DEUTERONOMY 10:12-13 – “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?
THEME OF THE DAY. KNOWING AND DOING CHRISTIANS. Let’s start out today with two questions. First, how do we feel about what God requires of us in life; the requirements He states in today’s scriptures – fearing Him, walking with Him, loving Him, serving Him and obeying Him? Please, let’s not gloss over those quickly with a quick and mindless, “I delight in these things of the Lord” without pondering the second question – “How aggressive are we in our daily lives to put these things into our minds and actions – the fear of the Lord, walking with Him, loving Him, and serving Him and obeying Him?” If we honestly respond to question two with “all my heart and all my soul”, then we may confidently respond to question one with “I delight in these things of the Lord.” But if we are not passionate about living these out, evidenced by our actions, then be careful of self-deception. The Apostle James warns, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Remember, it is not the knowing Christian that is real and growing in the Lord, but the knowing AND doing Christian who knows the Lord and spiritually prospers in the Lord.
This understanding is critical to Christian thinking and living. The joyful and influential Christian is not the one who knows Biblical truth, but the one who knows and does Biblical truth. It is the knowing and doing Christian that is the Biblical Christian. And it all begins in understanding our relationship with the Lord rises and falls on our obedience. God demands obedience from His children. God deserves obedience from His children. That said, this is not an obedience of legalism. We don’t strive to obey God to gain His favor. We strive to obey God because we have His favor – all because of sovereign grace. And here is an important distinction to make. When a person becomes a Christian, the Spirit of God plants within the new creature a desire, a longing, and the pursuit of obedience to God’s Word. The new child of God wants to obey Him and will do so, not perfectly, but sincerely and consistently. Here is one of the clearest indicators of being a Christian – delight in obeying God evidenced by a life of obeying God. Conversely, one of the clear signs of a backslidden Christian, or even not being a Christian, is the lack of desire and life pursuing obedience to God.
In Christians who delight to do all that God requires in today’s scripture – fearing Him, walking with Him, loving Him, serving Him and obeying – there are two things understood. First, these requirements from God are the reasons for our existence. We exist for Him, His good pleasure, and in pursuing these acts of obedience, God is most pleased and glorified. The second understanding is that Christians know these are what will lead to joy and happiness. God’s commands are for our good. It is what brings meaning and direction in life. It is what satisfies us with God Himself. These are not dull religious duties to perform but heart pursuits to enjoy. And they are enjoyed by the knowing AND doing Christian; the person who has been given a new heart with new desires and the chief one is obeying the Lord.
PRAYER: “Father, help me to delight in all You require of me, knowing all is for my good and Your glory.”
QUOTE: “When a person is born again, the requirements of God become delights to fulfill.”