KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS

          I have met people who find Christ’s words to the rich young ruler, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments,” totally confusing (Matthew 19:17). They find it confusing because they assume that Christ was telling that man that he had to be saved by works. However, we know from what Scripture says elsewhere that, that assumption is wrong. Furthermore, when people also wrongly assume that a person who keeps the commandments will never sin that only amplifies the problem. In order to understand why that thinking is wrong we need to realize that the law not only commands us to do certain things, it also commands us to confess our sins and seek God’s mercy. Therefore, those who fail to confess their sins are not keeping God’s commandments.

          Let us look a little deeper. Consider the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”. I hope that no one reading this article has ever committed murder. However, have you ever been so angry at someone that you wanted to punch them out or blow them away? If so, the Bible says that you have committed murder in your heart (1John 3:15). And, if you have committed murder in your heart, then you have not kept that commandment. Furthermore, if you are not willing to own up to the fact that you have sinned, if you instead excuse the anger of your heart by coming up with some excuse, such as, “Thoughts do not hurt anyone”, or “That is just human nature,” you are making God’s commandment “of no effect” (Mark 7:13). And, that is the opposite of “keeping” it. We only keep God’s commandments when we keep them in our heart, ponder what they say, apply them to our life and admit where we fall short. Because the law was given to show us our sin and need of forgiveness in Christ, the only people who truly keep God’s commandments are those who, being sorry for their sin, look to Christ for forgiveness. He “is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).