Amos Ministries

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – Now all has been heard;  here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

The very essence of the purpose of our life here on earth, is to fear God, keep His commandments and obey them. Our purpose is to genuinely try to obey God’s commandments in our lives. ‘Genuine’ means that our efforts should be without hidden motives, selfishness and agendas. Our obedience to God’s commandments should be purely out of the fear of the Lord, and love for God. This means that even if we personally do not agree with one of God’s commandments, we must still obey it with all of our will power, thoughts, beliefs/faith and understanding.

The purpose of our lives is to use all of our strength, discipline and will power to obey God’s words, commandments, statutes and precepts, practically in our everyday lives. This is not possible, however, if we do not first keep His commandments. Keeping God’s commandments and obeying them are related but slightly different concepts. Keeping God’s commandments is the only way we will fully know what to obey.

Keeping God’s Commandments

The Greek interpretation of “keep” means to guard, protect, hedge about. We keep God’s commands when we uphold the integrity of His commands, without adding exceptions, justifications, rationalizations and/or compromise. If we compromise His words with manipulations to suit our own beliefs, we will lose His commands. This concept is also mentioned in the Old Testament.

From the beginning, God explained how to keep His commandments. He said not to add to what He commands with exceptions, nor to subtract through nullifying His words.

Deuteronomy 4:2 – Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. 

Keeping God’s commandments is mentioned many times in the Old Testament.

Proverbs 4:27 – Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Proverbs 30:6 – Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

Proverbs 19:16 – Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.

These scriptures are stating not to compromise God’s commandments. This is how we keep God’s commandments. By not manipulating the truth to suit our own desires.

The concept of keeping God’s commandments is also mentioned in the New Testament.

Revelations 22:18 –  I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.

Revelation 22:19 – And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

Keeping vs. Obeying God’s Commandments

There is a difference between keeping God’s commandments and obeying them. 

Jesus stated that before we can obey God’s commandments, we must first keep them.

John 14:15 – If you love me, keep my commands.

John 14:21 – Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

John 14:23 – Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 15:10 – If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

1 John 2:3 – We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.

1 John 5:3 – In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome…

Obeying God’s Commandments

Once we have learned how to keep God’s commandments and maintain the integrity of His word without compromise and manipulation, then we can begin to understand how to obey God’s commandments. Keeping God’s commandments does not mean that we do not have to obey God’s word. 

Deuteronomy 28:13-14 – Lord Jehovah shall make you the head and not the tail, and you shall be above and you shall not be beneath, when you will listen to the commandments of Lord Jehovah your God that I command you today, and you keep and do them: 14 and you shall not turn aside from all of the commandments that I command to you today, not to the right and not to the left, and you shall not go after the gods of the Gentiles and serve them.

We must both keep and obey God’s commandments. First, we must keep the integrity of the commandment, meaning without compromising it with justifications and manipulations. Then, we must apply it into the context of our everyday lives and circumstances. We can see in scripture that the Bible clearly differentiates between ‘keep’ and ‘do’.

Joshua 23:6 – Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

Deuteronomy 6:3 –  Hear, Israel, and keep and do, that it will be good for you and you will increase greatly as LORD JEHOVAH the God of your forefathers said to you, that He shall give you the land that flows with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 5:32 – 32 Keep and do as LORD JEHOVAH your God commanded you and do not turn away, not to the right, neither to the left.

Deuteronomy 12:32 – Every word that I command to you, keep it and do; you shall not add upon it and you shall not subtract from it.”

Joshua 1:7 –  Only be strong and be greatly strengthened to keep and do all the laws that Moshe my Servant commanded you. You shall not depart from them, neither to the right nor to the left, so that you will prosper in every place that you will go.

It is not enough to just understand and believe God’s commandments. We must also endeavor to obey them.

Leviticus 18:4-5 – You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 20:11 –  I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.

In these scriptures, God is commanding the Israelites to both keep and obey His commandments. God also states that the person who obeys them, lives by them. One cannot obey or live by the commandments, if they do not first keep it. 

Psalm 78:10 – they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law.

God’s covenant is his commandments, statutes, ordinances and precepts according to His law.

2 Kings 18:12  – This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

2 Kings 17:15 – They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.

This means that it is entirely possible for a person to keep God’s commandments but not obey or live by them. So, it is possible to keep God’s commandments without adding exceptions and manipulations. While at the same time of keeping God’s commandments, it is also possible to not obey them, as in put them into practice in your life, which the Bible refers to as when a person lives by them. Jesus also spoke of this concept.

Luke 10:25-28 –  On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Jesus explains that now that we understand the integrity of the commandments, we must now obey them or as Jesus put it, ‘do this and you will live’. Our eternal life comes from keeping and obeying the commandments of God.

John 11:25-26 –  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Once again, Jesus is explaining the difference between believing and understanding the commandments accurately (without manipulation or compromise), and how to fulfill and live in them. Meaning, how to practically obey and do the commandments within our everyday lives and situations. We can achieve this by living in Christ:

1 John 2:5 – But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.

And Christ living in us:

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Where once he fulfilled God’s law through the beliefs of being a strict Pharisee, the Apostle Paul now lives his life through the teachings, standard, interpretation and beliefs of Jesus. He no longer relies on his own understanding and what he was formerly taught as a Pharisee. Paul mentions this numerous times.

The apostle Paul also relates to being extremely zealous in the traditions of his denomination of the Pharisees. He refers to his former religion as nothing more than a sect, calling on his former doctrine, as merely tradition.

Acts 26:4-5 – “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.

Galatians 1:13-14 – For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

Paul states that the Pharisees are nothing more than a denomination that follows the traditions of their forefathers, in place of the commandments of God.

Acts 22:3 – “I was raised in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and I was instructed perfectly in the tradition of our fathers, and I am zealous for God, as also are all of you.”

Paul calls Judaism and specifically the Pharisee sect, nothing more than tradition. Paul threw all of his denominational beliefs, teachings and zealousness away, in order to receive Jesus.

The apostle Paul formerly thought that his righteousness and fulfillment of the law came through the denominational teachings of the Pharisees. 

Philippians 3:5-6 – circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But then, he realized that he had to throw away these teachings, in order to believe in the teachings of Jesus. He could not hold on to the traditions of his denomination and think that he was fulfilling the law. Paul realized that he had to fulfill the law through the teachings of Jesus and not through Gamaliel and denominational teachings.

Philippians 3:7-11 – But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 

Just like Paul, we must also throw away our denominational teachings and traditions in order to receive Christ Jesus. 

Galatians 5:24 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Ephesians 4:17-24 – So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We must stop ‘sinning’, meaning living according to our own standards and interpretations. If we are born in Christ, our old self must also die in Christ.

Romans 6:1-23 – What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? 3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

5For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. 6We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. 11So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

In order to live in Christ, we must first die in Christ. This means to no longer look at things the way we used to but rather view everything in Christ.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We must change the way we think and act, no longer behaving as the world does. We must carefully watch our actions to ensure that we are not aligning ourselves to our old way of thinking. We must align with the teachings of Jesus, so that we will be instruments of righteousness. 

Cont’d Romans 6:12-14 – Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. 13Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Fulfilling The Law Through Faith In Christ

Being no longer under the law means that we are no longer meant to fulfill the law through our own interpretation. We are supposed to fulfill the law through faith in Christ, Jesus and his interpretation on how to fulfill God’s law. The only way to fulfill God’s law in our lives is through faith in Jesus’ interpretation and teachings, not our own (or a denomination’s teaching).

Cont’d Romans 6:15 – What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! 

By under the law, Paul means that we are no longer under our own interpretation of the law. Instead, Christians are under grace. This refers to Jesus’ interpretation of God’s law (the fulfilled law).

The grace that Paul is referring to can be summarized as follows: regardless of the number of times we sin or the nature of the transgression, if we are able to recognize and admit it to God (confess), He will extend His forgiveness and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 –  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

This grace, however, does not mean that we can purposely sin, certainly not! We need to put forth a complete effort to refrain from sinning again. It is our responsibility to put in a genuine effort to avoid committing further transgressions, while being mindful that through God’s grace, our admission and confession of sins will result in His forgiveness.

Slaves To Sin Or Obedience

Cont’d Romans 6:16 – Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. 

Formerly, the Jews were committed to denominational teachings, which did not lead to righteousness. Paul refers to this as being slaves to sin and under the law. Even today, we must not follow denominational teachings or we are returning to living under the law. We are only set free from the law when we follow the teachings and interpretation of Jesus Christ, the fulfilled law of God.

Cont’d Romans 6:18 – You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

Having the teachings of Jesus, we can now govern our actions so they are without sin. Thus being slaves to righteousness. Through being obedient to the teachings of Jesus (Paul refers to us as ‘slaves’ in this way), we are no longer slaves to sin. Rather, we are slaves to righteousness.

Cont’d Romans 6: 20-22 – For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. 21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are only set free from sin through the teachings and interpretations of God’s law, through Jesus Christ. His teachings are the fulfillment and culmination of God’s law and results in eternal life. No one else’s interpretation (denominational teachings).

As Christians, we are no longer expected to fulfill God’s law through our own interpretation or denominational teachings, like the Jewish people had to. Now, we have the teachings and words of the Messiah, Jesus.

Matthew 16:16 – Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

And his teachings and words tell us how to fulfill God’s law.

John 6:68 – Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

John 6:63 – The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

All that Jesus commands us is from God, the Father.

John 12:49-50 – For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

John 17:8 – For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

John 7:16-17 – Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

John 14:24 – Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

By remaining in Jesus’ teachings and commandments, we remain in Christ and fulfill God’s commandments.

2 John 1:9 – Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

God planned for us to follow Jesus and everything he says, a long time ago. This concept was spoken of in the Old Testament. There is a very significant scripture speaking of Jesus and how we must obey all he says/commands.

Deuteronomy 18:18-19 – I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

The Jewish people rejected Jesus. They wished to continue interpreting God’s laws and commandments and how they should fulfill them in their lives, their own way. Thus, attempting to establish their own righteousness through themselves and denominational teachings. 

John 5:39 – You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

As Christians, we must understand that Jesus’ teachings are the fulfillment of the law. By obeying his commandments, we are fulfilling God’s law in our lives and no denominational teaching can achieve this.

Romans 10:2-13 – For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

5Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 

Paul is stating that technically, the Jewish people could never live by the commandments. They could not understand how to keep the commandments, let alone live by them, without the interpretations of Jesus. Without faith in Jesus’ interpretations, no one can live by God’s law. But now through faith in Jesus’ teachings, we can fulfill the law in our lives and live by God’s word. These words are in our hearts, through us believing Jesus’ teachings, and in our mouths, through the choice of words we speak. Instead of speaking our own interpretation or denominational interpretations, we have faith in Jesus’ interpretation. This is true faith.

Cont’d Romans 10:6 – But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”  that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 

But faith without works is dead. This means that if we claim to believe in Jesus, that is ‘faith’. However, if we do not obey his teachings, which is ‘works’, then our faith is not true and complete.

James 2:20-24 – You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Jesus gives another example of faith and works:

James 2:25-26 –  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

The Apostle Paul is not suggesting that the faith we proclaim can be simply spoken without obeying it in action. We must follow through in our faith and obey Jesus in action, without compromise, in order to be considered one who has faith in Jesus.

Cont’d Romans 10:9 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Confessing Jesus

To declare with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, is to confess his words and teachings.

John 12:47-48 – “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

In order for Jesus to be in your heart, you must carry his words in your heart.

John 15:7 – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 8:31 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples…

To believe in your heart means to believe in Jesus’ words and teachings. And to declare with your mouth is to declare Jesus’ words and teachings.

Cont’d Romans 10:10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

For Jesus also said:

Luke 9:26 – Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Mark 8:38 – If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.

We cannot separate Jesus from his words. To confess Jesus is to confess his words.

Luke 12:8-9 – I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

Matthew 10:32-33 – “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Publicly acknowledging Jesus means recognizing and adhering to His teachings and words. However, anyone who manipulates His teachings is not truly acknowledging Jesus; in fact, such a person is disowning Him.

To simply state that Jesus is Lord is not good enough.

Matthew 7:21-23 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Romans 10:11 – As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” ^e 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

Calling upon the name of the Lord means to repent from our own interpretation, and be immersed in Jesus’ teachings (which are the Apostles teachings).

Acts 2:21-24, 38-42 – And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power…38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on urging them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

By immersing ourselves in the teachings of Jesus, we call upon the name of the Lord. It is not simply by saying “Lord, Lord” with our lips.

Failing To Keep and Obey God’s Commandments

If the purpose of our lives is to keep and obey God’s commandments, inevitably, there will be times that we transgress/sin and fall short of God’s commands. The scriptures do not mean that we either obey God 100% of the time or else fail. Although we can keep all of God’s commandments, no one can obey the scriptures 100% of the time. God doesn’t expect us to and this is why he provided us with His system of grace.

God expects us to keep His commandments, as in never manipulate them by adding exceptions or nullifying sections as if they don’t exist. This is how we practically add or subtract from His commandments. We must maintain the integrity of God’s word/commandments by never compromising them to suit ourselves since God’s system of grace does not cover this.

Once we are able to maintain the integrity of God’s word, then we must go forth with the attitude of, ‘go and sin no more’. 

John 8:11 – She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

We should actively try to uphold the teachings of Jesus in our everyday life. This warning is given in the Old Testament:

Nehemiah 9:29 – You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.

Ezekial 20:21 – And the children angered me and they did not walk in my commands, and they did not keep my judgments and they did not do them, for if a son of man does them, he lives in them, and they defiled my Sabbaths, and I said: “I shall pour out my wrath and I shall fulfill my anger upon them in the wilderness”

And also in the New Testament:

1 John 3:6-7 – No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

1 John 3:9 – No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

3 John 1:11 – Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

1 John 2:3-5 – We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:

This is how we attempt to obey God’s commandments; with the knowledge that if we ever fail to obey, we can ask for forgiveness and receive it. We can confess our shortcomings to God as long as we haven’t compromised the integrity of the commandment itself through manipulation. Once the commandment is manipulated (by adding exceptions or nullifying portions), then we cannot be forgiven. This is because we will no longer be able to identify our sin and therefore will not confess it, resulting in unforgiveness by God. God only forgives those who can acknowledge their sin and express repentance.

The Fear Of The Lord

The very root of our existence here on earth is to fear God and to keep and obey His commandments. It is the fear of the Lord that causes us to obey His word. Fearing God is the beginning of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding. No one can love God without first fearing Him. We cannot obey God’s word without fearing Him.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 111:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Job 28:28 – And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

Proverbs 3:7 – Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 2:5 – then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.

Psalm 128:1-4 – Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots  around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

Proverbs 8:13 – To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 23:17 – Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

1 Samuel 12:24 – But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

Deuteronomy 10:12 – And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deuteronomy 6:24 – The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.

Deuteronomy 6:2 – so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

If we do not fear the Lord, we cannot claim to have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord.

John 6:28-29 –  Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?29 ”Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

To believe in Jesus means to keep his commands.

1 John 3:23 – And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

The only way to keep and obey God’s commandments is through the keeping of Jesus’ commandments.

John 14:23 –  Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

1 John 5:3 – In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

John 14:21 – Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

1 John 2:3 – We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.

2 John 1:6 – And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

John 14:15 – “If you love me, keep my commands.

John 14:15 AB – “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

John 15:10 – If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

1 John 3:22 – ..and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

Once we keep the commandments and do not compromise them (maintain their integrity), then we can obey them. Through the fear of the Lord, we must keep and obey them with all of our heart, mind, soul, strength and being.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 –  Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 10:12 – And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deuteronomy 30:6 – The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Jesus confirms this also:

Matthew 22:35-38 – 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Jesus also confirmed others when they stated this concept.

Luke 10:25-28 – On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Mark 12:28-34 – One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

This man was not far from the kingdom of heaven because he kept the commandments by understanding and maintaining its integrity. Yet he still needed to live it in his everyday life.

So we can see according to the scriptures, the purpose of life on this earth is to fear God and to keep and obey His commandments. These are the commandments of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. We may not be able to fully obey and live out all of God’s commandments, but that is what the system of grace is for.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

We must keep all of God’s commandments, even if we cannot obey them all of the time. Because not keeping all of God’s commandments would be to manipulate them. Keeping God’s commandments is a way of life, while obeying them is a specific act of following them. Both are important aspects of living a life that honors and pleases God. 

Through God’s system of grace, we must ensure that we fully keep all of His commandments with integrity. That way, we will be able to identify where we have fallen short in our obedience to God’s word, ask God for forgiveness and receive it. We can only operate through the system of grace if we keep all of God’s commandments. 

1 John 1:8-10 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Failing to keep God’s commands is not covered under the system of grace. But not obeying God’s commands is covered under the system of grace. Obeying God’s commandments by fearing the Lord, is the only way we can achieve our purpose in life. We must do so with all of our heart, mind, soul, strength and being. We cannot make a practice of willfully sinning. The system of grace only covers falling short, not a practice of willful disobedience. 

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