Obey God’s Commandments

Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Matthew 28:18-20 “Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statues and My laws” (Gen. 26:5, NAS. Words have power. Words shape our thoughts and have the potential to motivate actions. When we look up a word in the dictionary, we discover that a word may have more than one meaning. For example, the word “man” can refer to a male. It can also refer to mankind, both male and female collectively. So, we must be aware that the words that we say may convey different meanings to different people. In this article I want to raise the issue of God speaking to His people. Does God ask us to do a thing, or does God command us to do a thing? Does God make requests or does God give orders? What is the difference? Also, how are we to respond to God’s word? As people of God in covenant with God do we have a choice to do as God ask? Or, do we have the option to do things differently as we see fit? I believe that there is a big difference in saying “God asks us to do so and so” versus saying “God commands us to do so and so.” I suggest that the reader read in the archives of this website on October 11, 2015 the article “God Never Asks.” I am observing that now more than ever people are saying “God asks.” I find this troubling because when we say that God asks, it suggests to us that God makes requests to us. No, we make request to God when we pray. We believe that God answers our prayers. We expect God to answer our prayers. Do we say to God, “God, I am requesting that you answer my prayer? God you have a choice and whatever You decide to do is alright with me.” Let us look at the scriptures to see how we are to pray. James writes, “But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” Jas. 1:5-8, NASB). Consider Hebrews 10:19-25. We are to come to the Lord with full confidence (v. 19). “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (v. 22). Did you notice the word “faith” in these two passages? According to Hebrews 11:1 faith is being confident that something will have a positive outcome. Thus, when God created the world, He did so in faith. God did not say, “I would like to have a world.” God did not say, “World, I would like for you to come into existence, but it is your choice.” No, God commands the world to come into existence with the words “Let there be” (Genesis 1:3). As stated above we make request to God through prayer, but God never request anything of us. Instead God gives His people commandments and we are obligated to obey His words. In the passage above, Genesis 26:5, God is speaking to Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham is dead and there is famine in the land. God commands Isaac to stay in the land where he lives. God is going to bless Isaac and give him the land and to his descendants. God commands Isaac to obey Him just as his father Abraham had done. God makes a promise to Abraham. Abraham can only receive the promise if he obeys God’s words. Now, God tells Isaac that it is his responsibility to obey God and pass the blessings to the next generation. Are we any less responsible for our children and the next generation? At this point I want to give reasons that God cannot and does not make requests to His people. First, If I say “God asks us to do so and so,” does this not mean that we have the right to choose? While this may sound good and this may be the contemporary way to express that we have freedom, this idea does not agree with biblical teaching. For example, in the Gospel of John Jesus is teaching the people (John 8:31-36). Some of the people that hear Jesus believe Him. These Jews belong to a group of people that generally oppose Jesus. After hearing Jesus some believe Him. Jesus tells those that believe that obeying His words will make them disciples that know the truth and the truth will make them free. Some of the other Jews declare that they are already free, but Jesus tells them that they are slaves to sin. Thus, they have no choice. They cannot decide if they will be a slave to sin. They are already sinners and the only way that they can be free is that they believe in Him, become His disciples, and obey His commands. At this point I want to give reasons that the people of God must submit to God and obey His commandments. We must obey God’s commandments because the commandments are authoritative and permanent. The commandments come from the mind of God. God’s commandments are consistent with His nature, and they are expressions of His attributes, His character, and His will (see article “God Never Asks”). Since God is immutable, that is, God does not change, God’s word cannot change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NASB). We must obey God’s commandments because they are non negotiable. Moses gives these instructions to Israel as the nation is preparing to leave their wandering in the wilderness to enter into the Promised Land. Moses says, ‘“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you’” (Deut. 4:2, NASB). Also, in the Book of Revelation John receives a revelation from Jesus Christ. John records these words that he receives from Jesus. “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19, NASB). Both Moses and John informs us that God’s commands are non negotiable. Those who change His words have placed themselves in great danger. We must obey God’s commandments because they are the means to accomplishing the mission that God calls us to. This truth is seen especially in John 15. Jesus tells His disciples that they must abide in Him so that they can bear fruit. Jesus says, “‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing’” (Jn. 15:4-5). We must obey God’s commandments in order to continue in God’s love. “‘If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love’” (v. 10). In the same manner we are commanded to love one another. “‘This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you’” (v. 12). Jesus is essentially telling us to obey the two greatest commandments found in Matthew 22:35-40.

We must obey God’s commands because our obedience testifies to our righteousness. In the Old Testament a person is judged righteous if they keep the Law. Moses instructs Israel with these words: “‘So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statues, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today. It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us’” (Deut 6:24-25, NASB). In the New Testament Jesus commissions His disciples to preach the good news so that people can be saved from their sins. “And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned’” (Mk. 16:15-16, NASB). Further, Jesus gives this commandment to His disciples: “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (Matt. 28:19-20, NASB).

Finally, we must be clear about the difference between a request and a command. We must warn people of the consequences for not obeying God’s commands. God gives us commands because our sin nature will not allow us to make choices that are right in the eyes of God. As human beings with sin we seek to please ourselves. When everyone is trying to please themselves there is no unity and very little can be accomplished. Jesus comes to bring peace to those who are in a right relationship to God. “‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased’” (Lk. 2:14, NASB).Our eternal blessings are based on our relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. We must accept our inabilities and God’s ability to save us from our sins restoring us to a right relationship with God.