David Chanski
One of the reasons that God’s commands have fallen into disfavor, even among those who call themselves Christ’s disciples, is that such folks think of the word commandment as synonymous with harshness, severity, and oppression.
What Christians must remember, however, is that the commandments are God’s commandments. It is the Lord who is our Master. Our master is not Pharaoh, who made the Israelites produce bricks without providing them with straw. God’s commands are the commands of a loving Father. This is why Jesus could say, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:30).” And this is why he could recommend that we take the same attitude toward His Father’s law: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:10-11).”
Furthermore, our master is not Satan. The differences between Satan’s lordship and God’s are that 1) Satan has no commands for us to keep–he would rather we simply do as we wish; and 2) his service really is harsh–it leads to death (Romans 6:15-23; 8:12-13)! No, our Master is God, our heavenly Father. And because He is wise (He knows what’s good for us) and loving (He does what’s best for us), He gives us good and wise commands. Every Christian is a slave, then! The key is that he is Christ’s slave–not Pharaoh’s, not Satan’s, and not his own. He is God’s slave, and he boasts about it (cf. Romans 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1:1, etc.).
Because every true Christian is God’s slave, and because God’s law is good, and because God causes his children to love his commands, the Christian has the relationship to God that is pictured in Exodus 21. There, the servant has the opportunity to go free, but instead he says, “I love my master,… I will not go out free.” Then it says, “his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever” (Exodus 21:5-6). May the Lord impart to us all such love for Him and His service.
One of the reasons so many people have difficulty with the notion that Christians are obligated to keep God’s commandments is that they think that keeping commandments is contrary to salvation by grace. But the problem is really one of ignorance regarding the clear teaching of the Bible.
We must begin with the fact that the Bible teaches salvation by grace–that is, salvation is the work of God, not of men. You could never earn salvation. No matter how much you do, you will never deserve the favor of God. “By grace you have been saved…; not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9; cf. Titus 3:5). Give up every notion that you can ever even add to the worth and merit of Christ’s work, let alone save yourself.
At the same time, the Bible clearly teaches that Christians are under obligation to keep God’s laws and commands. It teaches this when it gives us commands instead of suggestions, when it makes demands instead of requests, when it prohibits things instead of simply warning against them, when it makes threats and lays down conditions instead of telling us what a nice thing it would be if we could find it in our hearts to do what is pleasing to God. Consider these statements: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15); “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1John 2:4). If you know your Bible at all, you know that these are not rare statements, but statements that are characteristic of the New Testament.
The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace alone. It also teaches that Christians must obey God’s commandments. The problem is not that there is a contradiction in the Scriptures. The problem may be that our Pharisaic hearts do not like the thought that we are obliged to do things for which we receive no credit. May God enable us all to believe the truth–the whole truth–and love it.
Do you have a hard time trying to figure out how it can be that a Christian cannot be saved by works, but that he still must keep God’s commandments? Part of the problem is our sinful flesh. We all have enough remaining sin that we would make perfect Pharisees. That is, if we are going to be required to do something, we want to receive credit for it. When we are told that we are saved by grace, that means we get no credit for what we ourselves do. So when we hear that we must obey God, we say, “No we don’t have to—we’re saved by grace.” I mean, who wants to do something for nothing, anyways?
If a Christian takes God’s commandments seriously and strives to keep them, how does he avoid the notion that he is earning his salvation and avoid the trap of falling into a works-righteousness? First of all, a true Christian is someone whom God has taught that he cannot save himself. So he has given up the religion of the Pharisee and now confesses that all my “righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” He trusts in Christ alone to save him. Secondly, even when he does obey, he does it out of thanksgiving to God for His having saved him. As Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The Christian has a strong desire to show his love to the one who saved him, and Jesus tells him the best way to show that love: keep His commandments. There is no thought of earning anything or of obtaining merit, only of pleasing the Savior.
Furthermore, the Christian is conscious that the strength in which he obeys God and keeps His commandments does not come from himself—it is God’s own power which enables him. As the apostle said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Even the desire to do God’s will comes ultimately from God and not from us! This is how the Christian can strive with all his heart and soul and strength and mind to obey his Lord and not be guilty of legalism. May none of us be guilty of taking credit for our obedience on the one hand, or of resenting and neglecting God’s commands on the other.
Recommended Reading:
The Commandments
A Life of Principled Obedience
The Ten Commandments Douma