Testing and Obedience

You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Deuteronomy 8:2

Throughout Scripture we are told that God tests us, and that His tests are for our good. We often associate God’s testing with trials such as ill health, financial problems, and difficult interpersonal relationships. These are all legitimate tests, but Deuteronomy 8:2 makes it clear that another important way that God tests us is through our obedience to His commandments.

 When Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul had two questions for Him: The first: “Who are you, Lord?” The second: “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 2:6-10)

The first step you take as a Christian is to proclaim, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.” This statement should always be followed with, “What should I do about it? What does Christ want me to do?”

The New Testament is full of positive and negative commandments that help us answer this question. The negative commands (“thou shalt not”) are straightforward in their application. This does not mean they are easy to obey, just that little ambiguity exists in how we should obey. The positive commands (“thou shalt” e.g. “love your neighbor as yourself,” “honor your father and mother,” and “husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church”) are more subjective in their application. Each of us carries out obedience to these commands in legitimately different ways, and the same individual may have a different application to a given command in different stages of his life. How you honor your parents is different at 21 years old than it is at 51 years old.

We should never view God’s commandments as restrictive. God gives us commands because He knows better than we do how we should live our lives. If we believe that God is in control and that He has our best interests at heart, there is never a good reason to believe that His commands are limiting.

As Christians, obedience to God’s commands should be our all-consuming desire. However, we must keep in focus that we do not bring anything to the table in our relationship with Christ, and that our salvation is based on God’s grace and has nothing to do with our own merit. Meditating on the truth of Luke 17:10 is helpful in putting away any pride we may feel in our obedience.

“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Set your heart to obeying God’s commandments with everything that you have. There is no better way to show God what kind of man you are. Teach your wife and your children to do the same. Have men in your life who will keep watch over your soul and help you as you strive to obey God. Do not take your foot off the pedal for anything.

Questions:

1) Have you ever read through the New Testament and taken note of God’s expectations of you?

2) Do you have men in your life that you have asked to watch over your soul (Heb 13:17)? What role do they play in helping you obey both the positive and negative commands?

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