As The Great Commission specifies that disciples are taught “all that He has commanded,” we must understand there are New Testament commandments. They are simple and basic, but they are commandments nonetheless. The most basic commandment the Lord gave us is recorded in John 13:34-35:

       “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

       “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (NKJV).

        This is a “new” commandment because it eclipses what was taught under the Old Covenant about how we love each other. Here we are told to love one another “as I have loved you.” He loved us more than He loved His own life. He laid down His life for us, and that is how He now commands us to love one another.

        Where would you find those who are actually doing this? Those are His true disciples. As He says here, this is how you will recognize them. Could we say this is what we are known for? We need to be reminded often that loving God and loving one another is our main job description as Christians. Just as those who are the most successful in every field are those who do the basics best, the greatest disciples of Christ will be those who learned to love the most.

         For this reason, the two greatest commandments must be kept foremost in our devotion, not just so we obey them, but so we can also understand “all that He commanded” accurately. As we are told in Philippians 1:9, the Apostle Paul prayed that, “your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.”

         We can only have a true and accurate knowledge if we love. Those who do not build on this foundation will distort what is taught. As we also see here, true discernment is the result of love, not fear or suspicion.