What Are God's Commands?

This article will attempt answer the question from the last article Our purpose in life, Fear God and obey His commands for this man's all or duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). 

So, what are God's commands? How do we know if we are in obedience to the Lord? That is an open ended question I believe, but lets see how far we get shall we?

The first command is found in Exodus 20:3, you shall have no other gods before Me. 

How many of us really contemplate the heaviness of this command? People then like now are polytheistic; meaning they are idol worshippers - giving obeisance to created things. God commands us all to monotheism, the worship of Him alone. If one never acknowledges their Creator as Lord of all, they will never obey Him. Our wicked nature needs the power of the Word of God to subdue our evil resistance so that we can submit to Him in reverence.

Remember, God's commands are just that, His commands. They are never suggestions. The Lord commands obedience because He loves and knows what is best for us.

Jesus Mary and Martha

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (italics added for emphasis; Luke 10:38-41).

Can you see the tenderness and love Jesus has for Martha? Notice He did not tell her to stop what she was doing and sit at His feet like Mary was doing. But, Mary had her priorities in check. If God Almighty came to your house for a visit wouldn't you stop whatever you were doing to worship and listen to His every word for dear life?

Then again, perhaps many wouldn't.

This is how we are to love the Lord our God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4).

God through His servant Moses is commanding the children of Israel that they are to love the Lord with every fiber of their being. God delivered them from Egyptian slavery and made them free. God was telling them they now have a new Master, God Almighty. Pharoah was no longer their master.

Why should we love the Lord our God?

God described Himself to Moses in this way when He was up on the mountain received the second set of the ten commandments: And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the inquity of the fathers upon the children and children's children to the third and fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7).

What I had to learn about why we should love the Lord is because He is good and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136). The rub for the unbeliever is they look at the misfortune in their lives and ongoing tragedy in our world and draw the wrong conclusion that there is no way God is merciful, gracious and longsuffering and good. It is easy to make God the fall guy when one looks at life through a secular worldview verses a Biblical worldview. You see a humanist worldview offers no real hope or solutions for life's problems. The word of God provides all solutions for every human being. Here is the command: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to you children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).

Notice Jesus never offers an apology for the evil in the world. Why? Because man is responsible for his sins not God. We are the reason the world is a cesspool of degenerecy and debauchery. That is why God commands man to repent. This is a loving invitation from the Lord to us so that we can escape His wrath and enter into His joy. 

This is why God can describe Himself as: merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. 

The only way one can prove their love for Jesus is to obey Him. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The same John said in I John 5:3, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome."

The Command to love one another

As Jesus was nearing His death, He taught the disciples this command, "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" (John 13:34-35). 

Jesus clearly practiced what He preached. Remember what Jesus said when He was dying in agony on the cross and all were mocking Him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not what they do" (Luke 23:34-36). Love always forgives and it never forgets. Why does love not forget? Because if love forgot, why would one need to forgive anything?

The apostle John wrote these sobering words. They are a loving warning to us as Christians, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethern. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:14-15).

John is providing clear instruction here. The outside world will never know if we love God if we hate one another. Hating one another proves one has not experienced the New Birth; that person is still in their sins. That is not why Jesus died to redeem us - so that we can continue to practice evil and live like the devil.

Here is another poweful text by John, If someone says, "I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he loves God must love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

The text is clear again, we cannot hate who God loves. Just like Christ died for you, He died for your brother and sister who also repented of their sins and believed in Him. We are eternally connected with Church / The Body of Christ.

Summing it up

A Pharisee who was a lawyer asked Jesus a question testing Him and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:35-40).

Jesus replied to the lawyer saying, If you love God with all your might and loving your neighbor, you have fulfilled the entire law of God. Think about it. If anyone does these things, what else in life is left? The person that obeys these two commands is a light bearer in this dark world. That person is fearless and lives a life of truth and righteousness. They will never be defeated by circumstances because God's love is spread abroad in their hearts and they will be able to handle the difficulties life brings them.

This is the character of an obedient life, love God and love your fellow man.

Is Salvation Free?

Yes. Salvation is free because it is a gift of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). But salvation was not free for God our Father and the Lord Jesus. It cost the Father to give His Son, and it cost the Son His life - for us. So salvation is both free and not free - free for the recipient, but not for the giver.

The reason I asked the question in the first place is because I have for years pondered that question and not long ago someone asked me that very question:

Is salvation free?

My reply was yes, but that does not mean the Christian life will not bring many trials.

You see, the world has it backwards. They believe they can work their way into heaven through philanthropy, feeding the poor giving to charitable organizations, or being a good citizen. While all the above are good things, they cannot redeem the soul. The world will use their "good deeds" as a sort of good faith deposit for peace and tranquility into what many call the afterlife. In other words, if they believe in their own mind their good has outweighed their bad, then they are "reincarnated" and all will be well. 

I heard the late Pastor and Bible Teacher John MacArthur call that the religion of human achievement. One has to seriously ask themselves the question, "where will my soul end up when I die?"

Here is the main problem with human achievement, it focuses soley on the person and not God. Its the sacrifice of Cain that God had no respect for (Genesis 4:5). When one is spending and laboring their whole life long trying to earn their way to heaven, they blaspheme the Lord. What you are saying to God is, "I don't need you. I am good enough to do this on my own. I can save myself!" 

He that trusts in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26).

That is someone who is trying to earn what Jesus already paid for by dying on the cross for our sins. That person has despised the atonement of Jesus Christ - trampling on His precious blood He shed for them. In attempting to earn salvation, you're actually mocking God. You have proven that you hate Him.

The Dichotomy

Many who are not saved are striving with every fiber of their being to purchase their slavation in the here and now. These people are hopefully deceived. God will never accept any human achievement from the unrepentant.

Let's read some proverbial passages.

Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 15:8, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. But the prayer of the upright is His delight."

Proverbs 21:27, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more when he brings it with wicked intent."

Then there are those who are saved. Many of them have decided to sit on their hands and do nothing for the kingdom. All they do is attend Church to receive the Word and then leave, nothing more. One would expect that behavior from young believers, but not older ones. This is dishonoring to God. The scripture teaches us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in us both to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

The message of Salvation is always new

The teaching on salvation of /by Jesus Christ is new everyday. For me its like hearing it for the first time although I've heard it countless times. It refreshes and always invigorates the soul if received by faith. What is Biblical Salvation? First of all is the Rebirth by the Holy Spirit. It is the resurrection from the dead (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). Did not Jesus declare of Himself that I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives in Me shall never die. Do you believe this (John 11:25-26)? This declaration and question He asked Martha the sister of Mary after their brother Lazarus died. 

It is the forgivness of our sins and the precious gift of eternal life. It is the rescue of the human soul from death. It is deliverance from the fires of hell. It is peace with God, forever. It is the baptism of God's love on our tortured wretched souls. It is the opening of our eyes from blindness. Because of God's revelation I can see all the way to eternity through the telescope of scripture. Now I  know how this present world will end and how the new heavens and earth will begin and remain forever. It is the opening of our ears from deafness. It is joy unspeakable. Who wouldn't want or need the salvation that God offers through Christ?

Thanks be to the Lord. My soul is at peace because of God's salvation. It is important that I say this regarding God's peace: Do not determine the peace of God based on what you see around you. If one has more faith in what they see verses what they can't see; i.e. the promises of God that will be fulfilled in the future, then they will never have real peace at all.  God's peace is untouchable. The world cannot take it away for it is a divine gift of God's grace. It comes from heaven so it transcends the trials of this sinful life. God's peace is His assurance that calms the restless soul which lasts forever. Yes! The child of God can have peace in every circumstance.

The apostle Paul provides us with a wonderful doxology of God's love:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:37-39

Our Purpose In Life

 One of the things I was always praying regarding my daughters is that I want the best for them. Then I started to ponder my words, what is the best for them? I realized my prayer was selfish. When making this petition to God, I was thinking what I believed was best for them instead of what is actually the best for them from a Biblical perspective. You see, what we as parents want for our children is not necessarily what they want for themselves. So the Lord reminded me of His word and I redirected my prayer. 

Here is what I pray regarding my daughters now for this is the only reason for living.

In Ecclesiates 12:13-14 we read, "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: "Fear God and keep His (italics added for emphasis) commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."

These verses above require getting to know God on a deep intimate level. Proverbs 1:7 says, " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." We have only two types of people in this world, the wise and the foolish. You see, I have discovered because of sin, we are going to have many trials and tribulations in our lives. With God, we will endure and gain victory. Without the Lord, your suffering and perpetual defeat will have no end. Why? Because the fool has no redemptive purpose in life no matter how materially successful they are - that person's wealth, fame and prestige will perish with them.

Our Time Is Short Here

James the half-brother of Jesus gives us these sobering and humble words, "What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Translation: our lives compared to eternity is a puff of smoke! Most of the world does not have the slightest awareness the brevity of their lives until it is too late.

Fear God and keep his commands for that is why we are here.

To do anything other than obey the Lord is a life wasted.

So, if you really want to know your life to count, ask the Lord and He will direct you (Proverbs 3:5-6). Let me say this for it is very important. Do not think you can pursue the Lord through wicked means and intentions. Let me explain:

A woman or man dancing at the strip club is not giving glory to God or blessed because they're  making a lot of money and says "Thank you Jesus!" A preacher that is preaching the social gospel and has a huge congregation with lots of fame and money instead of the gospel of repentance that saves is not glorifying God. Jesus marked these type of people and said, "These people draw near to me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8-9;Mark 7:6-7).

We all know talk is often cheap. God judges the fruit (i.e deeds) of a person not just their words. What is in a person's heart will be revealed through their actions.

Intelligent people are driven by purpose. They set goals. Some are short term and others may take years to fulfill. They develop a plan to execute them to fulfill their dreams. Those who I call hyper-driven realize challenges and set backs are part of the journey and use those experiences as stepping stones and fuel to drive them forward. Some with time, patience, dedication and hard work reach and sometimes exceed their goals. They can then breathe a sigh of relief, and then it is on to the next challenge. That is the life of determined people.

But, if all we accomplish is not for the glory of God, we fall into the tragic reality of those who gained the world and lose their soul (Matthew 16:26). What is the moral of this article? Solomon told us:

Fear God and obey His commands for this is man's whole duty...

- Ecclesiates 12:13-14