To live or not to live
To do or not to do, that is mostly our problem these days. So much for us to do and so few obstacles, those who were inspired to write the gospel told us about. Do we dive in, or should we run away? That is a question we’ll answer for those who believe in Christ, in this Spiritseid blog post. Read all the way through, please. Because the gospel brings good news to us and those who will repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
There is a popular opinion running rampant; we can do whatever we want because we’re “saved” by grace and not by works. The gospel does say we’re saved by grace and not anything we do, or don’t do. We believe in Jesus, and we’re saved. True also, we can do whatever we want. Also very true, and critically important – be careful how we listen and who we pay attention to {Luke 8:18}. The gospel, the word of God, is a discerner of intent and hearts, Hebrews 4:12. The gospel invites us to repent and look to the kingdom of God.
There is danger in remaining willfully ignorant of the truth of the gospel. Paul, the honorable apostle whom every ‘New Testament only’ thumper hangs on as their testimony, had this to say; “everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial”, 1 Corinthians 10:23. Jesus in fact, first said “if you love me, you will keep my commandments” John 14:15 and elsewhere, ‘the one who does the will of my Father.”
There are many denominations of Christianity who live believing once saved, can live any type of life and inherit the kingdom of God, as opposed to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. While we can, we are warned about certain activities. When the apostles wrote their epistles (holy letters to the 7 churches), they warned against several things we do today without blinking; I’m not innocent because as I learn, me and my desires fight for control. Also, God rescued me from more than anxiety. We don’t have to do anything we don’t want to do, and like Paul, I refuse to let anything, but Christ have power over me, also found in 1 Corinthians 6:12.
One of the reasons I perceived, to not do everything I could do, is because I don’t fully understand the full meaning of something Jesus said before He was crucified; ‘Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved’. We know that the purpose of the Law was to convict us to look to God and to do good to one another, instead of wickedness. We are no longer under the Law, of course. The Law is for lawbreakers and those who refuse grace. Though Jesus does say, he will say to some who do believe, Matthew 25:41 “I never knew you. Depart from me.” And God has said, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”. And according to Romans 3:31, we establish the Law by our living.
So why is it important to know the commandments Jesus talks about?
It is important to know the commandments so we can keep them. Imagine you’re in a country and don’t know the laws or rules. Now consider that we carry the kingdom of heaven inside us. Biblically speaking, knowing and keeping the commandments of God is important. When we live in the commandments of the Lord our lives are better off. We live a happier life. When we apply the commands of Jesus Christ to our lives, we don’t need to worry about Law. We live in righteousness because we believe.
The commandments of Jesus also teach us how to live properly, and give us a level of trust in Him, that we don’t have without them. When we know we’re living in the will of God, even if we come up short, as we often do, we know that we are walking the right way. Jesus again, said, ‘If you love me you will keep my commandments’. Are all believers keeping them? Not really? Are we able to keep them? Yes, we’re righteous people in Christ.
Following the commandments keeps us out of a lot of issues. While we do face problems as we live, we often avoid certain lifestyle pitfalls when we keep his commands. Psalms 19:7 informs us that ‘the commands of the Lord are right and bring joy to the heart’. The joy we feel when we are in the commands of the Lord, even under the stress of life is massive and unshakeable. It removes a lot of guessing in our decision-making because we know we can trust the Lord with our outcomes.
Following the commands of God matures our faith. This is something I have spent the last couple of months learning. When we walk in the commands of Jesus, fear gets thrown out of our hearts, and a lot of other things go with fear. That doesn’t mean we won’t be afraid of anything. What I mean is this; even when I’m terrified of something, I’m still going to do what I had in mind and trust the Lord with the outcomes. Righteous people should not be afraid to keep any of God’s commandments. The Bible tells us that “God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. I’m not endorsing anyone who tells you that nothing bad will happen to you either. But with our faith in Christ and His commandments in our hearts, a lot of great things happen as we live.
Keeping the commandments of the Lord drives our fear, just like 1 John 4:18 tells us. I can and will attest to that as a man who formerly lived with anxiety. Forty (yes, 40+ years) I struggled with being anxious about everything in my life. It kept my voice quiet. These days, free from anxiety, the vibe in my heart and mind is different, full of joy. I am a man made righteous and holy by God in His Yeshuah. Thanks to Jesus, I am in His commandments, righteous, holy. and I have His word in my heart as I live in this wonderful freedom. Minus a few screwups and scrapes and bumps, just like everybody else. It wasn’t easy to learn and walk in the commands of God and still isn’t. But a lot of temptations I used to give in to, they get nothing now.
[…] said, “If you love me, keep my commandments”. That is worth thinking about for any Christian. Reading the Bible carefully, Jesus says in Luke […]