In reading through Deuteronomy, you find that God never gave any indication to the Israelites that they could be righteous on their own. In fact He made it quite clear they were not.
The Israelites could look at any point in their history and see how rebellious, how stiff-necked, how idolatrous they were. They were not God's people because they were love-able. Rather, just like believers today, they were God's people because He sovereignly set His love upon them (Deuteronomy 7-11).
For the Israelites, keeping the Law of God as He laid it down was a stipulation of the relationship they had by His grace. Their obedience would not result in God's relationship with them; rather, their obedience was the result of the relationship! It is the same for us today. We in Christ are given commands - whether from the "one anothers" to the commands to walk in a certain way, to the putting off, to the putting on. We have commandments and instructions given to us even in the "New Testament" church. These commandments (and following them) are the result of the relationship and the love we have for our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Because the reality is, God has revealed Himself to us. He has given us a relationship with Himself. He has done everything necessary to ensure this relationship. Now, within this relational reality lie aspects of the relationship, and God has always required certain things of those to whom He gives Himself. The things that are required of us do not save us. Neither did they save the Israelites. Salvation has always been by grace through faith, as a gift of God. God bestows His mercy and love in spite of the rebellion of His people.
The Israelites were plainly given the truth. They were not a special people for any reason other than that the God Who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love sovereignly set His favour upon them, for the sake of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - men whom He also loved entirely because of His own sovereign favour!
God has always been as He is now: merciful, gracious, ready and willing to save. He has always given Himself in the place of others. He has always redeemed a people, a remnant unworthy to be redeemed. It has always been by the grace in Christ Jesus, the promised Messiah, the Seed of the woman Who would crush the serpent's head and lead us into repentance, restoration and redemption.
This relationship, then, carries forward into what the Lord requires of us. This is seen in many other places in Scripture, notably Micah 6:8 (among many others), but we can actually stay in Deuteronomy. From chapter seven until now there has been something of an historical lecture, a telling and retelling of Israel's history, outlining the powerful works God accomplished for their sake. Now we come to the command:
Remember that a "therefore" links back to what has been said, so this essentially means something like this:
Because God has set his love on His people, not because of them, for they are rebellious and stubborn, but because of Himself, for He is gracious and merciful, therefore you should respond in love. God loves you, not for your own loveliness, but by His own grace. God has done everything for you. You are His child because He has adopted you. You are His treasure because He has treasured you. You are His workmanship because He has worked in you. It is not because of you. God has given you a clean heart, a right spirit, open eyes and ears, and most of all, Himself. In light of all this, your only response is loving Him, keeping His charge, statutes, rules, and commandments, for this is the way to deepening your relationship with the God Who loved you from eternity past because He chose to love you, not because you were worthy of His love.
All these principles, of course, culminate and come to full realization in Christ Jesus. Yet I think it is important to understand that Christ Jesus was God from eternity, so His promises and His redemptive acts existed from eternity. God has always worked by grace.
This:
ReplyDeleteBecause God has set his love on His people, not because of them, for they are rebellious and stubborn, but because of Himself, for He is gracious and merciful, therefore you should respond in love. God loves you, not for your own loveliness, but by His own grace. God has done everything for you. You are His child because He has adopted you. You are His treasure because He has treasured you. You are His workmanship because He has worked in you. It is not because of you. God has given you a clean heart, a right spirit, open eyes and ears, and most of all, Himself. In light of all this, your only response is loving Him, keeping His charge, statutes, rules, and commandments, for this is the way to deepening your relationship with the God Who loved you from eternity past because He chose to love you, not because you were worthy of His love.
Moves me to tears. BECAUSE GOD HAS...set His love on me, worked in me, given me a clean heart, and redeemed me. Because He has done all this, I love Him and obey Him. It's all about Him. He is merciful and gracious, always. He abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness, always. I am astounded by His grace and I bow to His will. He can do what He pleases with me. It will always be right and good.