This weekend I heard a beautiful analogy. I was listening to a pastor and she spoke these words:
"I am not faithful to my husband because I am afraid of what he would do to me if I wasn't. I am faithful to him because I love him and want to honor him."
She went on to talk about the good things that come from faithfulness in marriage. Reliability. A stable family for their children. Relationships filled with trust and peace. A home where everyone can flourish.
Her point was this works the same way in our relationship with YHWH. We don't work to keep his commandments because we are scared he might punish us if we don't. We follow YHWH's instructions because we love him and want to bring honor to him. This issue is so central to his heart that Yahusha spoke of it.
As the Messiah said in John 14:15:
"If you love me, keep my commands."
If we love him, our actions should reflect that!
If we love him, our actions should reflect that!
Which commands exactly is he talking about? The Hebrew word for commands is 'mitzvoth', and it means YHWH's commandments or obedience in keeping Torah. The Messiah is calling us to be obedient to Scripture's instructions, including things found in the Old Testament such as Sabbath, Biblically clean eating, and the set apart times. We aren't called to these things because God is really angry with us, but because he wants us to live as closely to him as possible! YHWH does not want us to reap the consequences of disobedience and distance from him, just as a loving spouse longs for faithfulness from their beloved. He desires that we follow his ways so our lives may be filled with good things. If you love him, choose to honor him. The point isn't to avoid punishment or even to receive blessing. Simply honor him by keeping his word because he is worthy.
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