12:30Mark 12:30

This is the first and great commandment, requiring complete love for the one Lord God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength.Ms 63, 1903, par. 15+2 Heart, soul, mind, and strength together mean the entire person, taking all there is with nothing withheld, dwarfed, or left in competition with God.4T 119.1–2+2 It stands joined to loving one's neighbor as oneself, with no other commandment greater than these two, love for God summing up the first four commandments and love for neighbor the last six.Ms 63, 1903, par. 15+4 It demands undivided, unreserved consecration with no divided loyalty, competing gods, idols, or self-cherishing, and mere profession or outward form without the subdued will does not fulfill it.4T 119.1–2+4 The natural heart cannot of itself meet this standard, but it is kept by constantly looking to Jesus in thorough conversion, with heart, soul, mind, and strength changed and sanctified by union with Him.9MR 373.2+4

This is the first of all the commandments and the first and great commandment, calling for complete and total love for the one Lord God with every power of the whole heart and soul and mind and strength.Ms 63, 1903, par. 15+4 It sums up the first four of the ten commandments, which define duty to God, and governs the whole duty and concern of moral beings.Lt 179, 1902, par. 17–19+2 Together with love for neighbor it expresses the obedience required by God's law, on which hang all the law and the prophets.Lt 179, 1902, par. 17–19+1

It stands forever joined to loving one's neighbor as oneself, and there is no other commandment greater than these two.Ms 63, 1903, par. 15+4 This is the religion of Christ, a life that serves God rather than self, opposed by love of the world, selfish ambition, self-love, and the desire for supremacy.Lt 31, 1891, par. 48–49 It calls for love rather than criticism, fault-finding, or condemnation of others, and it is the practical test of whether God is treated as supreme ruler in every word and action.RCOC 103.5–6+1

It belongs to Jesus' answers to questions meant to entangle Him, when His plain and intelligent replies brought precious light to the people and sowed seeds of truth.Ms 71, 1897, par. 27 The scribe who heard Him answered truthfully and courageously that such wholehearted love for God and for neighbor is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.Ms 63, 1903, par. 15+3 Jesus commended that answer, declaring that the one who answers in this way is not far from the kingdom of God and is brought near to it.Ms 63, 1903, par. 15+1

Christ here repeated the command first given to Israel, for He Himself had spoken it in the cloudy pillar to ancient Israel and spoke it again when the Word became flesh and lived in the world.RH Nov 23, 1916+1 The instruction was to be kept in the heart and taught diligently by parents to children throughout daily life.RH Nov 23, 1916 With His words kept in the heart it was given to teach people how to be saved, while faithful teaching and respect for God's commandments form people in obedience and neglect contributes to widespread sin and crime.RH Nov 23, 1916+1

It presents the whole duty of man in few words, for the commandments of God are comprehensive and far reaching.Lt 179, 1902, par. 17–19+3 Joined with love to neighbor, total love to God comprehends the length and breadth and depth and height that express the full scope and reach of God's law.ST Jul 22, 1913+2 Doing this gives eternal life, for love fulfills the law.Lt 179, 1902, par. 17–19+2

Heart, soul, mind, and strength together comprise the entire person, and loving God with them takes all there is of a man, leaving nothing withheld, dwarfed, or in competition with God and no room for divided loyalty or halfhearted obedience.4T 119.1–2+4 This wholehearted love calls for the heart's best and holiest affections in response to Christ's love and the price paid to redeem the sinner, with wholehearted undivided service and the highest sanctified ambition.4T 119.1–2+2 Loving God wholly places mind and body under His rule and makes natural habits and appetites serve the soul's higher needs, while temporal gifts enjoyed are lent by God to help advance His kingdom.4T 119.1–2+1 It requires keeping looking to Jesus so He reflects His image through the life, with the whole purpose of the heart constantly refined, elevated, ennobled, sanctified, and with truth stamped upon the heart.14MR 211.2 This command is to govern converted parents' thoughts, words, and conduct so home life bears witness to Christ's transforming grace, and giving God all He asks shapes character to represent Him, which is consistent with being considerate and pleasing to one's husband wherever this can be done conscientiously.Lt 75, 1898, par. 3–4+1

The heart is the center of one's being, and unless it is wholly on the Lord's side the enemy can gain repeated victories through temptation.Ms 130, 1897, par. 10–11+1 What God accepts is whole heart's purpose constantly refined, elevated, ennobled and sanctified, with truth clearly stamped upon the heart and a pure, undefiled mind; anything less is not pure and undefiled religion, and mere profession of godliness without deeper experience does not suffice.9MR 373.2+3 Without this wholehearted love the work of God is marred and the soul is ruined.9MR 373.2+1 It is kept by placing oneself under His love and care and carrying out the principles of godliness in daily life, learning from the sermon on the mount the qualities Christ blesses, and so bringing gold, silver and precious stones to the foundation and receiving through belief of the truth sanctification, comfort, joy and quickening power.Lt 163, 1902, par. 6–7

Mind means the intellect placed under God's rule and developed to its fullest capacity, so that the mind can know and love the Creator and serve God effectively.MYP 173.1–2+1 Surrender to God directs the intellect and affections toward what is divine and eternal, elevates and refines every power, and gives it energy without rashness, producing true humility and a fitting dignity.2T 503.1 In true union with Christ He takes the entire being under His control, the mental faculties are developed and the conscience is under divine guidance, with light given to the intellect, determination to the will, sensitiveness to the conscience, and purity to the imagination, making the heart more tender, the thoughts more spiritual, and the service more Christlike.RH Jun 3, 1902 Service demands the whole being given without reservation so that the earthly image is replaced by the heavenly, with sensibilities quickened and the mind fully awake to work for all classes, high and low, rich and poor, learned and ignorant.12MR 214.2+1

Strength means the physical powers and bodily strength given by God, and loving God with all one's strength means using those physical powers fully and intelligently in His service.COL 348.3+2 Love for God is expressed not by physical effort alone, but by bringing heart, soul, and mind to the work as well, using God-given abilities thoughtfully and faithfully, which makes labor honorable.LSEGW 352.2–353.1+1 Using physical powers rightly and wisely to do needed work is an expression of love for God, and physical labor has a place in God's plan, so students should learn to offer abilities and strength to God through practical work.STE 92.2–93.2+2 Even workers in the humblest occupations are to learn to use the ability God has given to do their best work and to teach others to work intelligently.Ms 8a, 1894, par. 11

Loving the Lord with all heart, soul, mind, and strength is the first great principle and sums up the first four of the ten commandments which define duty to God, while love for neighbor as self includes the last six which define duty to people, and on these two principles hang all the law and the prophets.19MR 182.7+3 Together they present the whole duty of man in few words, expressing the obedience God's law requires, and doing this gives eternal life.Ms 88, 1897, par. 18+2 When God holds His rightful place in the heart, love for others follows, for love for God cannot be separated from love for neighbor.DA 606.3–5+1 God's law in this form makes holiness known, reveals His character, states human duty, and obedience to it belongs to the final message of mercy.Ms 88, 1897, par. 18

The commandments form one unified divine whole and are not separate rules of unequal importance to be selectively kept or ignored as lesser and greater.DA 607.1–2+2 They are immutable, as eternal as God's throne, and none may be treated as unimportant.DA 606.3–5+1 The first commandment cannot be kept while the second is broken, because both express the one principle of love, and breaking any precept violates love.DA 607.1–2

Love fulfills Heaven's requirements and is a living principle shown in willing obedience to all God's commandments and requirements, not merely feeling or cold acknowledgment of God.DA 606.3–5+2 Love for God is proved by obedience to all His commandments, with the whole self brought into the struggle against selfishness as the only assurance of success.DA 606.3–5+2 Loyalty means loving Him with whole heart, might, mind, and strength together with love for neighbor.CTBH 161.2+1

Supreme love for God is the first principle of the law and evidence that truth is an abiding principle in the mind and heart, worth more than burnt offerings and sacrifices.Ms 78, 1897, par. 1–3+3 Love for neighbor flows from and rests on this love for God, making impartial love and compassion for others possible.Ms 78, 1897, par. 1–3+4 The Holy Spirit teaches this supreme love for God and love for neighbor as self, and faith working through love purifies the soul from selfishness, sensuality, and sin.Ms 124, 1897, par. 31–34+2 Obeying the command is true godliness and the mainspring of the highest eloquence, leading the soul to choose what is lovely and of good report, and calling for the whole service God requires rather than mere acknowledgment of truth, ceremonial worship, or sacrifice.Ms 124, 1897, par. 31–34+2

The command calls for love that takes the whole heart, soul, mind and strength together, which is the entire person with nothing withheld and no room left for divided loyalty.4T 119.1–2+4 That wholeness means unreserved consecration and complete, undivided service, with no competing gods, no idols, no cherishing of self, no half-hearted obedience and no allowance for the affections to be turned aside to the world and worldly things.RH Apr 19, 1870+4 It requires doing God's will regardless of loss or gain, personal pleasure, or the approval of people who do not seek to glorify Him, even to the point of separation in affection from friends and family who will not yield to the claims of truth.RH Apr 19, 1870+1 Such love gives God the heart's best and holiest affections in response to Christ's love and the price paid to redeem the sinner, ready to give all for the Redeemer and to put His honor and glory before anything else, steadfast in trial and temptation because love guides action, forms character and is revealed in sacrifice.4T 119.1–2+1 The temporal gifts enjoyed are only lent by God to advance His kingdom, and the highest sanctified ambition belongs to those who believe His word and refuse to center the mind on another object.4T 119.1–2+2

God is to be loved supremely and treated as supreme ruler in every word and action, with this love and love for neighbor carried into daily life as the practical test of loyalty.ASCOP 23.2+1 He claims the whole heart and all the affections, not a secondary place, so that He becomes supreme in every part of life and service and His honor comes before personal preference and gratification.ASCOP 23.2+1 Nothing in thought or affection is to be cherished in rivalry with Him; everything becomes secondary to His glory, earthly things are assigned their subordinate place beneath eternal interests, and the works of such love bear heaven's signature.Lt 15, 1895, par. 23–26+2 He is to be cherished as first, as joy and prosperity, light and sufficiency of life and portion forever, a love so fervent and intense that it sums up duty to Him under the first four commandments written on the tables of stone.Lt 15, 1895, par. 23–26+1 That supremacy leads to self-denial and to honoring Him even in outward duties such as treating the house of worship as sacred and making its freedom from debt a first concern.GW 433.4–434.3

Mere profession of godliness without deeper experience does not meet this requirement, for truth must be stamped upon the heart and the mind kept pure and undefiled with God in control of it.Lt 41, 1911, par. 9+1 Religious form, outward profession, clear teaching, acknowledgment of truth or ceremonial worship without wholehearted devotion and service does not fulfill the first commandment, and merely professing to keep the commandments does not prove they are kept.Ms 8, 1893, par. 1–2+2 Genuine obedience includes good works, self-denial, self-sacrifice and service for others, while those lacking this love may continue in secret sin with only superficial conversion.4T 228.1+1 God's claim rests on every person whether professing Christianity or not, calling for devotion and cheerful obedience; to neglect it is rebellion, and to disregard opportunities of mercy during the present time of probation adds to guilt.STSE 34.1–2 The will must be subdued and the whole self brought into subjection to God.Lt 41, 1911, par. 9+2

Such wholehearted love cannot be lived out without self-denial, for God must be loved supremely with all might, mind and strength together with love for neighbor as self.ST Apr 3, 1893+4 That self-denial means ruling passion, resisting faultfinding, patiently bearing with difficult people, faithfully doing duty and taking up responsibilities without seeking applause, personal advantage or self-praise.RH Jul 11, 1907+2 It means continuing to do good and working cheerfully for others even when unappreciated and without recognition.RH Jul 11, 1907+2 Every capability is to be actively used to please God rather than glorify self, including giving means to missionary work that saves souls.Ms 138a, 1899, par. 4

The command states the whole duty of man in few words, for God's commandments are comprehensive and far-reaching, and their length and breadth and depth and height are comprehended in total love to God joined with love to neighbor.ST Dec 5, 1892 Love is the fulfilling of the law, the divine standard and the claim of high heaven by which the judgment will test whether hearts are in harmony with God.ST Dec 5, 1892 The natural heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and cannot of itself meet God's requirement.ST Dec 5, 1892 Resting in human righteousness and measuring by human standards and by comparison with others leaves men fatally short, with all having sinned and come short of the glory of God and none doing good.ST Dec 5, 1892

Loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength takes all there is of a person and is kept by keeping looking to Jesus so that He reflects His image through the life.9MR 373.2+2 The whole purpose of the heart is constantly refined, elevated, ennobled, and sanctified, with truth clearly stamped upon the heart, and without this wholehearted love the work of God is marred and the soul is ruined.9MR 373.2+2 It is kept by placing oneself under His love and care and carrying out the principles of godliness in daily life, learning from the sermon on the mount the qualities Christ blesses, and so bringing gold, silver, and precious stones to the foundation and receiving through belief of the truth sanctification with comfort, joy, and quickening power.Lt 163, 1902, par. 6–7 Mind, soul, and strength are brought into harmony with divine life, and as truth works within it changes character, making the selfish generous and refining and cleansing the person so that Christ is honored in a life shaped after the divine likeness.COL 102.3 Loving God with heart and mind and strength is looking to Jesus, depending wholly on the Lord, and using every power to follow His counsel, needing grace to keep the way of the Lord when carrying great responsibilities, and husband and wife are to do this together by keeping the Word always open and studied as chart and compass.Lt 126, 1908, par. 5

Obedience comes through thorough conversion, meaning not only believing Christ is the Saviour of the world but grasping Him as personal Saviour, with converted principles of management, converted thoughts, and a converted tongue.13MR 92.3 Heart, soul, mind, and strength must be changed so that a person becomes a new, Spirit-born Christian with Christlike character and judgment, giving heart, mind, soul, and strength without reservation to the Lord's service.STB 397.1–398.1+1 This consecration is shown in reformation of thought, word, deed, and character, not merely in a passing emotional response, and in a complete change of the whole inner and outward life.Lt 111, 1904, par. 9–10+1 Yielding heart, soul, mind, and strength entirely into God's hands is the first business of life, meaning conversion through the softening and subduing of hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong by watchfulness, much prayer, and cultivation of Christian graces, with reformation of spirit and works.Lt 195, 1902, par. 8–9 Only so can a person become a vessel unto honor, grow spiritually strong for labor for perishing souls, win the reward of the overcomer, and enter the courts above, while continued cherishing of a wrong spirit injures others in the Lord's work and calls for separation from it.Lt 195, 1902, par. 8–9 Kept fully, this bears witness for Christ by revealing the transforming power of His grace in the home, leaving out all loud, angry talking and all ugly features from the voice.13MR 92.3 Words become soothing and blessing, sweet and kind like dew and gentle showers to the soul, soft, distinct, and plain, learned in the home as the best school for voice culture, and mothers keeping it become teachers in the home, acting like Christ and speaking tender, loving words, with record that they are laborers together with God.13MR 92.3 This whole consecration is sanctification by union with Christ, which all must experience to gain eternal life, a union no power of Satan can break, entered in the moment of surrender to God and believing in Jesus with the righteousness of Christ and redemption from sin and appreciation of His sacrifice.5MR 346.3–4 The Holy Spirit controls the mind, operates like leaven on meal, absorbs all capabilities and powers, awakens new thoughts, feelings, and purposes, changes the mind, sets the faculties to work, and brings soul, body, and spirit into conformity to Christ.5MR 346.3–4

Loving and serving God with the entire being recognizes His ownership because a person has been bought with an infinite price and is not his own, with soul, body, and spirit belonging to Jesus Christ.Lt 4a, 1880, par. 7+1 Those who receive Christ's sacrifice love Him wholly with heart, mind, soul, and strength and recognize themselves as His blood-bought people and blood-bought heritage.RH May 30, 1907+1 Christ is to rule in the heart without a rival because He has purchased humanity and they belong to Him alone, and He has delegated His right of authority to no one.Ms 40, 1903, par. 29 It requires placing oneself wholly under His control in allegiance of mind, will, soul, and strength, affirming His claim as Master and Lord, declaring I am the Lord's and serving Him with whole heart, mind, might, and strength in humility yet with firmness and decision.Lt 4a, 1880, par. 7+1 When the authority of the Majesty of Heaven is recognized, there is determined effort rightly to represent Him.Ms 40, 1903, par. 29 It means pledging to serve God with heart and mind and strength, keeping covenant with God by seeking the Lord earnestly and obeying the principles of truth by the help of God, with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit cooperating with all who keep that pledge.Ms 50, 1904, par. 45–46 This complete devotion recognizes that God owns both a person's powers and the person himself, and it shapes every kind of work — whether business, ministry, or a trade — as service to God done in cooperation with others under Christ's direction, with consecration making conduct gentle, kind, and courteous, with holiness as the guiding aim.Lt 107, 1900, par. 13–14 They receive from the Saviour a clean heart, the most precious gift, and an experience more valuable than gold or silver or precious stones.Ms 11, 1902, par. 10 They sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, enjoying in communion with Him the joy and peace that He alone can give, with spiritual eyesight not dimmed by worldly policy or aims, one with Christ as He is one with the Father.Ms 11, 1902, par. 10

The command calls for seeking the Lord with all heart, soul, mind, and strength without delay, repenting and being converted, dying to self, being broken and acknowledging the supremacy of God.Lt 50, 1907, par. 3–4+1 It requires giving God what remains of life, giving up pride, self-esteem, and self-justification in a wrong course, turning from blaming others and from hatred, and turning from actions God cannot approve.Lt 50, 1907, par. 3–4 This breaks the spell of the enemy and gives comfort and peace of mind, and it is urgent because the judgments of God are beginning to fall upon the earth and upon those who despise the law of God.Lt 50, 1907, par. 3–4 Seeking to know and obey God with the whole heart, mind, and strength is the first great lesson of life, and knowing God and Jesus Christ is more important than literary or academic knowledge and is the knowledge of eternal life that should guide every study and shape a life that glorifies God.Lt 141a, 1896, par. 12–14 The whole being must be put on the Lord's side under His control, with no reservation of mind, thoughts, or affections, seeking and calling upon the Lord with all the heart in faith and giving Jesus all that there is of a person — soul, body, mind, and strength — and when sought in this way He will be found.Ms 22, 1889, par. 35–36 It means seeking the Lord with all heart and mind and soul now, with no time to lose, improving the present opportunity by doing the best one knows, with God helping and strengthening, so that every person comes into right relation with Himself, which is what He wants for all.Ms 73, 1911, par. 13

Surrender of the will, the mind, the soul, the strength, and the entire being to God lets the wisdom of God do what human wisdom cannot do, and His providence unites hearts in bonds of heavenly origin.13MR 139.1+1 The result is heart bound to heart in the golden chain of a genuine love that is firm enough to bear wear and trial and that glorifies God in the life of those He has purchased by the sacrifice of His own life to unite them with Himself, not a mere external interchange of affection in soft and flattering words.13MR 139.1+1 A love regarded as fine and elevated, yet which absorbs the whole being so that God cannot be glorified in the life of those He purchased, fails this command, and it is cruelty to feed it or give vent to it.13MR 139.1 God claims the whole person — will, affections, mind, soul, and strength — and loving and serving Him fully means bringing the will under God's control, joining it to His will and to conscience, and letting His Word shape one's thoughts and aims.Lt 22, 1896, par. 11–13 The will must not be surrendered to another person or used for selfish schemes, and under divine guidance it is to become strong and steadfast, serving God's honor rather than self.Lt 22, 1896, par. 11–13

The Holy Spirit awakens every spiritual faculty to act on this moral duty involving the whole person — heart, might, mind, and strength — and teaches supreme love for God with love for one's neighbor as oneself following from it.MH 358.4+1 Loving God with the whole heart and loving one's neighbor as oneself is attained through the Holy Spirit's work upon mind and heart, developing spiritual character and intellectual ability and qualifying a person to work with Jesus in God's service.Ms 124, 1897, par. 35–36 Loving God means surrendering the mind, heart, will, strength, and whole being to His control, and in that surrender God guides through reproof, warning, and encouragement, and brings a power that simplifies the soul's life and binds people to Him.Lt 138, 1899, par. 4 This wholehearted love should shape service and prayer, so that prayer is sincere, tender, fervent, and moved by the Holy Spirit, not formal or performed for eloquence.Ms 4, 1901, par. 24–28+1 A softened heart filled with God's love prays with earnestness, while a Christless heart gives tame, spiritless prayers, and this love is practiced by following Isaiah 58 and learning to pray in the Spirit.Ms 4, 1901, par. 24–28+1

Love for God is heart service, soul service, and service of mind and bodily powers in everyday work, with nothing dwarfed or withheld and every ability lent by God used intelligently and faithfully for Him.SPBC 193.2–4+4 Mental faculties and physical powers are to be put fully into farming, building, mechanical and agricultural occupations and every other department, with educated ability employed to devise improved and best methods so labor is not in vain.SPBC 193.2–4+2 Exercising the faculties strengthens and expands them, and doing one's best in whatever place is assigned brings cheerfulness and efficiency.SPBC 193.2–4+4 When the law of God is made the standard of action, faithfulness in every duty ennobles and sanctifies all labor and reveals a character God can approve.SPBC 193.2–4+3

Every kind of necessary work, even humble occupation, can honor God when done from love for Him and for His honor, with heart, soul, mind and strength engaged.Ms 8b, 1894 [Copy 2], par. 15–17+3 The skilled laborers who built the wilderness tabernacle under divine direction put themselves fully into the work, showing that toil can be service to God.SPBC 192.4–193.1 That devotion includes bringing brain and heart and strength into tilling the soil to overcome poverty and distress, trusting that God who made the world for man's benefit, giving rain and sunshine, will provide means from the earth to sustain the diligent worker and can spread a table in the wilderness.Ms 8, 1894 [Copy 1], par. 26–27 It also includes redeeming neglected land by cultivation and planning, cutting off pernicious habit and wasteful spending on liquor, tobacco, stimulating drink, racing, theater, gambling and lotteries, committing the way to God, and working with the endowment of physical strength.Ms 8, 1894 [Copy 1], par. 26–27

Schools are to bring industry to the front and teach students the apt, wise use of strength in practical labor, giving fresh incentive to all kinds of useful work.LSEGW 355.1+1 When students feel this love and use strength rightly, temptation is far lessened and by precept and example a light shines amid erroneous theories and fashionable customs that corrects the false idea that ignorance is the mark of a gentleman.LSEGW 355.1+1 Physical labor has its place in God's plan for every person and His blessing will attend it.Ms 8b, 1894 [Copy 2], par. 40–41

Loving God with all the strength means being wise and careful in its use, preserving health and life by the means He has provided and by obeying the laws He established in the human organism, since to trifle with those physical laws is to trifle with the law of God.Lt 55, 1887, par. 10–11+1 Every power must be bowed to God's authority and brought under sanctified reason, with impulse controlled, wise judgment exercised, regular hours of sleep and food kept, and reckless habits of late hours and long talks broken, so energies are preserved in best condition for taxing labor and good work for the Master.Lt 55, 1887, par. 10–11+1 Misusing and enfeebling the powers through personal recklessness leaves service no longer perfect, and such inefficiency from disregard of the laws of life and health robs and dishonors God.Lt 55, 1887, par. 10–11+1 For a physician this means inability to work with tact and skill and wronging patients by failing to give due attention.Lt 55, 1887, par. 10–11 Wholehearted love is incompatible with loving appetite and taste more than God, with giving physical strength and reason to lust, and with defiling the body which is God's temple; wrong habits weaken the strength and mind required for His glory, while one who obeys His Word works with Him to keep the body undefiled.2T 70.1+2 Full vigor of health gives greater capacity to love and serve God than disease does.HTL6 41.4–44.2

Undivided devotion of heart, soul, mind and strength governs entrusted resources, using every ability and all means to advance God's kingdom, build His work, and save souls, working to the fullest ability rather than for selfish gratification, unnecessary self-indulgence, or opposition to Christ's work.STB 417.2+2 Giving means to sustain God's work expresses love for God and for neighbor, and prayer and giving to His cause and to the needy test the sincerity of professed love, showing receipt of Christ's grace, though gifts do not earn favor or recommend the giver to Him.Ms 99, 1893, par. 4–6+1 Wholehearted loyalty is shown by dealing faithfully and justly, refusing consent to injustice and worldly practice, since consenting to wrong dishonors God and misrepresents His character.Ms 11, 1895, par. 13–14 Taking advantage of another for personal gain and dishonest dealing violate love for God and for neighbor whether toward believer or unbeliever, and every injustice will be judged.3T 246.1+1

Loving the Lord with all the heart, mind, soul and strength means obeying His commandments with self-denial, economy, and careful use of money, time and opportunity, putting mind and will to the task of gaining an education for His service.Lt 27, 1895, par. 9–11 Children are to learn early to use God-given abilities responsibly and cultivate their talents so they can serve God with mind and body as well as heart, rather than being left to please themselves without knowing the happiness of such service.Lt 27, 1895, par. 9–11+1

The command calls for loving God with heart, mind, soul, and strength through thorough conversion, not only believing Christ is the Saviour of the world but grasping Him as a personal Saviour.13MR 92.3+1 God demands this service of the whole being from both parents and children because He gave His Son so they might have eternal life, a sacrifice that must not be despised or made of none effect.Ms 160, 1902, par. 1+1 Keeping it governs converted parents' thoughts, words, and conduct, requiring converted principles of management, converted thoughts, and a converted tongue.13MR 92.3+1 Parents are to take up the education of their children from their earliest years, teaching obedience, bringing them up in nurture and admonition to form characters God can approve, directing minds to high and holy objects, pointing them to God as their sufficiency, and guarding every word spoken in the home.Ms 160, 1902, par. 1 Kept fully, it bears witness for Christ by revealing the transforming power of His grace in the home, leaving out all loud, angry talking and all ugly features from the voice, with words becoming soothing and blessing, sweet and kind like dew and gentle showers to the soul, soft, distinct, and plain, learned in the home as the best school for voice culture, and mothers keeping it become teachers acting like Christ and speaking tender, loving words, having written opposite their names in heaven that they are laborers together with God.13MR 92.3+1

In marriage husband and wife fulfill the command together as one by glorifying God with mind, heart, soul, and strength, blending in love and fear of God with Christ dwelling in the heart making them of one mind by consulting together, praying together, and searching the Scriptures together.Ms 202, 1903, par. 1–2+1 Christ has the first claim upon every person and must be loved with the whole heart, mind, and soul even when husband or wife stands in opposition to loyalty to God.Ms 75, 1895, par. 11–12 Love to God means keeping true to Christ and obeying the holy precepts of the Word without yielding point after point to gain peace in the home or submitting to a human will, keeping the Word always open and studied as chart and compass, looking to Jesus, depending wholly on the Lord, and using every power to follow His counsel.Ms 75, 1895, par. 11–12+1 Turning from Christ who purchased sinners with His own blood separates the soul from God, the source of love, light, hope, and blessing, leaving the person powerless to resist Satan, and breaking allegiance to God does not preserve love for wife, husband, or children but tears affection from its support, bringing alienation of affection, wretchedness, and unfaithfulness to marriage vows.Ms 75, 1895, par. 11–12

Wholehearted devotion to Christ leads His followers to work for Him with every part of themselves, with zeal for His sake showing the measure of faith and self swallowed up in Christ in true union with Him.STMW10 33.1+1 Service for God demands the whole being given without reservation so the earthly image is replaced by the heavenly, with sensibilities quickened and mind fully awake to work for all classes, high and low, rich and poor, learned and ignorant.12MR 214.2+1 It means revealing the tenderness of the great Shepherd in gathering lambs in His arms, guarding the flock from harm, leading in safe paths, and combining tenderness and sympathy with intensity of desire to impart truths that mean eternal life to the receiver.12MR 214.2+1 Supreme love for God, joined with love for neighbor as oneself, leads people to work for the souls for whom Christ died and to do Christ's works, seeking the neighbor's highest good.Lt 13, 1890, par. 13–15+1 For the physician and for every believer this means having the love of Christ in the heart and losing no opportunity to set the Lord before the afflicted, leading the patient to behold Jesus as physician of body and soul, the mighty Healer and source of all power, mercy, and goodness, directing thoughts, gratitude, and praise to God for healing rather than to self.Lt 13, 1890, par. 13–15+1

Complete love with whole heart, mind, soul, and strength necessarily includes love for the people for whom Christ died, and when believers neglect their salvation they have lost their first love and must repent and return to the works that expressed that love.MYP 418.3+1 Loving God supremely cannot be separated from loving neighbor as oneself, expressing the principles of the law, and when these principles shape daily actions they witness to love for God and give the church power to influence the world.MYP 418.3+1 A cold, distant disposition is incompatible with this love, withholding from God the love due to Him and from others the love due to them, so love must be fostered through affectionate hearts and truthful, loving words.4T 548.1 Serving God with all the heart, mind, might, and soul is shown by blessing others and leading them to Christ the Light of the world, by dealing faithfully and justly, refusing to consent to injustice, following God's standard rather than worldly practices, and taking a decided stand, since consenting to wrongdoing dishonors God and misrepresents His character.Ms 11, 1895, par. 13–14+1 That supreme love joined with love for neighbor places sons and daughters on higher ground with greater strength, making Christian work fruitful and productive of much good in persuading men to accept truth, sowing seeds of truth to bring forth fruits unto righteousness, following on to know more truth, and gathering more divine light to shine forth in good works to all around.Ms 32, 1887, par. 14–17

Serving the Lord with mind, heart, soul, and strength requires students to keep themselves to themselves, make the most of their time, allow no frivolity, give up determination to have their own will and way, and refuse to demoralize fellow students as leading spirits of wrong influence, for without this wholehearted service the school will not benefit them and those who paid their expenses will be disappointed, and those bent on their own way should stay at home under parental guardianship.2MR 177.3+1 The same whole-person devotion joins interests fully with the gospel ministry and engages heart, soul, mind, and strength in doing the work God assigns.Lt 45, 1900, par. 14–17+1 The call to love God with whole heart, mind, and strength is a call to take up the work wholeheartedly and with all strength, with renewed effort rather than faultfinding, since obeying the truth purifies the soul and prepares a person to share what has been received.Ms 43, 1901, par. 48 Love to God with the whole being must control the ministry, with the minister laboring as Christ labored and putting the whole soul intelligently into the work, bringing thought, zeal, prudence, capability, and the attributes of Christ's character into soul-saving, employing every talent and every gift of grace with constantly increasing efficiency and supply of grace to attain larger results and add many souls to the fold, for preaching without putting the whole being into the work makes a man a consumer and not a producer and shows need of true conversion.17MR 304.4–306.1

Keeping this commandment brings the unseen angels of God into the home to cooperate with parents and children.Ms 60, 1903, par. 19 The same service with heart, mind, soul, and strength in all daily work requires stewardship and business dealing marked by strict integrity and the sanctifying influence of truth, being faithful in all that is done, letting no selfish, covetous act stand against the name, refusing to serve the world while professing to be children of God, giving the whole heart and life to Him who gave Himself for redemption.Lt 15, 1905, par. 14–15 It means disappointing the enemy by refusing to be his tool, turning away from financial advantages that would prove a curse to religious experience and from all deceitful devising, artifice, and underhand schemes.Lt 15, 1905, par. 14–15 Those who so serve have the angels of heaven come close and lift up for them a standard against the enemy.Lt 15, 1905, par. 14–15

Loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength means giving every power of the being to Him, developing every human power to its highest capacity and restoring His image throughout body, mind, and soul.RH Jan 16, 1913+2 That supreme love places the whole being under God's control and leads to seeking the highest good of humanity, restoring the moral image of God in man.9MR 380.1–2 By contrast, selfish self-love destroys that image, blinds to the perfection God requires, and shuts out true happiness, which is found only in seeking the good of others.9MR 380.1–2

Surrender to God directs intellect and affections toward what is divine and eternal, elevates and refines every power, and gives it energy without rashness.2T 503.1 In union with Christ the entire being comes under His control, the mental faculties are developed and conscience is under divine guidance, with light given to intellect, determination to will, sensitiveness to conscience, and purity to imagination.RH Jun 3, 1902 Then the heart becomes more tender, thoughts more spiritual, and service more Christlike, producing in the life what no words can express.RH Jun 3, 1902 This wholehearted submission produces true humility with fitting dignity, brings mind, soul, and strength into harmony with divine life, and changes character so the selfish become generous and Christ is honored in a life shaped after the divine likeness.2T 503.1+1 Keeping heart, soul, mind, and strength in conformity to the will of God means obeying principles of righteousness and keeping the commandments, by which Christlike character is perfected as the Father in heaven is perfect, bringing growth in wisdom and grace and a stronger desire to conform the will to God's will.Ms 104, 1905, par. 6–8+1

Complete devotion recognizes God's ownership of the person and of all his powers, giving the whole being to perform the work.Ms 21, 1911, par. 14+1 That consecration invests the whole life with sacredness, whether in business lines, ministry of the Word, or various trades, so that every act is a consecrated act done in cooperation with others under Christ's direction.Ms 21, 1911, par. 14+1 It makes a person gentle, kind, and courteous, with holiness unto the Lord as motto and guiding aim, under Christ and being trained for the higher life above.Ms 21, 1911, par. 14+1

Such love, joined with loving neighbor as self, gives a wide and broad field for using ability and influence, not for selfish pleasure but in service to God, for every power of mind, soul, and body belongs to the Lord.MH 153.1+1 It comes through sharing in the divine nature, gives glory to God, and brings peace and goodwill on earth, and when followers value and represent Christ's work they help bring about the saving of souls for whom He gave His life.SPBC 167.4 Those whose names remain in the book of life love God with every power of their being together with loving their neighbors as themselves.HSFM 138.6

Loving God with the whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, together with loving neighbor as self, is attained through the Holy Spirit's work upon mind and heart, developing spiritual character and intellectual ability and qualifying a person for God's high and sacred work.Ms 124, 1897, par. 35–36+1 That supreme love gives His sons and daughters greater strength and places them on higher ground, making Christian work fruitful and productive of much good.Ms 32, 1887, par. 14–17 It persuades men to accept truth and sows seeds of truth in hearts to bring forth fruits unto righteousness, while following on to know more truth and gathering more divine light to shine forth in good works to all around.Ms 32, 1887, par. 14–17 Knowing God's requirements must lead to practicing them in consecrated effort, so that a life of service sows truth that bears fruit unto eternal life.RH Feb 6, 1908

God claims the whole heart, soul, and affections of every person whether professing to be Christian or not, calling for devotion and cheerful obedience, and neglecting it is rebellion that adds guilt when opportunities of mercy are disregarded.STSE 34.1–2 Loving God fully is the plain scriptural standard for the way to heaven whose demands cannot be weakened to suit human preferences, and ministers must teach it faithfully.GC 259.3–260.1 Wholehearted devotion with no part of the affections held back is required to be acquitted in the day of God, for God's law requires the whole person and its full spiritual demands of supreme love, sincere devotion, and faithful obedient service are what weigh thoughts, words, works, and character.RH Aug 17, 1869+1 Every student must learn total love for God joined to love for neighbor as practical life, reverencing and carefully practicing principles of God's Word without divorcing them from daily conduct, cherishing purity of thought, Christlike character, pure words and unquestionable practices, practicing every virtue, suppressing every tendency to viciousness, and putting away every unclean habit through thorough conversion.Ms 131, 1902, par. 7–8 Neglect brings an erroneous life, danger of sinful practices God abhors, falsehood instead of truth, and loss of the soul through carelessness in word or act, while obedience perfects the pure, holy character required to enter the city of God.Ms 131, 1902, par. 7–8 God looks at the condition of the heart rather than house or land possessed, holding fast to truth firm and unshaken and praying from sincere lips for Him to put His love in the heart to impart to others, which is possible only through Christ energizing the soul and requires overcoming all pride and self-indulgence, without which no one can enter the abodes of bliss and let light shine in good works so men glorify the Father in heaven.Lt 19, 1905, par. 12

Wholehearted love embracing heart, soul, strength, and mind must govern the life and is essential for successful work for Him, so those who lack this love should pause their work until hearts are purified through obedience to His word.RH Apr 21, 1903 God alone is worthy of glory and praise belongs to Him with whole heart, soul, might, mind, and strength, and recognizing that salvation cost the life of God's Son calls for humble views of self rather than exalting human beings.RH Mar 27, 1913 In one joined to Christ, taught by Him and under His control, true devotion becomes loving, faithful service to His work, with thoughts conformed to God's will, affections set apart for His service, and worship offered in faith and hope matched by a life in harmony with it.6T 476.3–4+1 That strength is to be used to save others, not for self-gratification or self-indulgence, for neglecting entrusted work is failure to serve Christ, and whole mind, heart, soul, strength and every entrusted gift are to be used faithfully for the good of others and to represent Christ, not left idle or spent in self-indulgence.ST Oct 28, 1897+1