All tagged commandments
Does God expect us to score 100% when it comes to following His commandments? Maybe He would accept 95% as passing or even grade on a curve as He compares us to others? This is the thought we will contemplate today. Let's begin in the book of James for help with this.
This morning I wrap up our contemplation and discussion regarding the ability of man to God's commandments. We have seen that God strengthens us through prayer, faith, and our relationship with him. For our part we need only to seek Him and acknowledge His son Jesus Christ as our savior. He does not force Himself upon us but allows us to decide to worship Him and to obey His law.
We spoke yesterday regarding the commandments and our need to follow them, but some will argue that in our fallen state (since the Garden of Eden) that we are incapable; is that true? Are we doomed to failure by the failures of Adam and Eve? Well, if that were ever true, then most certainly the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has solved that inability.
It pays to be obedient; this was the motivation behind the devotional message I read this morning. As I digested this thought, I couldn't help but contemplate the negative view that our society has of authority and rules. Despite this negative view of some, and the impression that secular laws and rules are made to restrain us, God's commandments were instituted to make us prosperous and keep us healthy. Jesus reiterates the fact that God gives us commandments out of love, and that they are to be obeyed. In return He will provide for us and answers our prayers. In His commandments, God is helping us to live better lives and rewarding us for our efforts.
Can we actually obey all of God's commandments? Man has been struggling to answer this question since Adam and Eve were first told not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And although they failed at keeping that one command God did not abandon them, but clothed them instead, and continued to love and teach them. Later, Moses came down from the mountain with even more commandments… And we all know what happened then; man continued to fail. So are we doomed to lives of failure? Is it any different today than it was then? Not really, but God has made provision for us. Are we ready to receive it?
When we seek God, and Jesus Christ we find them. They do not hide from us, nor do they shield us from the knowledge of them, but when we come to know who they are we must accept the truth that we receive. In the world there are many who twist the truth of not only worldly things, but they deny and twist heavenly truths as well. In this way they doom themselves, and attempt to lead others astray, but for those who fully accept the true knowledge of God and Jesus there lies an abundance of grace and peace.
We know that God loves us, and that the depth of His love is unfathomable. We know this because He sent His only begotten Son to die for us, even though we were lost in our sin. By this unbound love He redeemed us, and for this we love Him in return, and praise His name. But, can we possibly love Him as He loves us? We strive to do so, but can we truly grasp the fullness of being loved as He loves us? Our love falls far short of God’s, yet we offer Him all that we have, and give Him all we are capable of, pressing the very limits of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is His commandment; not that we love him as He is able to love us, but that we love Him to the limits of our ability, with all we are capable of. Is this how we find ourselves loving God today?
Do we love Jesus? This appears to be a very straight forward question, but people view love in different ways. To some it is incredibly complex as they try to hold a relationship together by performing a long list of deeds, or expressions of emotion. To others, like the saying in the movie ‘The Love Story’, it is boiled down to one simple thought, like “Love is never having to say you’re sorry.” But Jesus tells us how we determine if we love Him... we reveal our love by keeping His commandments.