The essence of Christianity

A lot of people are "turned off" concerning religion, because they have
mistakenly come to the conclusion that it's all about keeping commandments.
While it is true that God expects us to keep his commandments, there is more
to it than that, it's a matter of "the heart" also.

A famed dog trainer shared this story: One day he met a man whose dog had
just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to
Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his
dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a
command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest.
His faithful friend understood, for that's exactly what he did. Then a fire
started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog
had been left. But he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect
obedience to his master's word. With tearful eyes, the dog's owner said, "I
always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do
it."

Think with me for a moment about what is said about keeping commandments.
The apostle John writes in 1 John 2:3, "Now by this we know that we know
Him, if we keep His commandments." (NKJV) A modern translation puts it this
way, "And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments."
(NLT) So John tells us that keeping his commandments is one way we can be
sure we really know God.

Let me tell you why I think that is a problem for some people. You see, most
of us were born and raised in a country that emphasizes personal freedoms
and personal rights. Many have the concept firmly implanted that "no one has
the right to tell us what to do." Of course that exempts some who do have
the right to tell us what to do, like the government or (for a time) our
parents or school authorities. However when it comes to matters of religion
we have been taught from the beginning that we have "freedom of religion,"
that is, "no one can tell us what to do in our relationship to God".

To a certain extent that is true, but just as with the freedom to live the
way we want there are some exceptions to that rule. We must understand that
God does have the right and authority to tell us what to do. Jesus speaking
in John 14:15 told those there, "If you love me, you will obey what I
command."

Let me emphasize that it is a matter of the heart that causes us to obey
God, not the force of the command. Oswald Chambers gave some insight into
this concept when he wrote these words. "The Lord does not give me rules,
but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of
love, I will do what he says. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I
have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself."

You most likely are familiar with the conversation that took place in Mark
20:28-30. If not read it again: "One of the teachers of religious law was
standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered
well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel!
The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your
God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your
strength." (NLT)

The real question when it comes to obeying God's commandments (or living up
to His standards), boils down to the question of who do you love more, Him
or yourself? Are you willing to do whatever He asks?

Russ Lawson