Survey of Firstfruit Fundamentals
Lesson 10: God's Laws
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"Success is nothing more than a few basic spiritual disciplines, practiced every day."
"Success is the natural
consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals."
Lessons in Firstfruit Fundamentals – Lesson 10 – God's Laws
We call this series of Bible studies the, "Firstfruit Fundamentals"
as they are the foundational elements of our faith.
Keeping God's laws is about as foundational as one can get. Our doctrinal statement on the Law of God says it best:
"The law of God as revealed in the Bible is a good, right and perfect system of eternal directives and principles which reflects God's character and serves as a means of expressing His love toward man. God's law teaches man how to properly worship God, how to love his fellowman, how to live life abundantly, and, at the same time, how to prepare for an eternal spiritual life in the family of God. The law of God is represented in both the Old and the New Testaments and is expressed by both physical actions and spiritual motivations.
The subject of God's Law is more than the 10 Commandments or laws in general. It is more than statutes, judgments, testimonies, ordinances, ways and principles. We know this from Matthew 4:4.
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
We live by every word of God and seamlessly woven within the fabric of God's Word are all the commandments, statutes, judgments, testimonies, ordinances, ways and principles.
This fundamental study will be a simple list of what God says about these elements of our salvation process.
Leviticus 22:31
Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
Deuteronomy 6:17
Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
The John Wesley Explanatory Notes commentary says: "Negligence will ruin us: but we cannot be saved without diligence."
Deuteronomy 7:11
Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
Deuteronomy 8:1
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
Deuteronomy 8:6
Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.
In keeping the law of God are we to love Him? If so, why?
Deuteronomy 11:1
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
Notice the commentary:
Thou shalt love the Lord - Because without this there could be no obedience to the Divine testimonies, and no happiness in the soul; for the heart that is destitute of the love of God, is empty of all good, and consequently miserable. See the note on Deuteronomy 10:12. ~Adam Clarke
Quoted verse:
Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
The Adam Clarke says we should look at the commentary on this verse:
Now, Israel, what doth the Lord - require of thee - An answer is immediately given. God requires,
1. That ye fear him as Jehovah your God - him who made, preserves, and governs you.
2. That ye walk in all his ways - that, having received his precepts, all of which are good and excellent, ye obey the whole; walking in God’s ways, not your own, nor in the ways of the people of the land [meaning the world for our purposes].
3. That ye love him - have confidence in him as your father and friend, have recourse to him in all your necessities, and love him in return for his love.
4. That you serve him - give him that worship which he requires, performing it with all your heart - the whole of your affections, and with all your soul - your will, understanding, and judgment. In a word, putting forth your whole strength and energy of body and soul in the sacred work. ~Adam Clarke
Is there more showing a link between love and law?
Romans 13:10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law.
Does Jesus, in His ministry, speak to this concept of love and the law?
Matthew 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Does Jesus say anything about the Law in His sermon on the Mount?
Matthew 5:17-20
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
Did Jesus keep the commandments? Does He say that He did so? In doing so,
does He again speak of love?
John 15:10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my
Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Does keeping the Law of God have anything to do with serving Him?
Deuteronomy 13:4
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
The word "cleave" here is talking about us clinging to or adhereing to God and His laws.
Deuteronomy 13:18
When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.
How can a firstfruit do what is right in the eyes of God unless they look at the law of God and the elements of the salvation process using His eyes?
Deuteronomy 26:16 ...this verse very much like Deuteronomy 10:12
This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Is God establishing us as His holy people? If so, how?
Deuteronomy 28:9
The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
Deuteronomy 28:13
And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
Why is God commanding us to "observe" them and then do them? The New American Standard Bible renders the last phrase as, "to observe them carefully." Have you ever learned a procedure such as cooking a roast or learning to use a certain piece of machinery? First you got instructions and then, in the case of cooking a roast, watched someone do it. Same for a piece of machinery. God wants us to know the reasons behind His laws and statutes. He wants us to understand what it means to "keep" a law and then how, specifically to do them or manifest them with our hands, our lips, our minds and with our souls. Notice:
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates
Does God promise anything by keeping His law?
Deuteronomy 30:8-10
8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.
9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Does God give us a choice in this life regarding His laws?
Deuteronomy 30:15-16
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Does God encourage us as to which we should choose, life or death?
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Does it take strength and courage to keep the law?
Joshua 1:7
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
If I follow, observe and do the laws and ways of God, will I know prosperity and success?
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
I often talk about walking straight the path of righteousness and not going off to the right or left of that path. Does God give us this concept?
Joshua 23:6
Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
To keep the laws of God, do we have to be friendly with Him?
1 Kings 8:61
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
The word, "perfect" here is Strong's 8003 and means, "friendly" and "complete." The New American Standard Bible renders this, "wholly devoted to the Lord our God."
Does God give us other tips in keeping His law?
Psalm 78:7
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Does God say that He will give us of His spirit so that we walk in his laws and do them?
Ezekiel 36:27
That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
What is the duty of man?
Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Does God command that we walk in the law of God, to seek Him with our whole heart and that we diligently keep His precepts?
Psalm 119:1-4
1 ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
The word, "precepts" in verse 4 here means the mandate of God. The dictionary defines, "precept" as, "an injunction as to moral conduct; maxim. A maxim is defined as, "an expression of a general truth or principle. A "mandate", as in the mandate of God means, a command or authorization to act in a particular way.
Are we blessed if we keep the laws of God? How does God want us to seek Him in this regard?
Psalm 119:2
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
What did Paul say about keeping the laws of God? How should we keep them? How long should we keep them?
1 Timothy 6:14 [see Lesson]
That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Are the commandments of God an act of love on His part? Are the laws of God hard to keep?
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
The word, "grievous" here is Strong's Greek word 926 which means, "weighty", "burdensome" or "grievous."
Does the New Testament say anything about being a doer of the law?
James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Does James mention this anywhere else? Am I to continue in the law? Is the law perfect? Am I supposed to be immersing myself in the subject? If so, will I be blessed?
James 1:25
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,
this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Sometimes you might run into someone who believes the law has been done away.
If and when they do, I read to them from the last book written for the Bible,
the book of Revelation. Notice how it describes the saints of the Lord.
Revelation 14:11-12
…speaking to those who worshipped the beast
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with
the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
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