Mk 12:29 Jesus answered "The most important of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart decisions, with all your soul m/w/e, with all your mind discern-Eph, and with all your strength.'
31  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.

Loyalty: Hesed (covenantal faithfulness) to God's reputation (glory) and agenda, depending only on Him for our needs and desires
Obedience: we can't have a rlshp with God apart from total obedience to His will, which leaves no room for indulging our desires.
Volitional Valuing: we must choose (synthetic happiness) to value what God values as our highest good and action/attitude determiner
Exclusive Emotional Intimacy: we are unfaithful when we seek our needs from, or set our affections on. anything created/temporal

1. Love is a decision (based on knowledge) & a commitment to self-sacrificially do what is in another's best interest regardless of response Jn 3

5. No Evil Rm 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 all summed up in: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."10 Love does no harm/evil to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 Do this, knowing the time...sleep...our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12  cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let's walk properly, as in the day, not...strife and envy 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts

6. Loyalty to others flows out of God's Hesed (love & forgiveness) toward us Col 3:12 holy and beloved, put on compassion, goodness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do 14 above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Jn 15 Rm 12:10

Not at expense of loyalty to God and the Truth; but some sacrifice those for fake self-worth (valueless self-affirmation and apporval of others)

Rm 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. Rm 12:5 we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (1Cor 12:25 there should be no schism {1:10} in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one. Eph 4:(15-16) 25 {new man}, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.)  Rm 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted/kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord

Mt 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  37 He who loves... more than Me is not worthy of Me 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Ex 32:26 "Whoever is on the LORD's side-come to me!" all the sons of Levi gathered  27 "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on...and let every man kill his brother, his companion,  his neighbor.' " 29 , "Consecrate...bestow on you a blessing..opposed his son

1Jn 4:7  love one another, for love is of God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  12 If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love perfected in us

7. Other-centeredness  Phil 2:3 do nothing thru selfish ambition or vainglory, but in humility let each esteem others better/more important than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  Eph 5:29 nourish cherish

Why self-centered: needs aren't met by God; half-hearted self-denial and embracing of God's purpose for life; risk rejection; wrong values Focus on self (pride/power: security/significance; lust: pleasure/comfort) and what others think of us rather than what God thinks of us b/c don't know Him.

Rm 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 1Cor 8:9 take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every one another’s well-being 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

8. Volitional Valuing: we must choose to value what God values as our highest good and action/attitude determiner=the benefit of others
1Pt 1:22 you purified your souls in obeying the truth thru the Spirit for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart

9. Edification Rm 14:19 15:2 each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification 3 as Christ did not please Himself Heb 10:24-25
Eph 4: 25 speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another cf Body  Rm 14:19  things wherewith one may edify another.

10. Serving and Sharing Gal 5:13 called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but thru love serve one another.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:
1. Why do we have difficulty loving others when they don't love us back? Why is self-denial-purity/holiness a prerequisite to love 1Pt 1:22?
2. How can we misplace our loyalty? Why would we be tempted to be loyal to a person who isn't loyal to God?
3. Do you have to love yourself (consider youself a person of worth and value) to love others? What can you do to boost your self-worth?
*4. If you've denied yourself (very life-Lk 9:23) to follow Jesus, why would you be pursuing your own self-centered (demonically deceived) agenda?
5. Why is being other-centered difficult? If God meets our needs (esteem, worth, value, etc), why would we look to others to meet them?
6. What can you do to tap into God's grace and love so you can share it with others? How can you express your love for others?