A common misconception today in the world of Christianity is that you don't need to live by God's Commandments in order to be a Christian. One of the cunning arguments used to baffle people is that you can't earn salvation by law-keeping.

But, did God give His ten commandments, His statute laws regarding God's Sabbath, Holy Days, eating clean meats and not unclean meats, tithing, and many other laws, principles and precepts of how to live, for us to earn salvation?

What is the real PURPOSE of living by God's many wonderful laws?

Is it true, when Christ returns and sets up His Government on this earth, that we will be teaching people that they don't need to keep God's law? Even with the logic and mind of a ten-year-old we can know that one of the most basic first things we will be teaching people in God's Kingdom on this Earth is to love and obey God's laws of how to live 'happily ever after'. Will we be teaching and encouraging people to keep all of God's Holy Days when we are assisting Jesus Christ in ruling over all nations on this Earth for 1000 years?

Zechariah 14:16-17, "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whosoever will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain."

Jesus is obviously not going to pussy-foot around with people who want to disobey or disrespect God's laws. People who I chat to from this world's Christianity often tell me that they are 'New Testament Christians, not Old Testament Christians' and therefore they don't see that it is necessary to keep God's laws.

So I ask them:

"Do you accept the fact that the five books of the apostle John are in the New Testament." "YES!" they reply.

"And is the book of Revelation, which he wrote, in the New Testament?" "YES!" they reply.

So I ask them:

"What are the four tell-tale signs of a true Christian based on the scriptures in the New Testament book of Revelation?" 

They can never tell me.

But, do you know that even Satan himself knows what signs show to him who is a true Christian and who is not a true Christian? He knows what to look for.

Revelation 12: 17, "And the dragon (Satan) was wroth with the woman (God's Church), and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Revelation 14: 12, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Revelation 22: 14, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

It's not too hard to see from these three verses alone, that the four main attributes of God's people who are true Christians are:

1. They keep the commandments of God. Notice this is emphasised three times in Revelation.
2. They live by the example or testimony of Jesus Christ.
3. They exercise the faith of Jesus Christ.
4. They have and use God's Holy Spirit of the Father and His Son within them.

So, we see quite clearly in the scriptures that to be a Christian in God's eyes we need to be keeping God's commandments.

But, if we don't earn salvation by keeping God's commandments, what is the PURPOSE of living our lives by God's laws?

What is the PURPOSE of God's laws?

What is God's law supposed to accomplish in us, by us keeping God's laws?

What are God's objectives by us keeping His laws?

These are important questions for those who think that the law has been done away, aren't they?

Firstly, let's ask ourselves this question: "What is God's law?"

Do you know there are at least 12 basic terms for God's law in the Bible?

There are many synonyms for the law of God, and we can find them all in Psalm 119: Law, Commandments, Statutes, Judgments, Testimonies, Precepts, Word of God, Ordinances, Way of God, His paths, Mouth of God, Mind of God. In essence, the law of God is all the inspired words of God in the Bible.

Is God's law going to be the basis of God's constitution, when Jesus Christ rules the Kingdom of God on this Earth, over all nations? You better believe Jesus will!

Micah 4:1-2, "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
And many nations shall come, and say, come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

What is the FIRST major thing to be taught in God's Kingdom by Christ and his Family? GOD'S LAW, and how we should live by God's wonderful laws and way of life. Can we understand now how God's laws will be one of the major building blocks for the establishment of lasting peace in the Kingdom of God on Earth?

Over the next few weeks I will continue this series of blogs on what is God's purpose for us to live by God's laws? Future blogs will explore the various aspects of God's law such as:

* God's law shows how God loves us and how we should love God and others.

* God's law is our counsellor for freedom and liberty.

* God's laws help us to know and be like Christ.

* There is great peace-of-mind when we keep God's laws.

* Wisdom and Understanding when we keep God's laws.

* God's laws give good sound, solid Judgment.

* The purpose of God's law is to be our guide to conversion.

* God's laws were given for us in order to prevent sin.

* God's law has the purpose of showing us what is right and wrong - reward or failure.

* Keeping God's laws saves us from being ashamed.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4