Living Out the Greatest Commandments –

Hello Christian person! How well do you think you are doing with living out the 10 commandments?

Granted, most of us would never think of committing any of the “big” sins – like murder and overt idol worship. 

But how about stealing? 

Does the 90 minutes you spend on the office computer taking care of personal affairs and/or checking social media when you should be working on your project count? What about that extra 30 minutes you take for lunch two or three times a month for one reason or another…all personal. Do you think maybe you’re stealing from your employer when your paycheck reflects a full 40-hour work week, instead of the 35 hours you actually worked?

 How about that little white lie you told your girlfriend when she asked you to bake a batch of cookies to help raise funds for that charity she heads up, and you forgot? Or when you padded your resume just a little to make it seem like you are proficient in a skill that you are barely acquainted with? 

Does any of that count?

How are you really doing?  

What if you actually had 613 commandments to live up to instead of just 10?

Well, 613 are actually the number of commandments GOD gave to Israel – that’s a lot more than just the 10 we struggle with. These Old Testament (OT) covenant laws, or The Law of Moses, are found in the first five Books of the Bible, known as the Torah.

GOD knew the OT community would also struggle to keep His laws so He set up a system of offerings and sacrifices within the 613 laws to give His people a means to purge sin. These sacrificial cleansing rites were done often with aid from the High Priests as a mediator with GOD on their behalf.

Fortunately, for us everything changed in the New Testament with the coming of CHRIST JESUS. We were granted access to a covenant of grace through JESUS who became a one-time atoning sacrifice for all mankind. Hebrews 10:11-12

Does this mean that Christians no longer have to obey the Old Testament laws?

GOD’s law is still divine and the blueprint for moral, holy living.

CHRIST JESUS is both the embodiment and mediator of the New Testament (NT) covenant of grace. He knows all there is to about the law, grace and our relationship as Christians to both.  

JESUS makes two declarations in the NT Gospel of Matthew that are meant to clarify any doubts we may have about how grace and the OT law apply to our lives today:

•  In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) JESUS tells us that He is the total fulfillment of the law. Not just the sacrificial part of it but the entire Law, every letter and every stroke of a letter of the Law is fulfilled through Him.

 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (5:17-18).

The Law still carries the divine purpose for which it was given but under the new covenant believers’ relationship to the OT Law changes. CHRIST became the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4

Believers in CHRIST attain their righteousness through faith in CHRIST who fulfilled the entire Law for us, not from works of the law. (Galatians 3:23-26).

GOD sent His SON to free us from the bondage of those 613 laws and impute His righteousness to us as a once and forever atoning sacrifice. (Hebrews 10:10).

We who believe in the Son have become the righteous children of GOD.

• As children of GOD we have a duty to the Father and to each other. JESUS tells us what that is in Matthew 22.

 “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40.

Wow!! JESUS efficiently and effectively “hangs” all of the Law of Moses, 613 commandments, on just two commandments. Distilled down from 613 Mosaic laws, these are still GOD’s divine law and our blueprint for moral, holy living.

Bible commentary on Matthew 22:37-40 states in part: For the love of GOD will make us humble and contented with our lot; it will preserve us from all intemperance, impatience, and unholy desires; it will make us watchful over ourselves, that we may keep a good conscience, and solicitous for our eternal welfare. And the love of our neighbor will free us from all angry passions, envy, malice, revenge, and other unkind tempers: so that both taken together will introduce into us the whole mind that was in CHRIST, and cause us to walk as he walked.

GOD’s new design for holy living is centered on love for GOD that prompts us to love others!

This act of loving GOD and each other develops in us the mind of CHRIST and not a righteousness of our own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Him. Philippians 3:9

The way we love GOD and live like CHRIST ought to be obvious in our lifestyle choices. How we:

use our time –…all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. Psalm 39:4; …Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalm 90:12

spend our money – Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Proverbs 3:9-10; If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 JOHN 3:17-18

socialize – Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24-25

communicate – Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29; Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deed. Colossians 3:9

choose play and recreation: Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 1Timothy 6:17

run our households – She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Proverbs 31:27; If a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? 1 Timothy 3:5

conduct business – When you make an agreement with your neighbor to buy or sell property, you must not take advantage of each other. LEV 25:14; Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. Deuteronomy 8:18; Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else. Proverbs 22:26

interact with non-believers in the community – It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor… Proverbs 11:12; If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.” Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you. Proverbs 3:28-29

Everything we do daily must be done to please GOD and for the “progress and joy” of other people.

Summary

CHRIST’s atoning work on the cross and fulfillment of the entire law free mankind from the bondage of living under the law.

Those who believe in CHRIST receive His righteousness and become the children of GOD who live by faith in the finished work of CHRIST, not the works of the law.

We have new life in CHRIST that enables us to do what is the will of GOD, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12)

The greatest commandments must be a reality in our day-to-day lives so the world would see that we love GOD and we love others!

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, our Creator and our GOD. We thank YOU for sending YOUR SON to redeem us and rescue us from under the bondage of laws and rituals that could never make us righteous no matter how often or how sincerely we do them. Thank YOU for JESUS’ righteousness and forgiveness that open the way for us to become YOUR children. Thank YOU that we can do all things through CHRIST who gives us strength –we can be holy as YOU are holy; we can love YOU and love others; we can obey the greatest commandments of all. To you Abba belong all dominion and power for ever and ever. We pray and ask all things in the Name of JESUS. Amen.

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile