Simple Love: the Shema Series

Several people have asked me where to find all of the links to the series I wrote on the Shema (Deut 6:4-9). Here they are below.

Jesus considered the summary commandment of the Shema “Love the Lord your God…” to be the greatest commandment of the Old Testament (Matt 22:36-40). As those acquainted with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians do not approach such commandments as the source of salvation or eternal life. After all Jesus succeeded where all else failed. He ran the race, received the prize, and bestows that prize on those bound to him by faith. We have nothing left to earn, so the Law cannot serve us in that way.

Those who are “in Christ,” however, find their affections and desires conformed to his character by the work of the Holy Spirit over the course of their lives, a process in which the Christian plays a participatory role. In other words, we get to participate with the Spirit in our own spiritual growth by exploring God’s revelation about himself found in the Scriptures.

For Jesus, the Shema represents a central part of that revelation. The commands found here provide a lovely guide for the life of faith, and, as we see in John 17, an insight into Jesus’ relationship to the Father.

The Shema is worth exploring, but as I have mentioned before, I can’t seem to get to the bottom of the passage. These few blog posts are about as deep as a jet ski tour of the South Pacific. You may get a sense the place, but there is a lot left to see.
Part One: “Where to Find Real Simplicity” (At the Gospel Coalition Site)

Part Two: “What is your Heart, Soul, and Strength?”

Part Three: “When Jesus Prayed for Love”

Part Four: “Spiritual Growth is Measured in Lifetimes”

Part Five: “Tearing Down the Walls of the Heart”