-
Obeying The Commands Of God By Christ. Series
Contributed by Christine Lavender on Feb 24, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: Deuteronomy 7:11 "[11]Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them."
In the Old Covenant, God told the Israelites to obey and keep His commands and statutes remaining in right standing with Him but they were unable, disobeying Him time and again, caught in a cycle of disobedience and repentance. Jesus is The fulfillment of the law that the Israelites failed to do or keep and because we are in Him and Him in us, we partake of His Divine Nature and it's by this Nature that we are enabled to do and keep God's commands. In Exodus 19:4-6 after God has brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, God says He has brought them to Himself and if they will obey His Voice and keep His Covenant, then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto Him, a Kingdom of priests and an holy nation, but the Israelites were incapable of consistently obeying because it is by Jesus Who is the fulfillment of the Law and Whose very Substance is righteousness manifesting His Character in us, that we are able to do His commands and keep His Law.
Galatians 3:14-27 says, to the Seed Jesus, (The Word, the incorruptible Seed) was the Promise (The Holy Spirit given). The Promise of The Holy Spirit came by Jesus, and the Scripture continues and says the promises which are a part of the Promise The Holy Spirit, were made to Jesus and only Jesus Who is Abraham's Seed and not to Abraham's seeds, (the church). Galatians 3:1 says, "....till the Seed came to Whom the Promise was made," the Promise (The Holy Spirit) was given to the Seed (Jesus) and we receive Him by the faith of Jesus. Put simply, The Holy Spirit was given to Jesus, and we can only receive Him by Jesus. When we believed, trusted Jesus and got born again we received The Holy Spirit.
Paul says to know who we are and what we have in Christ, we should pray and ask The Father for The Spirit of wisdom and understanding so we Know Truth. It is by The Holy Spirit in Whom are the promises that we are transformed into the image of Jesus. By The power of The Holy Spirit, we are transformed into Jesus's Image gradually, as we keep believing and confessing Him and calling on His Name. Scripture tells us to be gradually filled with The Holy Spirit, and many references are made about Rivers, flowing water and New Wine, which all represent The Holy Spirit. By The Holy Spirit we gradually get filled with the glory of God till we reach the fullness of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 says all the promises in Jesus by The Holy Spirit are in Him yes and in Him Amen, that is, every promise is available to us if we will believe and call on Him Luke 11:9-13 expounds on this when Jesus says if we ask we shall receive because no father would give their child a stone if they asked for bread, or serpent if they asked for a fish and then He says if earthly fathers being evil still know how to give their children good gifts, much more will The Father give us The Holy Spirit when we ask Him. We will receive The Holy Spirit and gradually be filled by Him, if we will ask The Lord and call on His Name. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20 now that we have received these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness or ungodliness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of The Lord. Paul is saying yes, we have received the precious promises and they indwell us but now let us be filled by them, let them be manifested, so holiness is perfected that is, being gradually filled with more and more holiness that cleanses us from ungodliness. Paul says this only happens when we are walking in the fear of The Lord, acknowledging Him as our ability to do everything, to obey His commands and instructions.
God gave the Israelites commands to obey and keep, but their obedience was inconsistent and they disobeyed time and time again, because they lacked the ability that only comes from God. By Jesus indwelling us and us in Him, we are able to do and keep the commandments of God, because Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, His very Nature is righteousness and holiness and when we believe He is Who He says He is, and call on Him, we partake of His holiness and righteousness. Jesus is The Seed to Whom the Promise of The Holy Spirit was made, Jesus is the only way we receive The Holy Spirit in whom are the promises God made to Abraham. Because The Holy Spirit was given to Jesus and only Jesus, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become one with Him and receive The Holy Spirit by Him because as Scripture says, in Jesus and only in Jesus, dwells the fullness of The Godhead bodily, in Him are all things in Heaven (The Godhead) and all things on earth (the church), Scripture says we the church are the fullness of Him and are in Him. In Jesus dwells all fullness. The Holy Spirit Who indwells Jesus and in Whom are the promises, transforms us into the image of Jesus, The Son of God, making us sons of God bearing God's very image, Scripture also calls this being filled by The Holy Spirit. We can only be filled by The Holy Spirit if we believe The Living Word, Jesus. What the Israelites consistently failed to do obeying God's commands and keeping them, God made us able to do through the power of The Holy Spirit that only comes to us by Jesus.