Sometimes as humans, we are too inclined to think of law as something restrictive. We think of law as the opposite of liberty, but that is a not true. That is not the way that God’s inspired prophets and lawgivers intended the law to be. Every Law has a twofold purpose. It is first meant to govern and also meant to educate and so it is with all the commandments.
“We must look beneath the literal, the surface meaning of the words. We must diligently seek to understand them because we cannot obey commands that we do not understand. But the Commandments too have an educative function which you can see in the life of anyone who keeps them. They produce good character. The Ten Commandments are not rules to obey as a personal favor to God. They are the fundamental principles without which mankind cannot live together. They make of those who keep them faithfully, strong, wholesome, confident, dedicated men and women. This is so because the Commandments come from the same Divine Hand that fashioned our human nature.
God does not contradict Himself. He did not create man and then, as an afterthought, impose upon him a set of arbitrary, irritating, restrictive rules. He made man free—and then gave him the Commandments to keep him free.
Jesus Christ set the pattern for obedience. Christ, himself, set the perfect example of obedience for all his brethren. As the great Exemplar he was baptized to witness ‘unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. In all things his obedience was perfect. As Paul wrote: ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.’ (Heb. 5:8–9.)”
“If we love [the Lord], we will keep his commandments. Should there be any who offend or fail to keep the commandments of the Lord, then it is evidence that they do not love him. We must obey them. We show by our works that we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ we serve him and love our neighbor as ourself.
We disobey God not because we don't love Him, but because we don't have reverential fear for Him. God promises great blessings to those who obey His commandments. Obedience to God can be the very highest expression of independence. Just think of giving to him the one thing, the one gift, that he would never take. Think of giving him that one thing that he would never wrest from you. …
Obedience that which God will never take by force he will accept when freely given. And he will then return to you freedom that you can hardly dream of the freedom to feel and to know, the freedom to do, and the freedom to be, at least a thousandfold more than we offer him. Strangely enough, the key to freedom is obedience. …
Disobedience is a serious offense in the eyes of the Lord. There is no power given to man, nor means lawful, to be used to compel men to obey the will of God, against their wish, except persuasion and good advice, but there is a penalty attached to disobedience, which all must suffer who will not obey the obvious truths or laws of heaven.
Finally, in Deuteronomy 11:26-27-28 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
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