Daily Bread
1 John 2:4 - "The one who says, I know Him but does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him."

Jesus spoke a number of different times about the commandment that He received of the Father to lay down His life (John 10:18; 12:49, 50; 14:31; 15:10). Jesus also gave commandments to his disciples. These commandments were directed at their love one for another (John 13:34; 15:12; 14:15,21; 15:10; 1 John 2:7-8; 3:23; 4:21; 2 John 5-6). In fact, when we understand that God's commandments are focused on our loving one another and that this love is divine love then we also realize that such a love is only possible by yielding to the operation of the Holy Spirit. The key to walking in all the ways of God is to be ruled by divine love. The only way to be governed by divine love is to allow the Holy Spirit to rule our life and be our inspiration at every turn of our behavior. The love of God is the fulfillment of the whole Law because it works no wrong against anyone (Romans 13:10;8:4). To walk in love is to walk in the Light, which is the glory of God being revealed in His people (2 Peter 1:3-5). The commandments of Jesus are not a set of rules but rather this is God's commandment to a whole new way of life. The New Testament believer is called to a realm that goes far beyond the 10 commandments of the Old Testament. Through the divine nature that was given to us when we were born of God we are empowered to walk in all the ways of God, which are made know to us by His word (Romans 8:4). One may correctly view 'logos' (word) as interchangeable with 'entole' (commandment) in both the Old and New Testament (John 8:51; 8:55; 14:23, 24; 15:20; 1 John 2:5). The technical name for the Ten Commandments is "The Decalogue" which means "The Ten Words" (Exodus 20:1; 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4). In Deuteronomy for example the passage refers to the whole of the Law code as "all the words of this Law", translated by the Septuagint as "all these commandments". Also, to further drive home this point the opening statement of the following verse serves to further equate commandment with word, "But whoever keeps his words". Thus the commandments that Jesus refers to may be understood as all the Word of God.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
www.abidingplace.org