The words of Moses here echo the New Testament. John tells us that “the Word became flesh” in Jesus (John 1:14). And Jesus, the Word, said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). And He who is Life also said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) The Word is life to us. And, thus, it is precious and should be guarded carefully.
It is so easy for us to be careless with the Word, both Jesus and the Scriptures. We often take them too lightly. Perhaps this is because of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer described as “cheap grace.” We have been taught about God’s wonderful grace towards us and that He loves us so much. All true. But like teenagers seeking to find their own identity and tiring of the rules at home, we tend to separate the commands of the Scriptures from the love of God; when in fact His commands are expressions of His love.
Rules of loving parents are in expressions of love. They are in place to protect their children from harm and from consequences yet unknown to them. They are there to protect their future. It is in a teenager’s DNA to rebel against authority, but they are often ignorant of the dangers of their desires and passions. They lack the experience of adults to evaluate the wisdom of their choices.
So it is with the Word. His commands are expressions of His love for us. He wants what is best for us, not just in the moment but also for eternity. By taking Him and His commands lightly because of His forgiving nature, we place ourselves at risk, perhaps without realizing it. By downplaying His commands in favor of His great love, we are doing others and ourselves a great disservice. We are undermining His authority to protect our future.
When I was in my early teens, a friend’s father gave him and me a whiskey and Coke to drink. I thought it was great because he was allowing me to do something that my parents would never allow, but by doing so, this father was undermining my own parents’ authority. This is basically what we do when we fail to take seriously the commands of the Lord or when, intentionally or unintentionally, we downplay the importance of others to take the Word seriously.
Just as Jesus is Life, so are the commandments written in the Word. They should never be taken lightly or overshadowed by His grace. He loves us and, indeed, He will forgive us when we fall short in our obedience, but He has given us His commands precisely because He loves us and wants us to experience life to its fullest. Taking them seriously and seeking to follow them is essential to experiencing the life He has for us.
Today, know the Lord loves you and His commands are expressions of that love. They are not just idle words; they are your life.
© Jim Musser 2015
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