Keep His Commands And Live.

The Western church has been so conditioned to hating the word 'law' or 'command', that they have turned them into 'works' and think that salvation is just a 'put your ticket into the machine and win a prize!'

1st John 2:3/6 (also read 1st John 5:3)

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

• Some might find the title of this devotional as 'off', but please listen. The commands of Jesus are summed up in Matthew 22:36/40, with Deuteronomy 6:5. You love God 'with your entire being' and 'your fellow man as yourself' because 'on these two hang all of the law and the prophets'. In short, if we love God with our entire being (which comes first), only then can we love our fellow man as ourselves (which is 2nd). If Jesus is our Lord, Savior and King, then we will treat our fellow man in the same love with which He loves us (doing unto others as we would do to ourselves).

• The issue that many fall into is that they dislike or have been taught to hate or view the words 'law' or 'command' in a negative way, which is wrong. Is it sin or works to love God with your entire being and your fellow man as yourself? NO! Nor do these things 'save us' or 'make us less saved' if we are not quite there. HOWEVER, to not love God with your entire being, will leave you not loving your fellow man as yourself, and thus be in disobedience to Jesus when He said "they will know you by your love for one another". If our love is authentic and true, then it must first come from our love of God and obedience to His will according to His Word through His Son.

• Obedience is a PART of our walk BECAUSE we love Him and do not find His commands 'burdensome' (1st John 5:3).