| “Therefore shall ye keep My commandments, and do them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 22:31). |
| “We are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:15). |
| “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). |
| We have the word “commandments” in both the Old and New Testaments, yet the words have a different meaning in each case. It is important to see the difference, for some dear believers do not understand that we, as believers in the Lord Jesus, are no longer “under the law,” but rather “under grace.” What does this mean? |
| In the Old Testament, the Lord gave the children of Israel the law, through Moses, and they agreed that they would obey it. The law consisted of the ten commandments, and also many other rules by which they had to live. But could the Israelites keep that law in their own strength? No, they could not, and neither could you and I. It is impossible for us, with sinful natures, to come up to God’s standard. |
| When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He suffered for sin, so that you and I could have a new life in Christ — a life that wanted to please Him. Then He sent down His Holy Spirit to be the power of that new life. Today you and I do not live by a set of rules like the law of Moses, but rather by grace, and allowing that new life in us to display itself. |
| But then, why are there commandments spoken of in the New Testament? If we are no longer under the law of Moses, what are the commandments in the New Testament all about? Let me explain it this way. When a husband and wife get married, they may have come from different backgrounds, with different “likes” and “dislikes.” Then they have to get to know one another’s preferences. For example, my father did not like anything with chocolate in it, and especially chocolate ice cream. Do you think my mother served him chocolate ice cream? No, she never did. He did not exactly give her a commandment never to do it, but he told her plainly that he did not like it. |
| It is that way with the New Testament commandments. The Lord wants us to live to please Him, and in His commandments, He tells us what would please Him. Of course, they are not only to please the Lord; they are for our blessing too. If we obey them, we will not only please the Lord, but we will lead happy Christian lives. The commandments in the New Testament are not like the rules in the Old Testament, but when we know what would please the Lord, we will want to do those things that please Him. |
