In many churches, people are more focused on supernatural manifestations than on the Word of God and the process of sanctification. The cross, the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God are often used as an excuse to not have to change and to keep living like the world and fulfill the lusts and desires of the flesh. Many Christians use the cross as an excuse so that they won’t have to change and remove the sins from their lives and die to the lusts and desires of their flesh. They don’t want to be told what to do and don’t want to keep the commandments of God. They consider the commandments of God outdated and no longer relevant in the New Covenant. But are the commandments of God outdated or are the commandments of God still valid according to the Bible?
Repentance is often more a formality than a change of life
When people repent, it is usually more a formality than becoming spiritually aware of their sinful state and evil nature and regretting their sins. Many people consider themselves as good people, instead of seeing their dirty state as a sinner and the necessity of repentance to God and the necessity of regeneration.
This is mainly because the Holy Spirit is not present in the lives of many believers. Since the church is the assembly of believers, this means that the Holy Spirit is not present anymore in many churches.
Many churches are seated in darkness and do the works out of the flesh through natural means (although they think they do the works out of the Spirit).
Since the Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, true repentance of the heart is hardly taking place anymore. Because if someone truly repents, a (moral) life change will always follow.
When a person truly repents of sin, (s)he will remove the sins from his or her life instead of persevering in sin. The person only wants one thing and that is to please the Lord Jesus Christ, exalt Him, and do His will.
The person wants to put off the old man as quickly as possible and put on the new man, who is born in Jesus Christ, by water and Spirit. The person’s spirit becomes alive and is hungry for the Word of God and feeds him/herself with the Word so that the spirit matures and grows up into the likeness of the Word; Jesus.
Transferred from the darkness into the light
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:12-14)
A person, who believes and accepts Jesus Christ, as his or her Saviour and Lord and becomes born again in Him, will be delivered from the power of darkness. The person has been transferred from the darkness into the Kingdom of Heaven. This means a new Kingdom; a new law(s) and regulations.
But when people hear the words law(s) and regulations, most people get the chills and become hostile. Why? Because many want to live in freedom instead of submitting to all kinds of laws, regulations, and commandments.
So what happens is, that they keep living the same life as before their repentance. They keep living in rebellion against God, and His Word, and don’t submit to His will.
The only change that takes place in their lives is that they read their Bible, pray, go to church, and speak pious words. Well, many times they only speak piously, when they are in the company of other Christians.
They think that the commandments of God are outdated and not valid anymore. They consider the commandments of God as legalistic, as a bunch religious laws that don’t fit into their lives and in today’s society.
Many Christians think, that because of the work of Jesus Christ, the commandments of God are outdated and therefore annulled.
It’s all by grace
Many believers say: ”Jesus has accomplished the work, and through Him we’ve been made righteous. We can’t earn it, and we shall never be able earn it by our works. We don’t have to do works, because it’s all by grace. We are, who we are, and God loves us anyway, no matter what we do and how we live. We live in a New Covenant and therefore we don’t have to keep the commandments of God and we don’t have to change. It’s all by grace!”
By saying this and by living this way, they think they live in the truth. They think they please God with their lives, but in reality, they live in the bondage of the devil and please the devil. They live in a lie, in rebellion against God.
Ofcourse you are not justified by your works, because you have been made righteous by His work; by the blood of Jesus Christ.
But, if you have been made righteous by His blood, shouldn’t you walk in righteousness and do His righteous works?
If you have been redeemed from your sin nature and have died to your sin nature, how can you still do the works of the sin nature and keep walking in sin?
If the commandments of God; the will of God, which are written in the Old Testament are not valid anymore and don’t apply to the new creations, then why did Jesus say, that if you love Him, you will not only keep His commandments but also keep God’s commandments and therefore do His will?
Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21)
All these believers had prophesied, cast out devils, and had done many great works. They thought they knew Jesus. But….. Jesus didn’t know them. Why? Because they didn’t do the will of the Father, in other words, they didn’t keep His commandments.
The commandments of God are still valid
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12)
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 (Revelation 22:14)
In the Book of Revelation, which is written after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and after the coming of the Holy Spirit, we read that God’s commandments still matter. Therefore the commandments of God are still valid.
But you have to make a choice. Will you keep the commandments of God and do His will? This means that the world will become your enemy and therefore you will be hated by the world and experience persecution by the world. Or will you keep the commandments of the world (devil)? Which means that God will become your enemy.
The commandments of God are precious
When you are born again and have received His Holy Spirit, then the law of God, which represents the will of God, is written in your heart. Just like God’s law was written in the heart of Jesus. When you walk and live after the Spirit, you shall find out how important the commandments of God and Jesus are. You will find out how precious the commandments of God are. Because He gave them out of His love for His people. Through His commandments, you shall find His will and His truth.
Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law; the commandments of God, but Jesus came to fulfill the law. When you submit to Jesus, you shall live after His will and keep His commandments, which include the commandments of God. Because you are born of Him, you shall bear His fruit; the fruit of the Spirit.
I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people (Hebrew 8:10)
When the Holy Spirit dwells in you and you live after the Word and the Spirit, you shall automatically fulfill the law, just like Jesus. You shall walk in His commandments because they are written in your heart and you shall fulfill His will in your life.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
