given Him only part?
Today is the day to surrender all.
Repent of divided loyalty.
Believe in the Lord Jesus—crucified, buried, risen!
Receive new life and let your heart, soul, mind, and strength be fully His!
Invitation:
If you’ve never trusted Jesus as Saviour and Lord, now is the moment. Turn from sin. Run to Christ. Be forgiven. Be made new.
Benediction:
As you go this week, may you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
May your life be a living declaration of devotion, and may others see Jesus in you.
Go! And love with all you are—for He first loved you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
