| UNDER COMMANDMENTS? |
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Memorise: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). Read: Deuteronomy 28:14 – 15 |
| “But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee” (Deut 28:15). It is God’s plan for you to live above curses. The bible is given to acquaint you with what can bring curses and how to avoid them. One bible passage most believers would like to read everyday as well as one they will never want to read are contained in Deuteronomy 28. Verses 1-14 are most treasured while verses 15-68 are most abhorred. Refusal to read the latter would not stop the curse. Avoiding it amounts to living in deception. It is better to read it to discover what could provoke curses so as to avoid them. According to today’s passage, God stated three conditions that can bring curses on anyone. First, those who do not hearken to God’s word are in trouble. To ‘hearken’ is to listen attentively. There are some who will be sleeping or thinking of what to eat or where they are going to after service while the message is going on. Others are busy looking around at the best dressed in the congregation or chatting while the message is on. They are inviting curses on themselves. Similarly, if you do not observe God’s commands, you are courting trouble. There is a difference between ‘observing’ and ‘doing’. The former comes before the latter. There are believers who do not know the commandments of God. Some are ignorant of the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Others even argue that the dispensation of grace has made the law irrelevant hence they believe they no longer have any commandment to check them. Nothing could be further from the truth. A careful look at Matthew 5 – 7 will tell you the position of things. If anything, there are tougher laws now and they are more in number. For instance in the Old Testament, divorce was allowed, but now it is not. Revenge was practiced then but no forgiveness is commanded. To be called an adulterer under the law, you must be caught in the act. But now, mere lusting in your heart, that sin is recorded against you. Limited love was commanded in Old Testament but now the highest level of love is commanded. In Old Testament, they did not have a real mentor. But now, Jesus is our mentor and we are commanded to grow up into Him in all things. The only difference now is that grace to observe the commandment is available. |
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Ask God to give you an obedient spirit. Win a soul to Christ today. |
