This is a quote from the Bible that describes King David and it is this concept that I would like to talk about in this chapter.
As Christians we often hear, “it’s not about religion, it’s not about rules, it’s about relationship.” What is the “it”? It is being forgiven and accepted by God and receiving salvation and eternal life. But the thing that is being overlooked, or just unknown, is the biblical fact that salvation only comes through the everlasting covenant by Jesus’ blood which is applied and governed by law and is a covenant agreement with terms and conditions that we are required by God to agree to and perform. Since it is by covenant, this includes relationship, laws and God’s religion; otherwise known as His doctrine and His gospel. So it is about religion, rules and relationship.
James 1:27
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
(To be unspotted is to be clean from the defilement of unrepentant sin.)
I’ve been really discouraged for a long time about performing God’s calling on my life. He has called me to teach about His covenant which also contains His laws. There is so much opposition against teaching God’s laws. It makes it difficult to even begin to share what God wants me to share. I believe there are several reasons why this resistance to God’s laws is happening today.
But first I would like to share my perception of who God is. The thing I have learned about God and His laws is that they are in a sense both one. He is His word. I identify Him this way because His laws reflect His thoughts, desires, reasoning and judgement. His thoughts, actions and functions are all in line with His own laws, they are even called spirit and life. (Romans 7:14, John 6:63)
We can understand God’s heart by His laws.
We can know what He loves, what He hates and why.
I have learned who God is by prayer and intensely studying His testimonies which are also called His precepts, His ordinances, His statutes, His voice, His charge, His command, and ultimately His covenant. I have found His patience, mercy, long suffering, kindness, gentleness, desires, pity and joy all because I’ve studied His instructions for how we are supposed to live. I have found God. I love and trust Him because I have come to understand a lot about Him. He is very good and so are His laws which are the same as His good judgement and reasoning. He does everything for a reason and a purpose.
If we don’t see God’s laws in this way, then we really don’t know God and we really can’t love Him or have a close intimate relationship with Him because He says so. Otherwise we will just view His laws as a bunch of rules and vain religion.
God the Father says His ways, laws, precepts, commandments and word are His rest.
Isaiah 28:12-13
“To whom He said,
This is THE REST
wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest;
and this is THE REFRESHING:
yet they would not hear.
But THE WORD OF THE LORD
was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
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{A Side Note: The refreshing” is the process of daily justification and sanctification (forgiveness of sins and continued right standing) through covenant keeping. It is administered through covenant laws, through blood, through a sanctuary and a priesthood. More on that in another chapter titled “The Refreshing”.}
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Jesus restated this concept of rest and God’s laws in a similar way:
Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, AND LEARN OF ME; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT.”
“Light” is righteousness.
“Light” is God’s law.
“Light” is truth.
Psalms 119:142
“Thy RIGHTEOUSNESS is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy LAW is the TRUTH.”
“Light” is the exact opposite of darkness which is described as unrighteousness and sin.
WHY THE RESISTANCE?
Some of the reasons I have found that many people are resistant to hearing or learning about God’s laws are because:
* They misunderstand the apostle Paul.
* They have been taught to hate and reject “the law” believing they are not under any law.
* They believe all laws were nailed to the cross of Christ, even though there is overwhelming evidence that laws are still binding, in full effect and valid under the New Covenant; otherwise no one could ever be a sinner. (“where no law is, there is no transgression.” Romans 4:15)
* They believe the law is what saved the Old Testament believers even though Paul said that “no flesh” has ever been justified by the works of the law. (Only the blood of Jesus can save anyone including everyone from Adam until the last soul is saved.)
* They see the law as bondage and not spirit and life like Jesus taught (because they misunderstand Paul).
* They view the law as “line upon line and precept upon precept” meaning it is dull to them, ritualistic, drudgery, loathsome, pointless, boring, obscure, tedious, rote, uninteresting, unimportant, irrelevant etc.
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REMEMBER GOD’s WARNINGS:
Isaiah 28:13
“But THE WORD OF THE LORD
was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.”
2Thessalonians 2:10-12
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Jeremiah 4:22
“For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
Isaiah 27:11
“When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them, and He that formed them will shew them no favour.”
(Which sounds like: John 15:1-6)
Hosea 4:6-7
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast FORGOTTEN THE LAW of thy God, I will also forget thy children….”
Revelation 2:22-23
“Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that COMMIT ADULTERY with her into great tribulation, EXCEPT THEY REPENT OF THEIR DEEDS. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
Romans 6:16-17
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death,
or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that YE WERE THE SERVANTS OF SIN, BUT YE HAVE OBEYED FROM THE HEART that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
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BACK TO THE EXAMPLE OF KING DAVID
King David was called “a man after God’s own heart”, but why? The Bible tells us what that means and why God said that about David.
Acts 13:22
“And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse,
a man after Mine own heart,
which shall FULFILL ALL MY WILL.”
So being a person after God’s own heart is being someone who loves what God loves and hates what God hates and does God’s will. They understand God’s reasoning and good judgments, they agree with God and they work at doing their best to do what God says to do.
But how did David get there? Reading what David wrote, especially in the Psalms, shows us how he came to know and understand God, why he loved Him and how he learned to love, depend on and trust Him too.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES
Psalms 116:1-5
“I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.”
Psalms 119:112-125
“I have inclined mine heart to perform THY STATUTES alway, even unto the end…
… I hate vain thoughts: but THY LAW do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in THY WORD. Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep THE COMMANDMENTS of my God. Uphold me according unto THY WORD, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto THY STATUTES continually. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from Thy STATUTES: for their deceit is falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love THY TESTIMONIES. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy judgments. AIN.
I have DONE JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE: leave me not to mine oppressors. Be surety for Thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. Mine eyes fail for Thy salvation, and for THE WORD of Thy righteousness. Deal with Thy servant according unto Thy mercy, and teach me Thy statutes. I am Thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies.”
A PERSON AFTER GOD’s OWN HEART
A person after God’s own heart is someone who is praying and studying God’s word. They not only know God’s will, reflected by His laws, but they also fully believe and agree with God too. We have to know and understand God’s right ways. This is the only way we can truly have righteousness by our faith in Him. This is how and why we are able to have this close relationship with God. Jesus says the same thing in John chapter 15.
This is relationship:
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.”
JESUS DEFINES RELATIONSHIP
John 15:14
“Ye are My friends,
IF YE DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU.”
We see other examples of people whom God refers to as being treated as a friend. Why are some folks friends and others are enemies? How does God determine that? The LORD teaches us that in order for us to have a successful relationship with Him by “walking with Him” we must be in agreement with Him and His ways.
Amos 3:3
“Can two walk together,
except they be agreed?”
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GOD TELLS US ABOUT FAITH, WORKS, JUSTIFICATION AND FRIENDSHIP:
James 2:20-24
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how
FAITH wrought with his WORKS,
and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called THE FRIEND OF GOD. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
James 4:4
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses,
know ye not that
THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE WORLD
is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be
A FRIEND OF THE WORLD
is the enemy of God.”
Exodus 33:11
“And the LORD spake unto Moses
face to face,
as a man speaketh UNTO HIS FRIEND. …”
Numbers 12:6-8
“And He said, Hear now My words:
If there be a prophet among you,
I the LORD will make Myself known unto him in a vision,
and will speak unto him in a dream.
My servant Moses is not so,
WHO IS FAITHFUL in all Mine house.
With him will I speak mouth to mouth,
even apparently,
and not in dark speeches;
and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold:
wherefore then were ye not afraid
to speak against My servant Moses?”
A friend of God is faithful to Him by doing ALL His will. They do justice and judgment. We know that Abraham, Moses and King David did it and so can we. So it’s not impossible like many people think. Daily confession and repentance are part of doing God’s will, the Lord’s Prayer is our New Testament example of that. So it doesn’t mean these folks never sinned again after they came to saving grace and mercy. It means that when they did fall by sinning, they obeyed the gospel, the covenant, through true sincere confession and repentance. They were able to still be called faithful because this is the way we kept God’s covenant by returning again.
They were taught the covenant (the gospel), they knew and understood it. God’s everlasting covenant of salvation is still in effect under our New Covenant but under a different administration and priesthood. People after God’s own heart not only believed Him but they love His ways and right judgements, they are completely convinced and committed to His way of thinking and feeling. They absolutely love what He loves and because of these things they fight everyday against sinning; but when they do sin, they also turn away from it and return to God in confession, repentance and forgiveness just like Jesus taught His disciples in the Lord’s Prayer.
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Here are more reasons why some folks reject or oppose submitting to God’s laws/Authority.
John 3:19-21
“And this is the condemnation, that LIGHT is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he THAT DOETH TRUTH cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Another thing that Jesus identified as a reason some people resist and reject hearing, learning and therefore keeping God’s laws is that some people want to keep sinning. They love sin and hate God’s ways, reasoning, judgement, laws and righteousness. But even though King David sinned (“for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”) he was not described this way. Why not?
Most Christians remember King David based on what he did with Bathsheba and her husband. But when I think about King David, I think about how much he loved the LORD with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. I think about how much he loved to talk with God, study, learn and practice God’s word. I think about how he trusted the process and operation of God’s covenant when he sinned. He had faith and he knew he would be forgiven and accepted again when he to turned away from sinning “by faith” through confession, repentance and asking for God’s forgiveness according to God’s covenant of salvation. I think about how humbly he walked with God and took his punishment when he had sinned, admitting he had done wrong and while knowing he deserved much worse but still firmly trusting that God would deliver him out of those troubles according to the promises of that same covenant of grace and mercy. I think about how he confidently and joyfully praised and worshipped the LORD. I believe it was because he knew, understood and honored God that he also knew that although he was obligated by covenant to obey Him, he was compelled by his love, respect and fear of God and His ways that he diligently kept His covenant.
Psalms 119:92-93
“Unless Thy law had been my delights,
I should then have perished in mine affliction.
I will never forget Thy precepts:
for with them Thou hast quickened me.”
Psalms 119:164-172
“Seven times a day do I praise Thee BECAUSE OF Thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them. LORD, I have hoped for Thy salvation, and done Thy commandments. My soul hath kept Thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly. I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies: for all my ways are before Thee. … Let my cry come near before Thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to Thy word. Let my supplication come before Thee: DELIVER ME according to Thy word. My lips shall utter praise, when Thou hast taught me Thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of Thy word: for all Thy commandments are righteousness.”