The COMMANDMENTS (2)
“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God…” —Exodus 20:3a
It is most interesting to note that the commandments were not laid down from “the beginning.” They come much, much later in history. Clearly, then, they are not the basis of a relationship with God. That foundation is revealed to us in a significant, but little noticed passage in the epistle to the Hebrews. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him [Heb. 11:1, 6].” Two things are posited here as necessary to a relationship with God: (1) Faith that God IS - His being; (2) Faith in His benevolence - that He is good to those who trust Him.
Adam had no problem with the first. He did not have to take God’s existence by faith; he knew God. In the garden, in the beginning, they (Adam and Eve) communed with God. (See Gen. 3:8-10) His problem was believing the God he knew! It was not an issue of trusting in God’s existence, but of believing that the God he knew was trustworthy. Giving heed to the Liar rather than to the One who is the Truth, he fell victim to the original sin, “I will be like the Most High.” That is the problem many a Christian has today.
We see the issue as one of trust. heartily singing, “Trust and Obey.” The Savior declares it as one of love. “If ye love Me keep my commandments [John 14:15].” “Love and obey!” Again, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him [John 14:21].” And, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love [John 15:10].” This is really quite remarkable, since it shifts the fundamental ground of our relationship with God from faith to love. And, this is reflected in the Savior’s reduction of “the Ten” to “the Two,” wherein the “first and great commandment” is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment [Matt. 22:37-38].”
Love generates trust. “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love [I Cor. 13:13 my italics].” Adam simply loved himself more than he loved God. This astonishing principle is illustrated again in the Savior’s encounter with the ‘rich young ruler.’ He appeared to score 100 on Jesus’ test with the “second” commandment, but failed miserably, for all his temporal morality, when it became evident that he loved money more than he loved God, this present world more than “the world to come.”
The commandments, many or few, were never given to cultivate our relationship with God, but to test it. The overarching question is never “will you obey Me,” but “Do you love me?” (See John 21:15-17) We think we need redemption because we have failed in obedience to God’s rules. In fact the “ground zero” of our failure is a failure in love. A slave can be made to obey, but no one can be forced to love.
Most men (even professing Christians) think of God as a taskmaster. That is not the case. He gave to Adam only one commandment. It was the only prohibition in his world. Everything else was at his disposal, and he ruled over all—under God. The one prohibition was, clearly and undeniably, for Adam’s good. It was an expression of love on God’s part, not Self interest. And, it became the test of Adam’s love for God. Adam failed the test. So do you and I. That is why Calvary was necessary!
When you think of the commandments, remember that they were not given for the salvation of His people, but to those who were already redeemed:
“Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” (Ex. 15:13)
For “by the law there shall be no flesh be justified in His sight [Rom. 3:20].” The commandments are simply given to “crowd us to Christ.” If we love Him, the commandments will not be hard to take, though impossible to perfectly fulfill.
Remember:
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked [I John 2:3-6 my italics].” Salvation, in all its aspects, is a love story!
For the praise of the glory of His grace,
"Pastor" Frasier
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