What Is God's Purpose for Obedience?

I'm going to like to pose a question, which is something I like to do a lot, and the messages that I give get us to think a little bit, kind of meditate a little bit, roll some thoughts around in our mind. What is God's purpose for us to live by His laws? I mean, why did God give these commandments?

Why did He give these laws? Why are these statutes? Why these principles? Why did He do what He did? Now, what's the reason? What's God trying to accomplish? You know, a common misconception today in the world of Christianity is that you don't need to live by God's commandments in order to be a Christian. You know, that thought is out there. It's out there quite prevalent. That you don't need to live by God's commandments in order to be a Christian.

And they've got several arguments. And one of the arguments or thoughts that they use to baffle people is this, is that you can't earn salvation by law keeping. They say you can't earn salvation by law keeping. Let's notice Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8 just for a moment. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8, there is a scripture that they turn to. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse number 8. Because I would agree with that statement that you can't earn salvation by law keeping.

It's just the conclusion they take it to. They start there and they take it to a conclusion. Let's notice what it says there in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8. It says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. And so it's true, brethren, that is we are saved by grace. That's what the scripture says, through faith. I would agree that we cannot earn our salvation by law keeping. But they take it further. They say you can't earn your salvation by law keeping, therefore you don't need to keep the law.

You don't need to keep the commandments. But is that true according to scripture? Let's talk about salvation. We're saved through faith. Let's talk about salvation for a moment. There's a lot of different definitions we can turn to in various dictionary.com. It says it talks about the act of saving. But there's an action there. Someone does an act to save someone to protect them from harm, protects them from loss, protects them from destruction.

There's the religious theological definition even there. It's one of the definitions that says that salvation is deliverance from the power and the penalty of sin. Salvation is deliverance from the power and the penalty of sin.

So let's talk about salvation just for a moment before we get into the depths of the scriptures here, what we're going to cover as we go through here. What is the purpose? Why did God give commandments? Was it to earn salvation or were there other reasons? Were there other purposes? Let's talk about salvation here for a moment.

Have I told you the story about Walter Wyatt, Jr.? I don't know if I told you that story or not. I might have, but just in case I didn't, let me tell you a little bit of a story I think that will illustrate salvation a little bit, how it works. Normally, this man was a pilot, and normally he would fly from Nassau to Miami.

He'd fly from Nassau to Miami. It was only about a 65-minute flight. But unfortunately, in his beach craft, somebody had broken into it and they'd stolen all of his navigation equipment. So he decided that he was going to give the flight a try anyhow with a compass and a handheld radio. He's going to take this flight from Nassau to Miami. Now, when his compass began to gyrate and suddenly he saw darkened storm clouds, well, you get a little bit nervous. When your compass begins to gyrate, that means you can't necessarily count on which way you're going.

So he flew below the clouds to see if he could find anything that he could see that he could recognize. And he realized he was lost, and he also realized he really didn't know which direction he was going. Not a good situation to be in. So, May Day. May Day. You get on the radio, his handheld radio, May Day. And thankfully, there was a Coast Guard Falcon plane that heard the distress call and found him.

And was going to lead him to an airstrip that was only six miles away. Everything was going well except for one unfortunate thing that happened. His engine quit. He ran out of fuel. His tank was bone dry. And even though he was close to the airstrip, there was nothing else that he could do but to put his plane down into the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn't long that that plane was completely submerged. And he survived. He survived the crash. He cut his forehead. He leaned back, and he found out his life vest was leaking a little bit, so that wasn't a good situation.

So, he survived, but he was not in a good situation at all. And he set his plane down at 8 p.m. in the evening. And then he waited. No one came. He didn't hear the sound of anything. He managed to stay afloat for the next 10 hours. He managed to stay afloat. But in the morning, he looked upon the horizon. There was nothing to see. There was no sound of any aircraft, no airplanes to see.

But what he did see was a dorsal fin of a shark coming towards him. He could feel the body of the shark graze against his side. And he realized that he was in trouble. And now he was exhausted. And then he saw two more dorsal fins off in the distance. And they were making their way towards him. He twisted his body and kicked with his feet to try to kick them away. He was becoming nearly exhausted, and he realized that he wasn't going to be able to hold on very much longer.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of an aircraft in the sky. He heard the sound of an airplane, and he saw it, and it was coming closer to him. And he waved his orange life vest. And they saw him. They saw where he was. And the person that was flying radioed to a Cape York cutter ship, which was only 12 minutes away. They radioed that cutter, gave him the coordinates of this man, and said, moving, this man is surrounded by sharks.

Well, the Cape York pulled alongside Wyatt, and they let down what they call a Jacob's Ladder. And he was able to climb with all of his strength. He was able to climb up onto that deck. And when he got on that deck, he fell to his knees, and he kissed the ground. He kissed the deck of the ship. He had been saved. He had been saved. There was nothing at all that he could do as an individual.

He was totally outside of his control. Unless somebody intervened in his life, he knew that he was that close to certain death. Brother, when he was floating in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by sharks, this is a true story. He knew that he needed to be saved. Nothing less than outside intervention would save him from certain death. And, brother, how much more, in a sense, are we like that spiritually?

We're that way spiritually, aren't we? There's nothing you and I can do to save us from certain eternal death. It's by God's grace, the graciousness of God, that we're saved. But now, let me ask you a question. Let me give you some thoughts to think about. Did God give his laws, his statutes, his judgments, the Ten Commandments, regarding the things that we observe from Scripture, those things that we obey from Scripture, regarding Holy Days, clean or not eating unclean meats, or tithing, or the many other laws and principles that he's given to us, the principles and precepts of how to live?

Did he give those to us so that we would obey them in order to earn salvation? Or were there other reasons that he gave them to us? What's the real purpose for the laws of God, the commandments of God, the principles of God? What are some of the real purposes that he gave them to us, these wonderful laws that give it to us?

Is it true when Christ returns, as some believe, and sets up his government, that if we're there, that we'll be teaching people that they don't need to keep God's laws? Is that true? That when Christ returns and he sets up his government on the earth, and the thousand-year kingdom of God begins on the earth, is it true that we're going to be teaching people not to observe God's laws? I think even with the logic and mind of a child, we know that the first and basic thing and tenet is that we will be teaching in the kingdom of God is to love and obey God and his laws.

Let's take a look at a scripture. Isaiah 2, verse 3. Isaiah 2, verse 3.

This is a prophetic scripture about a future time that has not yet come, but will come. The reality of it will be here someday. It says, many people shall come, so not a few, but many are going to come, and they're going to say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. So we're talking about a God here, the true God. And that's identified who that true God is, to the house of the God of Jacob. So we know we're talking about the God of Jacob.

Jacob's name was changed to Israel. The God of Israel. This is the God we're talking about. And many people are going to come and say, we want to learn that God's ways. Teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. So it's the way that He walks.

It's the way that He lives. It's the way that it's His way. These are His ways. And notice, for out of Zion shall go forth the law. Out of the crux of that area, out of Zion, that particular part, around Jerusalem, God's law is going to go forth in the future.

And notice, and also the word of the Lord is going to go forth from Jerusalem. So brethren, God's laws are going to be taught. His ways are going to be taught in the kingdom of God. Let's notice Zechariah chapter 14. Zechariah chapter 14, also a prophetic scripture. Zechariah is one of the prophets of God. And again, He's prophesying about things that have not yet taken place, but are still yet ahead of us.

Zechariah, towards the end of the Old Testament. We'll write second to the last book of the Old Testament. We'll pick it up in chapter 14 and verse number 16. Zechariah chapter 14, and we'll pick it up here in verse number 16.

Again, a future time it says, it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem. So at the end of the age, we know that Jerusalem is going to be encompassed by various armies. There's going to be a climatic time of when it says it's so serious that unless God intervenes, that no flesh is going to survive. It's just so many things that are happening around Jerusalem at that time. But it says, at that time, it says, everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go from year to year to worship the King.

We're talking about Jesus Christ here. The Lord of hosts and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whosoever will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even on them shall be no rain.

Verse 18, that the family of Egypt doesn't go up and come, then they'll have no rain. And there shall be a plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Verse 19, this shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. You know, God and Jesus Christ take this pretty seriously, don't they? It's like, at this time, they're not going to pussyfoot around. They're not going to say, hey, you know, this is a command. This is one of the laws.

This is something that we do. So Jesus is not going to pussyfoot around with people that want to disobey or disrespect the laws of God that are going out of Zion. You know, probably most of you didn't have a chance to see Mr. Ken Murray. Mr. Ken Murray works with me in India and Sri Lanka, and was also at the ministerial conference, came back with us, spent some time in our home, and actually went and gave a Bible study in southern Minnesota last Friday evening and spoke in La Crosse in the morning and in southern Minnesota in the afternoon.

I wish you had had a chance to meet him. He's from Australia. He has a delightful Australian accent, is very easy to talk to, very knowledgeable about prophecy and scriptures. And he relayed the following story that I think ties in with the message today. He says, people that I chat with, he said, from this world's Christianity, often tell me that they are New Testament Christians, not Old Testament Christians, so they don't see the necessity of keeping the laws of God.

So he says, I ask them, well, do you accept the fact that five books were written by the Apostle John are in the New Testament? They say yes. Yes. They reply that as First, Second, Third John, there's the Gospel of John, and there's the Book of Revelation, all written by John. And he says, do you also accept that Revelation, the Book of Revelation written by John is in the New Testament? Yes, we accept that, they reply. He says, well, then I ask them, well, what are the three telltale signs of a Christian in the Book of Revelation?

What are three telltale signs of a true Christian in the Book of Revelation? He says, they never are able to answer, me and when it comes to that question. Brethren, do you know that even Satan himself knows what those three telltale signs are? So he knows who God's people are? Let's turn over to Revelation 12 and verse 17. Revelation 12 and verse 17. Interesting that even Satan knows what they are. Three telltale signs. He knows what to look for. Let's take a look and see if we can identify them.

Revelation 12 and verse 17. Revelation 12 and verse 17. And the dragon, referring to Satan, was wroth or angry, in other words, with the woman, talking about God's church, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed. Notice which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So those are two telltale signs of a true Christian. That they keep the commandments of God and they have the testimony of Jesus Christ. They follow, in a sense, what he says. They know what he said and they do their best to obey what he said. Let's go over a couple of chapters to Revelation chapter 14. Maybe just across the page, at least in my Bible. Revelation chapter 14 and verse 12. Let's read what it says there. Revelation chapter 14 and verse 12.

They keep the commandments of God and they have the faith of Christ. Again, some identifying factors of a true Christian. Let's go over a few chapters of Revelation chapter 22. Revelation chapter 22 and verse number 14. Just a few pages over. Revelation chapter 22 and verse 14. Notice what it says there. Blessed. I know that when God talks about blessings, there are blessings that we can hardly imagine. Blessed are they that do his commandments. That they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter into the gates of the city. It's not too hard to see from these three scriptures that we've just covered in the book of Revelation here. These three verses alone, that there are three main attributes of God's people who are Christians. Number one, they keep the commandments of God. That's what it says. Number two, they have the testimony or to live by the example of Jesus Christ. They try to follow that example. And number three, they exercise the faith that Christ had. There, Christ's faith is in them. Those are three points. There are many others, but those are three telltale signs of who a true Christian is. And we can see quite clearly that to be a Christian in God's eyes, we need to be keeping the commandments. Right? I mean, that is what it says. But, brethren, if we don't earn salvation by keeping the commandments, then what's the purpose that God has for them?

What is their purpose of living our lives by the laws of God? What's God's law supposed to do for us? How is it supposed to affect us? What was God's objective for us to keep His laws? I think these are important questions. Don't you? And I think they're important questions for all of us, not only for us, but also for those that think you don't need to obey them. I think they're important questions to think about. First, let's ask the question, what is God's law? What is God's law? There are many different basic terms in the Scripture that talk about God's law. Most of them are found in Psalm 119. We talk about the word law, we talk about the word commandments, we talk about the word statutes, we talk about the word judgments, we talk about testimonies, precepts, the word of God, the way of God, the ordinances, the mind of God, in essence. It includes all of these things.

Is God's law going to be the basis of God's constitution when Jesus Christ comes back to rule the kingdom of God on this earth over all the nations? Let's notice Micah 4 and verse 1. Micah 4 and verse 1. Another prophet of God speaking about a time that has not yet come. It's time ahead of us yet in the future. Micah 4 and verse 1.

Micah right after the book of Jonah. Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah. Again, talking about a future of time in Micah chapter 4 and verse number 1. It says, But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow into it. Again, we're talking about a millennial time. We're talking about Jesus Christ as returned as King of Kings, Lord of Lords. And hopefully, you and I are there with him to assist him as we begin to share the plan of God and the ways of God with people that either have never heard it before or if they've heard it, they didn't understand. And all of a sudden, God's kingdom is here, and people are going to be taught. It says that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the top of the mountains, it's going to be exalted above the hills, and people are going to flow to it. And many nations shall come, and they'll say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways. They are wanting to come. They're beginning to see the benefit of God's ways, of his principles, and they want to know more. He will teach us his ways. We will walk in his paths and notice, for the law shall go forth from Zion. And so, the word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem. Notice this verse. One of the first things, major things to be taught in the kingdom of God by Christ and the God family is God's law. It's God's law.

And now we should be living by his wonderful ways of life. Can we understand, I think, how important this is? How important God's laws are? His ways? His statutes? Because it's going to be one of the major building blocks of people's lives beginning to be turned around, to be changed. They're going to be taught things that they've never known before. It's going to be the first part of being able to establish peace on the earth. It says that peace is going to start. It's going to take a while for it to leaven the entire humanity at that time. But it's going to start small and it's going to grow. So, brethren, let's take a look at some of the purposes for the law of God. Some of the purposes, some of the benefits. We know that by obeying it, we cannot earn salvation. We can't. But there's other reasons, there's other purposes why God gave us these laws. And that we would be foolish if we were to toss them all away. Because they have a very, very important purpose. Let's look at point number one. Purpose number one. This is not an all-inclusive reasons for God's laws. You'll probably have others that I don't have. But we'll cover a few of them today.

The first purpose, or one of the reasons that we'll cover for God's law, is it is our guide to conversion. It's a guide to change us, to convert us.

Let's turn to Psalm 19 and verse number 7. Is it possible for a Christian to become converted outside of God's laws? You know, those who think and teach that they are born again and don't believe in keeping God's laws, I think, are simply fooling themselves. Let's take a look at what it says in Psalm 19 and verse number 7. Psalm 19 and verse 7. We're going to cover several purposes of what God's law, some of the objectives that God gave these laws for to help us to see and to understand how they change us. They convert us. Psalm 19 and verse 7. It says, The law of the Lord is perfect. Converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure. Making wise is simple. Brethren, do you notice it there? It's first reason. Here in verse number 7. The first purpose for living by God's law is a guidance system for us to be converted. To be changed from something different from what we are to something that God wants us to be. He utilizes His law to help us in this.

He says in verse 7, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure and it makes wise the simple. It changes the simple to wise. The statutes. We could be talking about several statutes. We could be tithing, holy days, clean and unclean foods. The Lord are right. And they rejoice the heart. And the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightens the eyes. And the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and they are righteous altogether. They help us to understand what the truth is. They understand what's right and what's wrong. And notice more to be desired than gold. More to be desired, yes, than fine gold. And sweeter also than honey. And the honeycomb.

Now this is something that's pretty precious, isn't it? This is something that, and it has a very important purpose in how it affects you and me. Let's turn over to Acts chapter 3 and verse 19. Acts chapter 3 and verse 19. What did the apostle Peter have to say? How we must repent of what? Of breaking God's laws and how we should keep them also to be converted. Acts chapter 3 and verse 19. Very interesting verse here that I think ties in with this topic very well. Acts chapter 3 and verse number 19.

You remember the context. It's the day of Pentecost. Peter's been preaching as well as the others and he's inspired. So if we want to read and look at some inspired thought here and preaching and teaching, it's right here. Acts chapter 3 verse 19. After saying all that he said, he says, now repent therefore. Repent means repenting of our sins, the transgression of God's law. Repent therefore and notice and be converted. Be converted. That your sins, which again is the transgression of God's law, may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. So one of the purposes of God's law is to help us to be converted, to help us to change. We begin to understand certain things. We begin to understand a certain way and it begins to change us. So that's one of the purposes of God's law. Let's look at a second one. A second purpose for God's laws is it shows us what is right and what is wrong. It shows us what is right and what is wrong. And it actually can help us to understand that there are rewards to living the right way. And there could be troubles or failure for not following these laws. It helps us to understand this. Every day, do we face issues, questions in our culture, in our society that we have to deal with? Yeah. Don't we? We really do. We surely do. And the questions are many. And sometimes the wrong choices, the consequences, can be difficult. They can be really tough. They can be enormous. Should we follow God or should we follow man? Should we have good thoughts or is it okay to have wrong thoughts or perverted thoughts? Truth or lying? You know, these are all things that we have to deal with that go on in our mind every day. Good actions or evil actions? What choice are we going to make? And what guides us as to what is a right choice and what's a wrong choice? Most people don't have a moral compass unless they're looking at what's in here. Most people don't have much of a moral compass. They simply do what comes naturally. And sometimes those things are pretty foolish if we do what comes naturally in our heart or in our mind. Let's look at Psalm 119. We're actually going to be spending a lot of time here in Psalm 119. But let's go there. Psalm 119 in verse 9. Psalm 119 in verse 9.

God's laws have a lot of purpose. His objectives are multi-folds when it comes to His laws. And one of them has to do with showing us what's right and what's wrong. Psalm 119. We'll pick it up here in verse number 9. I'm going to read this from the Old King James version. Probably not much different than the New King James. Psalm 119, verse 9. It says, Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? How can we clean up? How can we change our way? Cleanse our way. By taking heed thereto according to your word. Notice what the psalmist writes here. With my whole heart I have sought you. Oh, let me not wander from your commandments. You know, take heed enables a young person, or actually any person, to take heed enables a person to clean up their act, paying attention to live by God's laws that can then keep them on a safe and a right path. God's law is really an educator, isn't it? It's really an educator. It teaches us things. It teaches us the right way. And it gives us powerful spiritual tools that we need in order to know what's right and what's wrong, and to be able to choose the right versus the wrong. So it's an educator. Hey, you know, in order to do right, you have to know what's right, don't you? If you've never learned what's right, how can you do right? Right?

How would we know what's wrong to steal? How would we know? How would we know what foods to eat or not eat? How would we know how to love God or how to love our fellow man? How would we know? Without God's commandments, without His laws? Let's go back. We're in Psalm 19. We'll come back to Psalm 119 eventually. But let's go to Psalm 19 in verse 11. Psalm 19, verse 11. The law of God plays a very important role showing us what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil, and also the blessings that come for keeping it. Psalm 19, verse 11. Moreover, by them, referring to God's laws, is your servant warned? Isn't that interesting? Your servant is warned by God's laws. What's right? What's wrong? What's safe? What's dangerous? Your servant is warned. And notice, and in keeping them, there is reward. In fact, it says there is great reward.

Who can understand His errors without God's laws? How would we understand that we're wrong? How would we understand our errors? Who can understand His errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. God's law teaches us how we can avoid wasting our lives on foolish mistakes. Now, we can understand it's a mistake before we even make it. Or if we do make one, we can learn from it. But how we can learn or avoid wasting our lives on foolish mistakes, and how we can teach others in the kingdom how they can avoid some of those same mistakes and have a prosperous life. There's great reward, though, as well, brethren. There's blessings for keeping God's commandments. Let's notice that over in the book of Deuteronomy 11 and verse 13. Deuteronomy 11 and 13. There are many, many reasons that God has given us these precious laws and these commandments of which He Himself lives by. Deuteronomy 11 and 13. It is a way of life. It is a path of walking. Deuteronomy 11 and 13. God was calling His people out of Egypt and then beginning to instruct them in His ways. And He says, it shall come to pass that if you shall hearken diligently unto my commands, which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all of your heart and with all of your soul, that I will give you the reign of your land in due season. You know, there'll be timely reigns. We haven't had many timely reigns, at least up in our area recently. I'm not sure how it's been down here. But up in southern Minnesota, it was a very, very difficult year for farmers. They got a lot of rain in Maine, just like we're getting a lot of rain right now. And it was cold and it was wet and they couldn't get some of them couldn't even plant their crops. It looks like a duplicate situation. It's at least so far. It looks like we're following the same pattern as a year ago and farmers are worried. You're in agriculture in southern Minnesota. You're not very, you're very, very worried right now. But He says, I will give you the reign of your land in due season. The first reign, which gets things, you know, started. And then, of course, the latter reign, which really finishes off the crop and gives you that excellent yield. That you may gather in your corn and your wine and your oil. And I'm going to send grass in your fields for all your cattle. And that you may eat and be full. We're talking about blessings, aren't we? You know, the Bible says there will be blessings for keeping God's commandments for harking diligently to them. There's physical blessings. Sometimes it may take a while. When you obey, sometimes it's difficult. It may take a while. It may take a month. It may take six months. It may take a year. It may take ten years. But God promises that there's going to be a reward. There is going to be blessings to keep God's law. Surely, as the sun rises in the east, it sets in the west. The law shows us to do this or do that because it's good. And it will result in blessings. It will be rewarded. God's law sometimes warns us, don't do that because it's going to cause danger. It's going to cause trouble. It's a dangerous situation. Otherwise, how would we know? How would we know that something is harmful?

Let's look at a third one. Third reason. Again, this is not an all-inclusive list. Keeping God's law saves us from being ashamed. Keeping God's law saves us from being ashamed. Let's go to Psalm 119, verse 4. Psalm 119, verse 4.

Sometimes one of the worst feelings that you can possibly experience as a human being is to feel ashamed. Maybe you've been in that situation and you know what it feels like. It's not a very, very good feeling to have. Psalm 119, verse 4. It says this. You have commanded us to keep your precepts diligently, and all that my ways were directed to keep your statutes, then I shall not be ashamed. I think it's in the book of Revelation where it talks about, you know, at the end of the age, and God's people have been risen up. And I think he's talking about, you know, he's coming as a thief in the night, and blessed are those who watch themselves, who watch their garments, that they were not found naked. Remember that scripture? I think it's Revelation chapter 16. I think it's verse 15. I'm not going to turn there. I'll refer that to you, though. But blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, and therefore he will not walk naked, and they will not see his shame.

So God's laws help us to understand that we will not be ashamed when we have respect, as it says in the latter part of verse 6, of Psalm 119. I shall not be ashamed when I have respect unto all your commandments.

Of course, it's all of God's commandments. We can't pick and choose. We have to be careful there, because then we could be ashamed. Let's jump over to verse 21. Still in Psalm 119, go over to verse number 21.

It says, So the psalmist is saying, I want to be removed from that. Remove me from reproach and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. And that's part of the purpose of the law, is to spare us from reproach and contempt and from shame, and not be found naked in a sense.

So God's law teaches us some of those things. Let's go to a fourth reason. Fourth reason for keeping God's law, is to help us to know and to be like Christ. To help us to know and to be like Christ.

Ken Murray relayed a story to me. He said, you know, some people claim to be New Testament Christians, and they'll sometimes say to me, but we don't need all this God's law stuff. All it is is shackles and chains. We don't need it. All we need is to know the Lord, to have a relationship with Him. Do you know the Lord? And naturally, Ken says, I respond, yes, I do. And do you know the Lord as well? And they say, yes, we do. So Ken asks them this. How can you truly know the Lord and not keep God's commandments? He says, can you explain to me from 1 John 2, verse 3, how you can possibly do that? So let's turn over to 1 John 2, verse 3. He says, can you explain to me how you can know the Lord and not keep His commandments? Let's take a look at what it says here. 1 John 2, verse 3.

There's a test of knowing Him.

Now here about we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He that says, I know Him and doesn't keep His commandments isn't telling the truth. And He's a liar.

That's pretty serious stuff, isn't it? Isn't it? That's pretty serious stuff.

So how do you understand 1 John chapter 5 and verse 2, he asks? So let's take a look at 1 John chapter 5 and verse 2. A few pages over. And this is also, of course, written in the New Testament. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 2. 2 John chapter 5. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous. How would you answer that question? I don't know. I don't know how they would answer that question. But there's some pretty powerful stuff here that God says His commandments have a purpose, many purposes. Several objectives, several goals of how they change us, how they affect us, how they guide us, how they teach us.

Let's go to a fifth point. Great peace of mind comes with keeping the laws of God. Great peace of mind.

Psalm 119, verse 165. Now, that doesn't mean you won't have persecutions. That doesn't mean you won't have trials. But you begin to understand that a whole bigger picture, a much bigger picture, we're learning things through our trials. We learn things. And we begin to approach trials of why is this happening to me, is that what does God want me to learn in this trial? What does God want me to learn? A whole different way of looking at trials. Not why is this happening to me, but what does God want me to learn? What is He teaching me? Great peace of mind if we keep God's laws. Psalm 119, verse 165.

You know, one of society's great handicaps, I think, is that people carry around in society is being debilitated with the condition of guilt.

There are a lot of people that struggle with that. Unresolved regrets, unresolved remorse. They eat away at people and their peace of mind. It could be a major factor, actually, in depression among a lot of people. They have this guilt, and they're not exactly sure why.

Another great purpose in living by God's laws is that it gives us peace of mind. Notice what it says here. Great peace have they which love your law, and nothing shall offend them. You know, peace is pretty valuable. And this is not just talking about peace, it's talking about a great peace. Where you can be settled. Despite all the different things that are going on around you, you can be settled. And that's one of the benefits, one of the purposes that God's law has, is it brings peace. And I think you can see, as we've only covered just a few purposes so far, why our enemy would want to have these things all cast aside.

Just cast them aside.

They have no purpose, but they've been fulfilled in Christ, no reason for them at all anymore. You know, there's a story of a Jew speaking to an Englishman. He said, you Englishmen are always stealing our good ideas. Take the Ten Commandments, for instance. And the Englishman replied, true, we did steal your Ten Commandments. But you'll also notice that we don't keep them all. We don't keep them. I think it was, oh, this has been a few years ago and it'll date me, but Ted Koppel, who was a host of an evening news show, I think, on ABC, he said, you know, they're not the Ten Suggestions. They're the Ten Commandments.

You know, people kept God's commandments. They'd find a great tool at their disposal, which would change their life. We talked before about the fact that you just chose one of the Ten and everyone on the entire planet kept it. How would that change things? Just pick one of the Ten and just think, if everyone on the entire planet kept just that one commandment that you're thinking about right now, imagine how that would change the world. Satan wants those commandments tossed aside.

What did Paul advise Timothy regarding the wisdom of keeping God's laws? Let's take a look at that. 2 Timothy 3, verse 13. 2 Timothy 3, verse 13.

Evil men and seducers are going to wax worse and worse. It's going to get worse and worse. They'll deceive others and themselves will be deceived. But you continue the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them, and that from a child you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise. Wisdom comes to play. That's actually a point coming down the road here. They're able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ. And all scripture is given by inspiration of God, which means he inspired it, he breathed it through his Holy Spirit. And men wrote it down. And it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction. It changes us from the way we were going. We get corrected. Get back on that straight and narrow path that God would have God's being and sons and daughters to walk. For correction and for instruction in righteousness. What's right? What's wrong? What's wrong? A teacher, an educator, instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, implying spiritually mature and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Continuing the things that you've been taught. All scripture is good for instruction. When Timothy was a child, what was there? What Bible did he have? He only had the Old Testament. The New Testament hadn't been written yet. The commandments show us the way to go. They teach us. They wise us up, if you will. It's a guide. It's a wise guide. Not a wise guide, but a wise guide for us to know the world around us and to use godly wisdom following God's laws as a way to go.

You know, the great purpose of God's law is not to boss us around. It's not to put shackles and chains on us, but it's to open up our eyes to see things.

To open our eyes to the wise ways of life to go. You know, we heard a story about our daughter. We didn't hear it from her, but we heard a story from her pastor, Mr. Brian Shaw. And she said, I'll paraphrase a little bit, but she said pretty much the following to Mr. Shaw. She said, I can't believe when I was 16, 17, and 18 that I made the decisions that I did.

Looking back now, I can't believe that I made the decisions that I did. Now, she's 27 years old now. She's got two children. She's a mother. And she's changed. She's changed. She's had life's experiences. And she's grown up. She's maturing as well. But she said, I can't believe that I could even think the things that I thought back then. And you've heard the old that. Did you know that when you're really young, your parents are really smart? And then as you get into your teenage years, that something happened to your parents, something happened to their common sense, their way of thinking. And then for those that go on long enough, you know, all of a sudden they get to be about 40 years old and boy, Dad and Mom have got the most wisdom you could possibly imagine.

But I thought that was nowhere. And our daughter didn't tell us this personally. She wasn't ready for that. But we did hear it through her pastor.

But the thing is, she said, you couldn't have told me back then when I was there. And you know, you could not have told me when I was in the teenage years that I wasn't thinking the way I'm thinking now. That I knew more. That I understood more. You know, brother, in some sense, there is a tie-in to us as we spiritually mature. We're still, in some ways, spiritually teenagers. And we need these guiding principles. Don't we? You know, we probably won't become spiritually mature, maybe towards the end of our lives. Or maybe when we get into the kingdom of God, we'll continue to grow. But these laws aren't to boss us around, but they're to open our eyes, to help us to see things maybe we don't see. Now, her eyes are beginning to understand. She was taught, but she didn't always understand. But now she's beginning to understand.

Let's look at another point here. God's laws were given for us in order to show and prevent sin. God's laws were given to us for us to be able to understand what sin is and to help us to not do it, in order to show and prevent sin.

There's a crazy theological ideology that's out there that says the laws were given by God so that it would create sin. The laws were given by God to create sin so that we would have something to repent of. Isn't that crazy? That's a thought among some people out there in religious circles. So that it would create sin, we'd have something to repent of, and then God would have grace to extend to us. That is a totally false and twisted theological argument according to Scripture. Is that true or untrue according to God? Psalm 119, verse 10. Psalm 119, verse 10.

The only shows there's another purpose here, why God's law was given to us. Show us what sin is. Help us to understand what it is. Psalm 119, verse 10. Don't let me wander from your commandments. Your word have I hid in my heart, so we begin to understand that this way of life begins to become in our heart. Your word have I hid in my heart, why? That I may not sin against you. So we begin to touch on something here, so that we may not sin, or we may not sin against our Creator. And to do something that's wrong against someone who loves us. God's law wasn't given to create sin. Obviously, one of the purpose why God's law was given to us was to help us to avoid it and to prevent it in our lives.

What's the simple Bible definition of sin? Anybody? It's the transgression of God's law. That's 1 John chapter 3, verse 4. I like the old King James rendition the best. It's not as good in the New King James. The old King James says, Whoever commits sin transgresses the law. For sin is... There's your definition. What sin is, it's the transgression of the law of God, the way He lives. Let's turn over to Romans 6 and verse 16. Romans 6 and verse 16.

What did the Apostle Paul say about avoiding breaking God's laws and sinning? Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. We actually covered this verse in the last sermon that I gave, but a little review doesn't hurt. Romans chapter 6 and verse number 16.

We're so many people that misinterpret Paul's writings, and they've twisted it really to potentially their own destruction. It's important for us to rightly divide the word of truth. What did Paul say about breaking God's laws and sinning? He says this. He says, Pretty simple. You're going to obey your master. Whomever you obey is telling that person who your master is. Right? You're going to obey your master. He says, The word of God, the commandments of God, the laws of God, which leads to righteousness.

Sin or the breaking of God's laws is destructive and ultimately leads to death. Sin in that category of activities that are breaches of God's good laws and stem from wrong thoughts or evil desires or wrong words or wrong actions destroy us. God doesn't want us to die. He wants us to know. He wants us to be educated about a way that leads to life and a way that leads to death. So that's one of the purposes of his laws. Romans chapter 7, let's turn over a page there.

Brethren, this is something that isn't well understood.

The God's law is a light to help us to see. It's a light to help us to see and avoid sinful errors, which we can fall into very easily and get hurt. As well as hurt others or even our loved ones. Romans chapter 7 and verse number 12.

Romans 7 verse number 12.

We'll read verses 12 and 13. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy in the commandment holy, just, and good.

Paul is saying that God's commandments are holy. They're just and they're good. Brethren, the law reveals what sin is and what its dangers are. I think the best way I can explain it to you is to imagine yourself in a totally dark room. No light at all. You're in a totally dark room. In fact, you pass your hand in front of your eyes, and you know, if there's any light at all, you can usually see that something's moving. You can't see a thing. Total darkness. So you're in a room here, and you can't see a thing. And in this room are many obstacles. There's things, pointed things that come down from the ceiling, and if you're not careful, you can bump your head, or you can pierce your head. You could pierce your eye. There's things that are coming from the sides of the wall. You know, if you don't see them, you're going to run into them, and they're going to harm you. There's things that are coming up from the floor. You've got to watch for your step, or you're going to pierce your foot through. So imagine yourself being in a totally dark room, and you've got all these obstacles around you. Things from the ceiling, things from the floor, things from the walls.

And suddenly somebody turns on the light.

Now you can see where they are. You can see you've got to walk around this way. Or you can see you better not go close to that door. Or you can see there's something coming up from the floor. Suddenly you can see where the obstacles are. Things that could hurt you, damage you. Paul says here that sin might appear sin here in this context here in verse number 13. How is it then that what is good became death to me? Certainly not. No! What is good did it become death to me? But sin, verse 13, that it might appear sin. That you can see it for what it is. That there are some things that are wrong. That are some things that are dangerous. And they will harm you. And the law is like turning on the light. God's law educates us. It's like taking the visors off. So you can see the scales fall from your eyes.

That sin might appear sin. That's one of the purposes that the law accomplishes. It's very important. You can see why our enemy tossed us away. We don't want to know what's right and what's wrong. I don't want them to know what could harm them. I don't want them to know what could bless them. Let's toss it aside. I think people, many people look at the law of God like running on a track with high hurdles. Like a steeple chase that you have to jump over and you've got to watch the water that's below. You know, the water hazard. You dodge around the obstacles of the steeple chase. I don't know if any of you have run that. They look upon the law as a steeple chase that's too hard. And that no one can run it. It's too difficult. No one could keep the law. Yet God made it that way so it would be difficult for us.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This is totally erroneous, brethren. It's something that we need to understand. This is a totally false impression. A better image is that life is like a track with dangers and with hurdles. And with obstacles. And the law is like the light. And we can see where they are. I think the law is more like stadium lighting. You know, without stadium lighting you're running a steeple chase in the dark? How are you going to know when to jump over that hurdle? How are you going to go around the obstacles? The law is more like stadium lighting. We turn on the light so we can see where the obstacles are, where the water puddles are, where the hurdles are, so we can see the things that we have to go through. We can see the areas of danger and avoid them. The problem isn't the law.

The problem is life. That there are some real dangers out there that we have to be careful of, as any parent will teach their children. And they have rules in their home, and they say, when you're living under this roof, this is the way that we live. It's a family thing. And when you're on your own, you can do it your own way. But not when you're under my roof. And just maybe, just maybe if you're young right now, you might be like my daughter, Kelly, and say, My parents, I don't understand these rules. They don't make sense to me.

But they have the answer to God.

For how they teach you. How they train you.

Someone once asked why the law is so complicated. Well, life is complicated. You know? Because one sin creates new obstacles, new problems down the road from the one that you just passed. It's not just that God creates laws for the sake of creating laws.

It's that God gives us the laws of light. To light our feet. To light our path. Let's turn to Psalm 119 verse 105. Psalm 119 verse 105.

This is an important scripture showing us the importance of the law of God, the Word of God. It's one that's good to be hadmarked to think about. Something I think as time goes by, it really needs to be ingrained in us here. What it says. Psalm 109 verse 105.

Sorry, Psalm 119 verse 105.

Couldn't find verse 105 in Psalm 109.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

The commandments of God, His words, His principles, they're a light. It's light. Understanding of the law of God, not so much as shackles and chains, not as obstacles, not as things to make life hard or difficult, but as light.

Light as we come to the New Covenant. In the book of Hebrews chapter 8, I'm just going to refer for time here. It says, I'm going to write my laws in their hearts. It starts to become not just something on a sheet of paper, but it starts to be in our hearts where we obey them, and they start to change who we are.

So they'll be in our hearts, God says, so I'll write it on their hearts so it's always going to be there. It's always going to be there to have that light with us.

Let's go on to another point. There's so many. Point number eight.

God's law is a counselor for freedom and liberty. It's a counselor for freedom and liberty. One of the major objectives or purposes of God's law that makes it so delightful is that it's there as a constant guide, as a constant counselor, to advise us. For sake of time, I'm just going to give you a scripture here. James chapter 1 verse 25. James chapter 1 verse 25. Who so looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein? So we look into the law of liberty and see what it says and begin to live that way and continue therein, and not being a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. So one thing to hear God's laws, but it's another thing to do them, isn't it? It says in another place, not the hearers of the law, but the doers shall be justified.

Well, I'm going to wrap things up here. There's a lot more, and you probably have thoughts on some of them on your own, but let's finish up here with one last point. God's law shows how God loves us and how we should love him and others. God's law shows us how God loves us and how we should love him and others. One of the most important purposes of keeping God's commandments is because it's a way to show God that we love him, that we love him, that we respect him, that we want to emulate him in the way that he lives, and that we love our fellow brothers and sisters, as well as really all of mankind. Of course, that's in keeping with the first and greatest commandment of all of God's laws in Matthew 22.39. So that'll be our final scripture. Let's turn over there in Matthew 22 and verse 37. Matthew 22 and verse 37.

And then you see that there's this and so many other reasons, very, very important purposes and objectives that God has in giving us his commands and his laws. Matthew 22 and verse 37. Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. Now, Jesus wasn't asked about what was the second one. He was asked the first, but he wanted to make sure that this man understood. The second is like the first. You love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind. And the second one is very similar to the first one, that you love your neighbor. And you know, we can't do one without the other. We've talked about that. So God has some standards, doesn't he? He says on these two commandments, he says hang everything else. Not on the one, but on these two. Hang everything else. All the law and the prophets. Living by God's commandments is a sign that we're a part of his family. That we're living the way that he lives. He's a father. We have an elder brother that lives that way. And that we are to live that way, too. It's what sons and daughters of God do. Because we're developing an understanding of who God is, and we're taking on his characteristics in our life, in our hearts, and in our minds. And God's going to complete this until he sees it through. He's never going to stop with you and me. That's why he called you. That's why you're here. He knows you have the potential to see it through.

This is something that we can't do, is to develop his characteristics if we don't keep and understand the real purpose for why he gave us these guidelines. Why he gave us these laws. Why he gave us these commandments. For this and other reasons. Because when we keep God's laws, and then when they become a part of us, written in our hearts and written in our minds, then we will become true sons and daughters of the Most High.