Law’s Requirements
It is one small commandment, one of the Ten, that has big impact: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). It is easy for us to pass over this commandment that simply means a person cannot take what does not belong to them without permission. It means you cannot take my truck, house, or property without my saying so. It means that if I am a business owner, you cannot harm my business because you are upset and you cannot take any of my merchandise without paying for it. Such is at the heart of a free and prospering land. After all, who would buy a house if anyone could come and take it? Who would take the chance of starting a business if it is not protected by law?
We could go through a similar exercise as this with each one of the Ten Commandments, which are the summary of God’s will for how He wants us to reflect His character (Lev. 19:2). The Law is a wonderful gift of God to us, something that glorifies God and benefits us (Deut. 4:1-8). It is no wonder that the psalmist could write: “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (Psalm 119:72)
This is a wonderful discovery to make since we uncovered in the previous catechism question (#6) that part of the way we glorify God is, “…by obeying His will, commands, and law.” It is important to ask the next question of The New City Catechism: “What, then, does the law of God require? The answer given is this: “Personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbor as ourselves. What God forbids should never be done and what God commands should always be done.”
In this answer we find seven requirements of God’s good law (Deut. 10:13) listed.
To begin, it is not merely corporate obedience, nor is it asking for your neighbor or friend to obey God and, as long as they do, you don’t have to obey. No, each person is to obey God, that means God’s teaching on His will, His law, requires: “Personal…obedience….” For example, the fifth commandment says, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Though the commandment, as seen in the context of the Old Testament, implies honor to all who are in authority over us, it does start with honor shown to one’s own parents. That means you must honor your parents. That is a strong call for personal obedience.
Next, we discover in Genesis 2:16-17 and in Genesis 3:1-19 that one seemingly insignificant sin plunged the whole world into sin and a curse for sin. Of course, there are no small or insignificant sins since all sin separates us from God (Isaiah 6:1-5; 59:2). Therefore, God demands, “perfect…obedience… (Matthew 5:48).”
Not only does God require perfect obedience from each person, He also requires continual obedience, that is, always keeping His will. After all, it wasn’t enough for Adam and Eve to obey God for a while and then stop doing it. God requires continual obedience. The catechism puts it this way: “…and perpetual obedience….”
What is more, it is not merely obeying God outwardly that God requires, yet not doing it out of love from the heart (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8). God wants us to worship and love Him alone as God (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:37-38): “…that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength….”
Additionally, the fifth requirement flows out of the fourth (1 John 4:7-21), and that is to love others as self—and thus to put them ahead of self, seeking God’s best for them (Matthew 22:39; 1 Cor. 13:1-8)“…and love our neighbor as ourselves….”
The fourth and fifth requirements are at the heart of these obligations, for they summarize all seven. This is how Matthew 22:37-40 says it: "And [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The sixth requirement is part of a duo of closing responsibilities: “What God forbids should never be done….” Given all that has been said above, this first part of the due follows. An example is the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
The other half of the closing duo is this: “…and what God commands should always be done.” Like with number six, this follows from all said above. An example is Leviticus 19:18: “You…shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This means to fall short of loving your neighbor and what that requires, is sin.
We have become so used to the will of God as revealed in His laws, especially the Ten Commandments, that we take them for granted. Yet, when we take the time to look at what God requires behind His laws not only helps us in obeying them, but shows us just how good and wise they are.
Thank You, God, for Your laws!
Your Joyful Catechizing Pastor,
Tom
We could go through a similar exercise as this with each one of the Ten Commandments, which are the summary of God’s will for how He wants us to reflect His character (Lev. 19:2). The Law is a wonderful gift of God to us, something that glorifies God and benefits us (Deut. 4:1-8). It is no wonder that the psalmist could write: “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (Psalm 119:72)
This is a wonderful discovery to make since we uncovered in the previous catechism question (#6) that part of the way we glorify God is, “…by obeying His will, commands, and law.” It is important to ask the next question of The New City Catechism: “What, then, does the law of God require? The answer given is this: “Personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbor as ourselves. What God forbids should never be done and what God commands should always be done.”
In this answer we find seven requirements of God’s good law (Deut. 10:13) listed.
To begin, it is not merely corporate obedience, nor is it asking for your neighbor or friend to obey God and, as long as they do, you don’t have to obey. No, each person is to obey God, that means God’s teaching on His will, His law, requires: “Personal…obedience….” For example, the fifth commandment says, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Though the commandment, as seen in the context of the Old Testament, implies honor to all who are in authority over us, it does start with honor shown to one’s own parents. That means you must honor your parents. That is a strong call for personal obedience.
Next, we discover in Genesis 2:16-17 and in Genesis 3:1-19 that one seemingly insignificant sin plunged the whole world into sin and a curse for sin. Of course, there are no small or insignificant sins since all sin separates us from God (Isaiah 6:1-5; 59:2). Therefore, God demands, “perfect…obedience… (Matthew 5:48).”
Not only does God require perfect obedience from each person, He also requires continual obedience, that is, always keeping His will. After all, it wasn’t enough for Adam and Eve to obey God for a while and then stop doing it. God requires continual obedience. The catechism puts it this way: “…and perpetual obedience….”
What is more, it is not merely obeying God outwardly that God requires, yet not doing it out of love from the heart (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8). God wants us to worship and love Him alone as God (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:37-38): “…that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength….”
Additionally, the fifth requirement flows out of the fourth (1 John 4:7-21), and that is to love others as self—and thus to put them ahead of self, seeking God’s best for them (Matthew 22:39; 1 Cor. 13:1-8)“…and love our neighbor as ourselves….”
The fourth and fifth requirements are at the heart of these obligations, for they summarize all seven. This is how Matthew 22:37-40 says it: "And [Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The sixth requirement is part of a duo of closing responsibilities: “What God forbids should never be done….” Given all that has been said above, this first part of the due follows. An example is the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
The other half of the closing duo is this: “…and what God commands should always be done.” Like with number six, this follows from all said above. An example is Leviticus 19:18: “You…shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This means to fall short of loving your neighbor and what that requires, is sin.
We have become so used to the will of God as revealed in His laws, especially the Ten Commandments, that we take them for granted. Yet, when we take the time to look at what God requires behind His laws not only helps us in obeying them, but shows us just how good and wise they are.
Thank You, God, for Your laws!
Your Joyful Catechizing Pastor,
Tom
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