What Does Keeping God's Commandments Mean For The Christian?

Keep God’s Commandments For Christians

Is Following Jewish Laws Keeping God’s Commandments?

Summary: This document argues that Christians are not justified by keeping the Mosaic Law or Jewish customs, but by faith in Christ and the righteousness given through grace. While the Ten Commandments reflect the nature of God and should be evident in the life of a Spirit-led believer, they should not become a source of legalistic pride, judgment, or self-righteousness. The Law exposes sin and points to humanity’s need for Christ; the Holy Spirit fulfills its deeper intent by leading believers into love, humility, obedience, and spiritual maturity.

Introduction

I continue to be challenged by those insisting on legal justification based on keeping the Jewish laws, or the original Laws of Moses—yes, there is a difference! It is easy to get muddled in these discussions, and there is no answer that pleases those on the opposite side of these arguments. While believers say belief and faith in Christ are the grounds for justification, some say that if you believe, you keep the Mosaic Laws too. To those who agree, this supports their faith as actions and not just words. They also say that Jesus kept the Jewish laws and customs, and so should we.

We should recall that Jesus was born under the Law, and keeping the Law of God was his objective, so as to become the righteousness the Jews (and Gentiles) lacked. I have often stated there is no justification achieved by following the Jewish customs and the extended Laws of Moses. If we did, we could divorce our wives easily with a writ of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), and if our children rebelled, we could take them before the elders and have them stoned (Deuteronomy 21:18-22, 30). We could also void any vows or agreements our wives make on their own conscience if we disagree with them (Numbers 30:10-16). I could go on, but these things are within the Torah Laws in the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses.

Some will argue that we do not have to follow Moses’s Laws, but only the Ten Commandments. I would ask by what authority in scripture do you quote to both invalid the legal practices Moses implemented, and which ones do you choose to void? This is much the same as the Jewish Pharisees did over the years, including the modern rabbis who assumed the authority to interpret Moses. Still, there are some who see a distinction between what God himself wrote on stone and how Moses implemented the Laws. This too is interesting, as Moses broke the original God-written copy and had to remake it—so it wasn’t directly written by God, as no one but Moses ever saw them.

The Weight of the Law

I write these things just to point out the convoluted nuances of why stressing the laws only leads to confusion and the temptation to alter the laws to be more favorable to ourselves and our religious culture rather than a true attempt to be obedient under them as written. You can’t claim the Torah and disregard any aspects of it. As Paul says in Galatians 3:10, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.” James further adds in James 2:10, “For Whosoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” This places a considerable burden on those attempting to live under the law.

The point is that there are absolutely no reasons to be proud if you are attempting to live letter by letter according to the laws. Any bragging or attempt to shame others because they do not walk in step with you is sin. You yourself aren’t walking perfectly therein, and you have no standing to challenge or charge others, as you yourself have more on your shoulders than you can bear.

Changes Were Coming

Moses himself knew that changes were coming and prophesied that someone was coming, another prophet like him, and when he comes, the people had better listen to him (Deuteronomy 18:15). What should have been understood is that the new prophet would be a lawgiver of rank to challenge and even change what Moses delivered. We understand that lawgiver as Jesus. And Jesus immediately began to challenge many of the understandings the Jews had based on Moses, and some of those things were clarifications on divorce, eye-for-eye vengeance (Matthew 5:22-48), and the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-12).

What these things show is that, at our best, we fail to understand the Law from the perspective of intent and how to be obedient under it. For that very reason, Jesus came into the world and provided grace where the Law fails to deliver. If the Law were able to save us, Jesus would never have had to come (Galatians 2:17-18; Hebrews 10:1-4; Galatians 3:21).

The Holy Spirit and the Law

The Ten Commandments in their entirety should not be contested as a strict variable of legalism under the Law, but as the very nature of God. The Spirit clearly agrees with the Commandments, and each of them is to be reflected in the lifestyle of a believer. I may say that the Sabbath itself and its observance are nuanced, as good can still be done on the Sabbath and God made the Sabbath for humanity. Moses enforced it under Jewish ordinances, but for Gentiles, this was not enforced as a requirement by the early Christians. While it is still good to observe a sabbath, strict adherence to Saturday is more legalistic than the intent. I have no issues with those who strictly observe a Saturday sabbath, nor do I oppose those who seek a Sunday sabbath; do what the Spirit compels you in your heart and do it to the glory of God (Colossians 2;36). Besides that, no one walking in the Spirit will violate any of the commandments. Jesus discusses the weightiness of the commandments in Matthew 22:36-40, and the underlying emphasis is love, and in perfect love there are no laws, as the laws fit as aspects of love.

The Ten Commandments

Note: The wording below is adapted from the English Standard Version (ESV) rendering of the Ten Commandments.

· You shall have no other gods before me.

· You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything.

· You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

· Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

· Honor your father and your mother.

· You shall not murder.

· You shall not commit adultery.

· You shall not steal.

· You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

· You shall not covet.

Who in perfect love would not be found compliant with these commands if walking in the Spirit? This should not be debated or even stated as legal commands. John 13:34-35 tells us what Jesus commands, and it is that we love one another. He further stated in Matthew 7:12 that “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” From Jesus’ perspective, the true meaning of the Laws is built on how we treat one another, not the doings and checkmarks for command keeping. This is why I stress the need for the Holy Spirit rather than being stuck in the chokehold of letters, writings, and trying to follow laws that only point out our sins and, worse, our pride because we think we are better because of them.

Paul puts these things together in Romans 13:8-10, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and any other commandment as summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” So, for the mature believer with the Spirit, there is no debate about laws and obedience if one is walking in the Spirit.

Spiritual Maturity

Sadly, not every believer grows up into maturity, rightly able to divide the word of God. Many remain on milk or first principles. Those stuck with the laws and trying to instruct others to walk the same way are not spiritually mature. They need guidelines, ordinances, and how-to instructions, and they fail to see the deeper things of Christ. These traits alone are not fatal, but the resistance to being open to growth and being trapped in the infant state is an incredibly sad situation. I do not argue a salvation risk, but I caution against too great a dependency on observing legal requirements as a substitute for the righteousness gained through grace under Jesus, with a works-based self-righteousness attempting to follow the laws.

Again, I say that no matter what, to brag or claim any special status because of your personal observances is the sin of pride. It would be best to be silent and observe your laws and not attempt to recruit others to remain in or follow your example. Recall the attempt to remove a splinter from the eye of another while a beam is stuck in yours. Infants in Christ should continue learning and not try to teach others.

Conclusion

I am aware these words may have no impact on those who bother to read them. There simply isn’t any real compelling way to get past the multiple barriers placed in our minds to protect what we hold dear, or the values others hold and insist that we abide in. I leave with this: if you are so moved to seek out the laws and obey them, please read the scriptures and focus on the difference in Christ, and what the laws could not accomplish. The difference is where the light leads us.