Should "Christians" keep the commandments?

in #god6 years ago

Often we ask what is the meaning of life what is it all about? King Solomon the wisest man living during the height of the Kingdom of Israel told us in the spirit.
Ecclesiastes 12:13- Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
But with 613 commandments is this possible?
Christ tried to simplify these commandments when ask a legal question by a Pharisee intending to tempt Christ. This Pharisee was also a lawyer, someone well studied in the Law.
Matt 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Being more concise than the hundreds of commandments studied by the people of that day and even compared to the 10 that Moses relay from God to the Israelites, yet incumbusing all. Still this duty would often prove to be too much for most.
Paul echoing Christs teaching wrote in
Rom.13:8-10
8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Paul was reiterating the answer giving by Christ to the lawyer focusing on the aspect of showing love to your neighbor.
When looking back to The Ten Commandments brought down by Moses we get a more complete representation of Christs response than from Paul.
The ten commandment focus on the specific way you love God and Love your neighbor.
Exodus 20:1-7
20 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Here specific instructions on how to love God, by putting him above all else no matter who, what or where it may be. Verse 8 he begins to make a connection by showing the love to his children as he loves himself.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The very same way the God worked six days and on the seventh day he rested. He wants the same for his children, commanding that they keep the sabbath day holy. He loves his children as himself.
Christ, when ask what is the great commandment in the law by the lawyer in Matthew 22 responded, giving with both the great commandment of loving God as well as the one “like unto it” loving thy neighbor as thyself. As you will see when reading the big 10, that the two parts of the response are wholistic. As God receive love from you he immediately returns it by commanding you keep the day of rest as he did.
Continuing at verse 12 of Exodus we see what was being paraphrased by Paul in his letter to the Romans ch 13 ver 8-10.
Exodu 20: 12-17
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Following the keeping of the day of rest with the commandment to honor your father and mother leads right into how you deal with people around you. Our parents are the first people we learn to deal with when we enter this world. Eating, teaching, learning, comforting, judging, disciplining and many other aspects of human interactions are founded on our relations with our parents. Your relationship with your parents will affect your relationship to every human you interact with throughout your entire life. Honoring the two who brought you into this life is immediately follow by the commandment not to be able to unrighteously take away another's life. Two extremes of human interaction coupled right next to each other, the righteous birth of life and the unrighteous taking away of that same precious life. The last four commands are also tied to the other six being more recognizable and practical violations of them.
Christ was clear that these must all be kept to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 19:16-24
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
This young man valued wealth more than the ways of God. He claimed to be loving his neighbor but was really idolizing his wealth so much that he would not separate from it and cleave unto the Lord. He would not allow himself to be perfected through Christ.
Matt. 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Being perfect and blameless was a goal put forth from the beginning. Many did this to the best of their ability while keeping faith in God’s salvation from their shortcomings. David, Zacharias, Elizabeth, Job, Mary as well as John all
did this. Many today would say it is impossible. But I should remind you:
Matt. 19:25-26
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
As easy as it would be to live life pleasing whatever you desire at that moment, to the one that stay strong until the end and keep the commandment to him shall the full salvation come.
In the words of Christ
Matt. 5: 18-20
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Saying not only are the commandment not done away with but that they must be kept MORE stringent than the scribes and the Pharisees. He continues in verse’s 21-48 to double down on how strict the laws are to be kept.
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Show us that even the seed in our mind that would lead to breaking these laws is in danger of judgement. Not doing away with the law but expounding on its necessity.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Nobody would accidentally commit adultery when they know the law. When this order is broken it almost always begins with you seeing something you desire. Whether it be by your two eyes or your minds eye.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
These temptations must be nipped in the bud.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Something seemingly small in offence can easily grow to an out of control demon that plagues you possibly keeping you from salvation.
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Again calling you towards perfection as your father in heaven.
It's not only by the professing of Christ’s name that salvation is given but acting upon the commandments.
Matt.7:21-27
21 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.
22 Many 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?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Clearly saying you will be judged based on your actions in spite of how much or how loud you profess the Lord. No matter how many people you turn away from sin, your personal decisions are what you will be judged for.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Just as Solomon had said in Ecclesiastes, last chapter of the bible Rev 22 concludes in harmony.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

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