What is true love and devotion to God? This is the question that I hope and pray that all Christians have asked and found the answer to. Now if people would have gotten the correct answer and have obeyed, this would not be a topic of discussion today and instead, I’d be raising a different question. Why is this? It is because obedience to God and His commandments is not often taught in our day. And you might ask, so why are you bringing up the importance of keeping the commandments when the question was raised about love and devotion to God? Well, it because love and devotion to God is to keep His commandments and to do His will. Now, so that my words are left of the answer here, we will get right into God’s Word and see what it says on this topic. Starting with John, chapter 14, Jesus said, 3“If ye love me, keep my commandments” and 3“he that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”. He then said also, 3“if a man love me, he will keep my words.” The common theme here is keeping His commandments. This, as Jesus said, is showing true love to Him.
So what does it make a person that forgets God’s commandments and still says that they have faith in and know the Lord Jesus? Well, the answer it plain and simple, but not always a welcoming thing to hear among believers. Why is this? It is because those that do not keep God’s commandments, but say they know Him, are liars. There is no truth in that man or woman, even though they say they believe. Now, this is a strong statement and because of that fact, we will back it up with scripture. In 1 John, chapter 2, John said, 4“he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” This is very clear that doing God’s will is also keeping His commandments! Not doing what God says is right for our lives, while still telling others you believe in Jesus, is only deceiving yourself. And if you do not know Jesus, then He does not know you either.
John helps us understand why people do not obey God’s commands. One reason is because people love the things of this world above God. They may say they worship Him on Sundays but during the week, they are a totally different person. For this reason, John said, 4“love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” It is clear from the Bible that the love for the world and fulfilling the lusts of the flesh is not of God. God is not with such a person. However, a person that gives everything to the Lord and is washed clean, is able to understand the life they are in and God can change them. This same person will then do come to God often in prayer and in His Word. They do this, in order to do God’s will, for it is now more meaningful than anything else.
There is another reason why God’s commandments is not important now-a-days to most people? You would think that this would be the opposite if people read the Bible on a daily basis. However, many times this is not the case and instead people look to their pastor for what to do and not to do. So if this topic is rarely, if not any, taught on, then people will not care to keep God’s commandments. However, is it all the pastor’s fault? Sure, a lot of this is on them and they will be held accountable for their actions for the sheep they have led astray. However, obedience to God’s commands also falls on the individual believers also. If they also are not diligent enough to search out God’s Word to know what God’s will is for them and do it, then it is on their shoulders, as well, come death. Surely there will be a lot of people surprised at their outcome on judgment day. Most people will hear, 1“knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”, from Jesus. And this will be terrifying, if they thought they were a Christian. So, don’t let this be you and get into God’s Word today and be ready and willing to do His will.
In closing, now that we know that keeping God’s commandments is loving Him, we must understand what they are. To know this, we will read from Matthew, chapter 22. It reads, 2“thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” So it is clear that these two commandments are based on the ten. And if you look at all the ten commandments, you would see that loving God is based on the first 5 commandments and loving our neighbor is based on the last 5. So, if we obey these two commandments, we should be obeying the ten. However, to understand how, you must also know what the ten commandments are and how these two commandments fulfill them. So to help, here is a link to the ten commandments, for you to review. The important part here is to simply read the Bible daily, along with prayer. This will help us be focused on doing God’s will above our own. It will also become a joy to do God’s will over time.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that more people will not only say they have faith and know You but to also be known by You. It is one thing to proclaim a knowledge of You, Jesus, and another to be truly known and have a relationship with You. And Your Word makes it clear that keeping Your commandments is how we truly know You and even love You. There is truth is in us, when we do Your will. Thank You for teaching us these things and helping us know what to do in this life. I know that my own desires deceive me but Your guidance and direction helps me every day of my life. Never do I want to go back in time and simply say I believe in You and, therefore, lie to myself therein. I was so lost then and I know that on judgement day, I would have been held accountable for not knowing Your will and, therefore, disobeying it. Thank You for changing me, so that that did not have to happen. Because of this, I pray that Your commandments will ever be on my mind and on my heart. Also, help everyone that is in the faith know that true devotion is to listen and obey You. Now, this may have appeared hard in the beginning, before I was saved, but now Your laws and commands are a delight to me. I love every commandment. I love every piece of wisdom and guidance for my life. Your words are what I long for and need to go onward in faith. I do these things is because I love You Jesus. You are my God and I worship You. To You, I give all the praise and glory. I lift You up high. Amen.
Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.
1Matthew 7:21-27 (KJV)
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.
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.
2Matthew 22:35-40 (KJV)
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
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.
3John 14:15-24 (KJV)
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
41 John 2:1-17 (KJV)
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
