Question. Now that you have briefly told me the meaning of the Ten Commandments, tell me: cannot all these things that you have separately and specially explained be gathered, as it were, into one summary?
Answer. Yes indeed, since Christ, our heavenly teacher, has summed up the whole essence and substance of the Law in this short summary, saying: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And this is the greatest Commandment in the Law. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself; for in these two Commandments are contained the whole Law and the Prophets.
Scripture Reference: Mat. 22:23; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:17
Question. What kind of love for God do you think is required here?
Answer. Such love as is fitting for God: that is, that we acknowledge Him as our most mighty Lord, our most loving Father, and our most merciful Saviour. Therefore, with this love must be joined both reverence for His majesty, obedience to His will, and trust in His goodness.
Scripture Reference: Deut. 5, 10:2, 17, 20; Psalm 25:1, 1:1, 31:1, 96:7-9, and 118:8
Question. What is meant by “all thy heart, all thy soul, and all thy strength”?
Answer. Such fervency and sincerity of love that there is no room for any thoughts, desires, intentions, or actions that disagree with the love of God. For every godly person loves God, not only more dearly than all others, but also more dearly than himself.
Scripture Reference: Deut. 6:17-18 and 30:6; Joshua 23:17; John 14:15, 21, 23-24, and 15:10; Mat. 10:37-38; Luke 14:26