Written by: Christopher Sernaque
Dear Readers,
I have posted several items on the Ten Commandments, but now I want to get to the heart of the matter. I, as a Seventh-Day Adventist, do not keep the commandments of God because I am a legalist, rather I keep the commandments of God because I love Him. Jesus has been my friend and so I want to be His by keeping His commandments.
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”-John 15:14
I did a search through my Bible concordance and found every verse that mentions the words “love” and “commandments” in the same verse. If any reading this know any more verses that connect loving God with keeping His commandments please feel free to comment and let me know! Here are the verses in the chronological Bible book order:
1. Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
2. Deuteronomy 5:10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments
3. Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
4. Deuteronomy 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
5. Deuteronomy 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
6. Deuteronomy 11:22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
7. Deuteronomy 19:9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:
8. Deuteronomy 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
9. Joshua 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
10. Nehemiah 1:5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
11. Psalm 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.
12. Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
13. John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
14. John 14:21 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.
15. John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
16. 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
17. 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
18. 2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
19. 1 John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 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.
I hope after reading and mediating on each of those verses that you, dear reader, understand that keeping the commandments of God must stem from a deep love of God. Jesus created the world (John 1:1-3, 14 and Colossians 1:13-17). Jesus deeply loves you (1 John 4:19, Romans 5:8). Jesus wants to give you a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26, Psalm 51:10). Jesus wrote the Ten Commandments (Nehemiah 9:6, 13) and He wants to write them on your heart (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10, Hebrews 10:16). Please let Jesus write the Law in your heart today! Then you will be able to claim these promises:
Psalm 37:31: The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
Psalm 40:8: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psalm 112:1: Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Isaiah 51:7: Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
John 13:17: If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Titus 3:15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen
