Be holy,
because I am holy.
1 Peter 1:16
Throughout the year, I usually arrange my daily devotions around a Bible reading plan. This year, I selected a plan that alternates back and forth between passages in the Old and New Testaments. The plan had me reading Exodus 20 this week. Most of us are more than familiar with the Ten Commandments, and although I’ve read them many times before, I asked the Lord to show me something fresh.
The 10 Commandments present a multi-faceted picture of what a person’s life looks like when it is aligned with God’s priorities. These were some of the first commands God gave the people of Israel as He defined what their lives, families, and community would look like. He helped them understand in practical terms how they were to live and relate to one another. Their relationships were to be defined by honesty, generosity, and care. They were to demonstrate faithfulness in marriage and business. They were to trust God for provision by choosing to rest (not work) one day a week. They were to devote themselves to the worship of God and not make room for anything else to have top priority in their hearts. They were to treat others, their property, and the community with respect.
As I read these, I realized something: in every generation since these words were written, a person who lived according to these principles must have stood out from the culture around them. A person who made choices to serve others, live with integrity and honesty, and not allow earthly pursuits to become idols was unusual 4,000+ years ago. Today, our worship of God is likely a factor that sets us apart from others, but we also live in a culture that swims in ambiguous morality.
Those who humbly and quietly choose God’s priorities for a black and white stance against sin and for righteousness will be an example to the community, simply because people like that are in the minority.
In today's pop culture, God’s 10 Commandments are frequently cast in a negative light, and people use them to illustrate their opinion that faith in God is restrictive and legalistic. However, if we embrace the heart of God in these commands to shape us into people who care for others and relate to our world with integrity, we will experience freedom and joy in our lives.
I wish I could say I always read well-known passages of scripture and gain fresh insight. In all honesty, I often struggle to study well-known parts of my Bible with an eye to learn something new from the Lord. In this case, I was challenged by the “sameness” of God, and I see this as a blessing. His principles for our lives have not changed. We now live in an era where we get to enjoy personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. However, even before Jesus came to earth in human form, God has always desired that we would put Him first in our lives and allow that focus to affect the choices we make each day.
God has always been and will always be faithful. He calls us to be faithful as well. He repeats this mission for us in 1 Peter 1:13-16:
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.
I love the order of priorities in these verses and in Exodus 20. Before we are called to live holy lives, we are reminded to set our minds on God. This is the essence of the lifestyle of a worshiper. We worship God first, and we allow His presence to be so big in our lives that it “crowds out” the influence of our sinful nature as it relates to our behavior.
God never intended for us to just try harder and be better. He created us to be worshipers of Him. When we place Him in the proper place, everything else is in order as well.
I invite you to join me in being a “Ten Commandments” person, as generations of people have done before us, experiencing the joy of a life centered on God. Let’s not try to measure up to the letter of God’s Law in our own strength. Rather, let’s embody the Spirit of the Law through the power of Jesus living in us.
Thanks for being part of this journey with us,
Brent
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