Why Commandments Matter?

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The Purposes of God's Commandments in Christian Teaching:

1) The commandments reveal the Character of God and his will and expectations (standards) for humanity.

2) They serve as a summary of God's will for how to live in a way that pleases Him and brings peace to others. As we follow his commandments, we receive blessings in our lives and protection from the pitfalls of this fallen world.

3) As we learn God's will, through his commandments, we become aware of our sins and our human weakness. We feel convicted for our sins. Godly sorrow moves us to repentance and reliance upon the powers of Christ's atoning sacrifice to justify us before God.

4) Sincere believers who love God and strive to be obedient to the Commandments of God become aware of their inability to achieve righteousness on their own. Humbled, they seek more earnestly the strength of the Lord as they endeavor to follow him.

Living Water: The Words of Christ
5) Life long disciples of Christ demonstrates that real faith and love of God, shaped by the grace (the strengthening and enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ), are enabled to progressively overcome the pitfalls of their fallen nature through faith; not unto perfection while in this life, but to a perfect hope of perfection in the life to come.

What Latter-Day Saints Believe:

Latter-Day Saints share a sincere belief in all of the above described purposes for the commandments of God, or the law of the Lord. This might surprise some who believe that Latter-day Saints reject a gospel of grace because of our focus on "covenant keeping." In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints we believe that all must be baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by one ordained with the Holy Priesthood of God in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. We believe that baptism is a sacred ordinance that initiates a sacred covenant between God and his children who enter into his kingdom on earth. We often refer to baptism as a gate by which the believers enter into the straight and narrow way and begin a journey with Christ. Along that path, members of the church make sacred covenants with God to keep his commandments. We are taught, that these ordinances and covenants are necessary steps in laying hold upon salvation, not by way of earning salvation, but rather qualifying for it.

The five purposes for commandments listed above are purposes taught throughout Christianity and are also taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For all of these reasons we believe God has given us commandments with the expectation that we will earnestly strive to obey them, that we will repent when we fall short (which we inevitably will), and that we will seek God's assistance and strength to maintain ourselves in the straight and narrow path. We believe this is consistent with the teachings of Christ and the apostles.

Christ taught that baptism is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. Baptism is one of those commandments that is punctuated by Christ as necessary to enter into his eternal glory. Does this mean that Christ was teaching salvation through works? No. The teaching of baptism as necessary is best understood when baptism is understood as entering into a covenant with Christ, a binding of ourselves to him in a relationship of grace. There is great power in a covenant relationship with Christ, power that is necessary for us to live a Christ centered life of repentance, obedience, and sanctification.

Just as the ordinance and covenant of baptism strengthens us through faith and grace, so too, obedience to commandments brings greater spiritual power and capacity to walk with Christ. Through this obedience to commandments, by becoming covenant keepers, we yoke ourselves with Christ so that we are enabled to do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

This is why commandments matter, why baptism is necessary, why we must come to know God's expectations and will for us, but not be hearers only, but also doers of his word.

Let’s start this study of commandments by pondering these key questions:
  • What expectations does God have related to our obedience, the purpose for obedience, and principles of turning away from sin through the grace of God?
  • Why does God command us to be perfect? And is it possible?
Here are some other posts on this topic:

Why Keep the Commandments?

Are We Sinners or Saints?

“Be ye Therefore Perfect”

What Does God Expect of Us?

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