Do we have to follow every law and commandment in the Bible? Exactly as written? This devotion looks at how we should approach God’s laws and commandments.
Nuggets
- Usually, when we start picking and choosing what we are going to believe or follow, we start diluting everything, making it harder to follow.
- God has the final say, not us.
- God gave us the laws and commandments to show us they could not save us.
A big part of the Scriptures is God’s laws and commandments. Most of the rest of the Bible is talking about what He was going to do and why (send a Savior to pay the price for our sins), talking about doing it, and talking about what it meant that He did it.
Worldview people think God’s laws and commandments are outdated. People think they should be changed. They think this because they do not want to follow them the way they are written.
It doesn’t work that way. We have free will as to whether or not we are going to follow those laws and commandments (which brings huge consequences if we choose not to follow them). But we cannot change the laws of Someone more powerful than us. Let’s look at why.
Let's Put It into Context
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (I Tim. 4: 1-2 NKJV)
We have talked about rewriting Scriptures before. Heresies are opinions that are different from what the church believes. Scriptures tell us that, if we try to rewrite Scriptures, we will be branded a liar.
We also talked about what that does to our witness. Disciples are not distinguishable from the world if we are not bearing fruit and living no differently than non-believers. We are distinguishable when we follow God’s laws and commandments.
We Can’t Change Scriptures
“Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the Lord your God I am giving you” (Deut. 4: 1-2 CSB)
Not that long ago, we did a devotion on this passage in Deuteronomy. Moses told the Wilderness Wanderers that they had to pay attention to God’s laws and commandments. They were to remain faithful.
Moses didn’t say rewrite the laws and commandments. He didn’t tell them they could pick and choose or partially keep them. He told them to keep all of God’s laws and commandments.
Let’s dig a little deeper into this passage. This time, let’s look at it through the lens of Scriptures, not obedience.
If he would be speaking to us today, Moses would tell us to read our Bibles and attend church (“… listen to the statutes and ordinances …” [Deut. 4: 1 CSB]). Not only that, he would tell us to pay attention and do them.
We know listening and doing are two different things.
God is Sovereign God. Who do we think we are to change His laws and commandments?
Usually, when we start picking and choosing what we are going to believe or follow, we start diluting everything. It makes it harder to follow.
I remember when Mom made my wedding dress. I wanted the sleeves from my sister’s recital dress (or at least the cuffs), the bodice from a dress I had her make if I was going to need a long black dress, and the skirt from a wedding dress pattern I had. In order to get it all out together, she had to jury rig it by coming up with something on her own.
No, it wasn’t a straightforward sew. (I am surprised she didn’t just throw up her hands and say she was done.)
We muck things up like that when we start picking and choosing from God’s laws and commandments. Things no longer fit seamlessly because they are no longer as God intended.
More importantly, we tell God that He is not Sovereign any more. Yep, we knock Him off of His throne — well, we try to.
God will not be knocked off His throne because He is Sovereign regardless of what we think.
“And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him” (Ecc. 3: 14 NLT)
Yes, God has the final say, not us. Can we spell s-o-v-e-r-e-i-g-n? God has the complete say.
Look at the last part of the verse. “… God’s purpose is that people should fear him” (Ecc. 3: 14 NLT). We’ve talked about fear of the Lord several times.
We learned in What Does Fear of the Lord Mean? that the fear of the Lord means reverence and love, not terror. We also applied it to the New Testament. In Kindness and Love as Virtues, we said that godliness in the New Testament is equivalent to the Old Testament’s the fear of the Lord.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
In Finding Favor by Acknowledging God, we talked about our following God’s laws and commandments shows that we fear God. His intent is us loving Him, and we show that love by obeying Him. Obedience means we not only hear God’s Word but also follow His instructions.
When we focus on the Godview, we can utilize God’s wisdom rather than our own. Since He has made everything interconnected, things go more smoothly when we do things His way.
God’s way is final. It does not change.
Ooo. Look what Parr said. He wrote, “The very NATURE OF MAN is transient and imperfect, much more THE WORKS in which he is engaged. Frail are they, and fugitive, mutable and perishable, uncertain and insecure, never continuing in one stay.”
It isn’t dependent on our insecurities. It doesn’t matter that we are temporary.
God’s laws and commandments will remain the same forever.
Didn’t Jesus Do Away with the Law?
“Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter[a] or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished” (Mt. 5: 17-18 CSB)
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Jews no longer followed the ceremonial law because it was imperfect. However, they — and we — still have to follow the moral laws.
Kemp made an excellent observation. He wrote, “If any persons declare that the moral law is altered, to be consistent, they must also suppose that the Divine nature is altered.”
That is logical. The laws and commandments reveal His character. God cannot change (Num. 23: 19). Therefore, the laws and commandments do not — and cannot — change.
I hadn’t really thought about this before, so let me process here.
God the Father sent Jesus the Son to earth to fulfill the laws. But God the Father and Jesus the Son (along with the Holy Spirit) are all one.
So, if God and Jesus are one and God cannot change, Jesus cannot change, either, because the laws reflect His character, also.
God did not give the laws and commandments so people would be perfect in obeying them. Remember what perfect means: “reaching an ideal state of spiritual wholeness or completeness. … Through a covenant relationship with His people, and by grace, God thus offers to His people the possibility of perfection” (Holman Bible Dictionary).
He gave us the laws and commandments to show us they could not save us. On our own, we cannot keep the laws and commandments. Therefore, we need a Savior to pay the price for our atonement.
That Savior was — and is — Jesus.
How Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?
Barrett argues that Jesus fulfilled the law by completing it in His teaching, by obeying it, and dying to be the substitute.
Making the Connections
I love finding great quotes. I know I find too many, but this one is really good.
Barret wrote, “We do not need the light of stars when the sun has risen; but the stars are shining still.”
Okay, let’s substitute here.
We do not need the law when Jesus has risen; but the law is shining in effect. (I don’t know if I like effect, but I hope you get what I am trying to say.)
The law wouldn’t — couldn’t — save us. But that wasn’t the law’s job. God never intended for the law to save us.
Only Jesus can save us.
The law was to show us God’s character. And it still can do that.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We have to make sure we know what we believe — and why we believe it. This is super important when we witness to worldview people, who are going to question why we believe God’s laws and commandments must be followed.
How Do We Apply This?
Try asking yourself these questions.
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
God will never change – and His laws and commandments won’t either. We either have to accept His laws and commandments as He has given them to us – or prepare to accept the consequences for eternity.
Loving Father. You are love. You have given us Your laws and commandments to show us Your character. By following Your laws and commandments, we become imitators of You. Unfortunately, while we are in these earthly bodies, we will not be able to always follow those commandments. Lord, we want to be imitators of You. We want to prepare ourselves for our lives with You for eternity.
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
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Making the Connections
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Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
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To read a related devotion, click the button below.
How Do We Apply This?
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The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
If you have not admitted that your relationship is not right with God,
have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior,
and have not confessed your sins,
please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
Related Links
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
Don’t know what your spiritual gifts are?
Take this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Job Duty #3
Bring Him Glory (Matthew 5: 16)
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #7
Other Duties as Assigned
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1)
It Was Enough
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
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