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Thoughts on Obedience

God made everything that exists.  God did not create random things and spin them off into the universe, never to interact with them again.  God created everything for a purpose.  Being in relationship with his people moves that purpose along.  From God’s first interchange with people, God presented rules.  For Adam and Eve, there were two rules.  Eat of every tree was the first rule.  Do not eat of that one tree was the second rule.  Built into the second rule was a consequence, which was death.  We all know how the story went and they were ejected from the garden, they became spiritually dead and their mortal bodies eventually died.

Then God worked on forming a group call the Jews.  When he finally got them to Sinai, he gave them their rules.  Adam and Eve basically had 1 rule, the Jews have 613 rules.  If they kept all the rules, they would be blessed, if they broken the rules they would be cursed.  The Old Testament is the story of them breaking the rules.  The Northern Kingdom was taken away by the Assyrians never to be seen again and the Southern Kingdom was taken away by the Babylonians for 70 years.

Then Jesus came and Jesus said that if his disciples loved him, they would keep his commandments.  Pretty basic.  Christians do not have the same deal as the Jews.  Their contract was one of blessings and curses.  Christians are part of a covenant that is blessings and blessing and no curses.  So Christians do not obey to get anything from God.  God’s blessings are by grace, not earned.  Yet, if Christians love Christ, they will keep his commandments.  So, what are these commandments?

People have been studying the New Testament for over 2,000 years and most every agrees that Jesus himself spoke 49 commands.  Some say that there are 50, but 49 or 50, are much less than 613.  And Christians keep them for a different reason.  The Jews obeyed to keep the enemy armies away.  Christians obey because we love Jesus.

The idea is that Christian will have a lifestyle that includes these commands, many of which are attitudes.  Christians can enter them into a To Do type list to remind them throughout the day.  Some of the commands are limited in scope, like baptizing.  Christians need to make sure they attend a church that baptizes to obey that one.

So if we do not get anything from God, what purpose does obedience have?  First it confirms our salvation.  If there is no obedience, at all and no interest in even checking on it, then there is an education and maybe a salvation problem.  Second, it holds up our end of the relationship.  Obedient Christians sense a closer walk with God and believe their prayers are answered more often. Third, it makes the relationship with God real.  People who call themselves Christian and then who live like the devil have a disconnect in their lives.  People who claim to be saved, who claim to love Jesus and who have a lifestyle of basic obedience can speak of the reality of their belief.  It works.

Christians do not earn anything or get anything from God by obeying.  Everything Christians get is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ did all the work, he earned everything, Christians do not.

There are companies that will print this list on bookmarks, on coffee mugs on Bible covers and on posters.  I have many bookmarks with this list on them and use them in my books and Bible, so they are ever before me.  I set reminders in my phone for specific commands every week to remind me to find a way to obey.  It is a simple task to make a habit our of obeying Christ in the little things.  Most of these 49 commands will not come up every day, but when they do, the obedient Christian is ready


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