If We Have Grace, Why Do We Need Commandments?
We have another blog post titled, “Why Does God Make People Follow a Bunch of Rules?”. I’ll let you go check that one out if you like. It talks about rules, commandments, and love. Although we will talk about some of the same topics in this one, the focus is very different.
What is Grace and Why is it Important?
In Christian circles, grace is often defined as unmerited favor. Specifically, it is the unmerited favor that God provides to us, most powerfully revealed in the voluntary, sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.”
-Ephesians 4:7 ESV
And as Paul also said earlier in the same letter:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
-Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
The grace of God, given through Christ, is the pathway to salvation. Without God’s grace, no one can get to Heaven.
But you must understand something, salvation is not the only reason Christ came to earth.
The Error We Often Make
I want to be very careful here, as I’m going to say something that may seem scandalous to many Christians. Sometimes we focus almost exclusively on salvation, and that’s not healthy in the long term.
Please don’t misunderstand me. There is no reconciliation with God without salvation through Christ. Everything in our relationship with God starts with salvation. The error is this, many of us never progress beyond a salvation-oriented relationship with God.
We come to Christ, we get saved, and we stay there. We are just inside the doorway of life with Christ, and we sit there, thinking that’s all there is to being a Jesus follower. We believe our goal is to just “stay saved” and not fall back into a life of sin.
Oh beloved, that is not God’s plan for you at all.
“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
-1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ESV
We are not to remain in this initial state of the life with Jesus. If we are continually fighting the same battles with our sin nature, we are certainly not experiencing the more abundant life Jesus promised us in John 10:10.
The Next Step
Take a look at another thought Paul shared in 1 Corinthians.
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
-1 Corinthains 13:11 ESV
Sisters and brothers, we have to move past the elementary truths of our faith. We must never forget them, and we must teach them to others, for they are the foundation for all who come to Christ, but we cannot allow ourselves to not grow.
And now you may ask, what does this have to do with commandments?
Commandments and Growth
We come to Jesus through faith. And we know that, based on the Bible, we do not have to follow every command of Jesus to avoid Hell. But therein lies a trap. Do you want to be forever in a struggle to stay faithful to Christ? Do you want to never have true freedom? That is the choice many, if not most, Christians make. In this life you could live many years as an immature Christian, but you wouldn’t be a true Jesus follower. You could get into Heaven, but you’d have a pretty miserable life on earth.
Would you rather have joy in your walk with Christ? Then you need to understand and apply this truth:
Grace is the way to salvation, but obedience is the way to spiritual growth.
The power of God in you is realized when you have the combination of you in God and God in you. That does not happen without obedience. Here is one way John said it.
“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
-1 John 3:24 ESV
Words of truth on Growth and Fruitfulness
We’re soon coming to the end of this post. But let’s make sure we really understand why commandments matter in growing closer to Jesus.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
-John 14:15-17 ESV
Don’t misinterpret this verse. Jesus is saying those who desire to love Him, who want the amazing life that comes with loving Him, who want freedom, joy, and love will find it through obeying His commandments. The commandments of Jesus aren’t burdens or requirements, they are the way to your best possible life. And just in case you didn’t see it, notice that AFTER we follow His commandments, He will send the Holy Spirit.
Let me give you one more passage from Jesus to show why obedience is a key to true spiritual growth and the abundant life in Christ.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
-John 15:4-5 ESV
We cannot be fruitful; we cannot have the life we so desire in our Lord if we do not abide in Him. We must always remain connected to Him. And how do we accomplish that?
“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
-1 John 3:24 ESV
Sisters and brothers, grace is the way to salvation, but obedience is the way to spiritual growth.
If you have follow-up thoughts, feel free to reach out to me directly via our contact form. Also, if you’d like to learn more about me and why I create all this content about following Jesus, check out my About page. If you love the content and would like to support this work, please visit Troy Stoneking (buymeacoffee.com). Finally, would you like to see a list of ALL our blog posts? Here it is!
Love you Jesus follower!