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The commands of God can seem daunting—there are over 600 listed throughout Scripture. That may conjure an image of a multipage checklist that might best be used to overwhelm rather than instruct. Add to this what James says: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” Now that’s a downer if I’ve ever heard one. Breaking even one command, even once, bears the guilt of breaking it all. Now before you throw caution, and good theology, to the wind and say, What’s the use? it’s important to understand the purpose of the law—the commands of God.
The law has become our instructor, our “tutor,” to give us a clear picture of our dire situation before God. All religions build a stairway to heaven, one step after another—works or actions, things to do or things to deny oneself. Not so with Jesus. He, and He alone, has completed the law, living a perfect life on Earth, in the presence of man and God. Our pathway IS Jesus, not mimicking His behaviors or tailor selecting some commands of God to emphasize and proudly display to others. You bring nothing to salvation. God’s work in you produces a humble spirit, one willing to say as Jesus did, “Not as I will, but as You will.”
And there it is. A right understanding and heart acceptance of the commands of God produces obedience, not hopelessness. It brings life and not burden. It brings contentment and joy, not anxiety and despair. This idea strikes a chord in me, personally. I recall a few years back when I was frequenting the King County jail system, visiting inmates. We would organize an informal service with singing, a message, and prayer. It was in this regular time that I heard my fellow worker (we went in as pairs) as he spoke of “peace.” He did so frequently and, quite frankly, I wasn’t feeling it. I felt exhausted, tired from work, tired from service—just plain exhausted.
I remember hearing about the fruit of the Christian life being joy and contentment. And I thought, “Great, something else on my plate.” I felt I had yet another task: to produce a smile and a positive attitude to attract nonbelieving folks to Christ. That, as I saw it, was my duty as a follower of Jesus. Exhausted. The commands of God can look the same—more work to do. What was the problem? My way of living was heavy on “doing.” Living in Christ is like being saved in Christ: works follow, they don’t construct, they don’t create a relationship with Jesus. Works don’t maintain or replace a relationship with God—time spent is what nourishes.
More and more, my enthusiasm for life and service comes from my time of quiet, my time with the Lord and His instruction, His commands. Instruction comes from Scripture and from prompting of the Holy Spirit applying God’s word. “Your word I have treasured in my heart.” If you desire detail and precision on working this out, I understand. Many questions I myself have asked. Yet the answers don’t come from me. We must go directly to God.
Don’t have time to spend with God? Allow me to stab at the heart of American consumerism: we all need downtime. We don’t need entertainment. If your pace is frantic, entertainment, often found in screen time, will not bring you the peace that your soul needs. Only time with Jesus can do that. Know anyone who says they spend too much time with God? That their life could benefit from more entertainment? There is fulfillment in no other thing and no other person. We were made for relationship with the Almighty, for communion with our true soul mate.
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