The Purpose of Commandments

Grace for All

Imitators of Christ

(our theme for October)

John 15:10-12, 17 (CEB)

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you….

17 I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.

Among other things I do, I have in my career helped organizations manage their decision-making meetings through understanding and applying parliamentary procedure. Many people view the various rules, such as found in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, as technicalities intended as barriers to progress. However, everything in parliamentary procedure helps to foster one of two rules, or both: 1) Expedite business, and 2) make sure people get heard—not that everyone gets their say out of fairness, but to understand different points of view. When you view every rule of order through that lens, you understand it’s not following rules just for the sake of following rules, but to lead to better decisions.

In the same way, people can view following the commandments of God as just a matter of following the rules, or perhaps of not making God angry. But Jesus tells us why God has given us, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the commandments we have. When one inquirer asked,

36 “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:36-40, CEB)

You can’t command a feeling, but you can follow a command with action. Love, in the eyes of God, is active. Jesus says to keep his commandments, that his commandment is to love each other as he loves us, and that everything he tells us to do is to enable us to love each other. It’s not about crossing T’s and dotting I’s, as if following all the rules will get us to heaven. It’s that following the rules will get us to love—as long as we understand that’s what the rules are for.

Bow with me?

Father, we want to love you, and we want to love each other, but in our broken nature, we fall short. Thank you for the guidance you give us through your commands so we can grow in love. Guard us from a checkbox mentality, and instead keep us focused on the purpose of your commandments in our relationship with you and with each other. In the name of Jesus who commands us to love, Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.