WHAT DOES GOD MEAN WHEN HE SAYS, "OBEY MY LAW OR OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS?"

          You can't read the Old Testament without often coming across the words, "Obey my law" or "Obey my commandments."  Every time I would read those words, I would wonder what God meant.  Since it is in the Old Testament, I thought he meant the Ten Commandments and maybe even all the law listed in Leviticus.  I also wondered what it meant for us New Testament Christians.  I know we are not under the law, but Jesus did say he came to fulfil the law, not to do away with it.  So there must be something more to "Obey my law" and "Obey my commandments."

          During my prayer time this morning I asked God to teach me something new.  I love learning from God.  There is no better teacher in this world.  After I said this to God, my mind went to earlier this morning when my thoughts were on one of my friends.  I was thinking about how messy her life has become in the last few years.  After pondering the messiness of my friend's life, I started thinking about how much God has done in my life and how much I've changed in the last few years.  And right after that thought, God put on my heart that that is the very reason we shouldn't focus at all on ourselves, because as soon as we do, our flesh will do one of two things.  Our flesh will either bring up our past failures which will make us feel less than worthy and that is a lie, because we are worthy because of what Jesus did on the cross.  Or our flesh will look at all that God has done in our life and take the credit, which will often cause us to look at others with pride in our hearts because we have mastered something that they are still struggling with.  So this is why God wants us to focus on him and not on us. 

          I thought that us focusing on God was what God wanted me to learn this morning, but it gets better.  During my Bible reading time, after reading James 4:11-12, this is what I wrote down in my notes:  Jesus summarized the law as love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) and Paul said that love demonstrated toward a neighbor would fully satisfy the law (Romans 13:6-10).  When we fail to love, we are actually breaking God's law.

          I read over my notes again and read the verses in Matthew and Romans, and this is when God opened my eyes to something I've never seen before.  We obey all of God's law and commandments if we love God and love one another.  That's it!  If we love God and love one another, we are obeying all of God's law.  Jesus said it in the book of Matthew.  The Apostle Paul said it in Romans.  What more evidence do we need?  If it's good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for me. 

          But wait!  It's gets even better.  God then puts both teachings together.  He puts on my heart that we need to love him and others, and not focus on ourselves at all, because while we are loving God and loving others, God takes care of us.  I just don't think it gets any easier or better than this.  Love God.  Check.  Love others.  Check.  Don't focus on anything else because God is taking care of you.  Check.  Thank you, Jesus, for another piece of treasure from your precious Book.