(Deu) 10:12-13, 20-21 CJB “So now, Isra’el, all that Adonai your God asks from you is to fear Adonai your God, follow all his ways, love him and serve Adonai your God with all your heart and all your being; to obey, for your own good, the mitzvot and regulations of Adonai which I am giving you today. You are to fear Adonai your God, serve him, cling to him and swear by his name. He is your praise, and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things, which you have seen with your own eyes.”
This great summary of Scripture proves that the God of the Bible alone is the true God.
The religions of the world burden people with endless rituals, regulations, and religious performances in the hope that perhaps they might earn favor with their god. But the Creator and Sustainer of all things requires something altogether different. He calls us to know Him, love Him, trust Him, serve Him, obey Him, and enjoy Him forever.
What else would the One True God require?
God is love.
God is righteous.
God is holy.
God is good.
Therefore, what He commands is consistent with His own nature. He calls us to love Him as our Father and to love our neighbor as ourselves. His commands are not corrupt. His ways are not evil. His requirements are not burdensome. They are life-giving.
What God Requires of Man Is for Our Good
Moses specifically says God’s commands are “for your own good.”
God does not command obedience because He is insecure, selfish, or controlling. He commands obedience because He designed humanity and knows how life truly flourishes. The Creator understands His creation better than the creation understands itself.
Every command of God ultimately directs us toward life, joy, peace, wisdom, and human flourishing.
The problem is not God’s commands. The problem is our sinful nature.
Sin causes us to love ourselves more than God. Instead of serving others, we want others to serve us. Instead of honoring God, we pursue our own glory. Instead of loving our neighbor, we often use people for our own selfish desires.
This self-centered love is the root of much of the evil, division, corruption, lust, greed, and brokenness in the world.
And the tragedy is that sinful living never truly satisfies.
Men spend their lives pursuing pleasure, comfort, success, sex, possessions, applause, and power only to discover that selfishness is a black hole of dissatisfaction. The sinful nature is never content because it was never created to live for itself.
We were created for God.
Jesus Reveals What God Requires of Man
Jesus Christ perfectly demonstrated what humanity was always meant to be.
He loved the Father completely.
He served others sacrificially.
He humbled Himself willingly.
He obeyed God perfectly.
And through His death and resurrection, Jesus not only pays for our rebellion against God, but He also restores us to the life we were created to live.
Jesus said:
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
God invites us into a personal relationship with Him through Christ. He is humble and gentle in nature. Yet following Him requires something our sinful flesh resists: denying ourselves.
Real life begins when self-rule dies.
True joy is found in loving God and serving people.
True fulfillment comes not from demanding our own way, but from surrendering ourselves to God and using our lives for the good of others.
The world teaches men to pursue themselves. Jesus teaches men to die to themselves so they can truly live.
Loving God and Serving Others
What God requires of man ultimately makes perfect sense.
If God created us, then He alone defines our purpose.
And our purpose is this:
- to fear Him,
- to cling to Him,
- to love Him,
- to obey Him,
- and to reflect His goodness toward others.
The greatest men are not the ones who accumulate the most for themselves. The greatest men are those who love God deeply and use their strength, resources, influence, and abilities to serve others faithfully.
It is in serving God and loving people that we discover our greatest purpose, deepest joy, and lasting fulfillment.
Run Today’s Play
Stop asking primarily, “What do I want from life?”
Instead ask:
- “How can I love God more today?”
- “How can I serve others better today?”
- “How can my work, words, leadership, and relationships honor Christ today?”
Self-centered living always leads to emptiness. But the man who fears God, obeys His Word, and loves others well is building his life on what truly lasts.
God’s commands are not the problem.
Our rebellion is the problem.
And Jesus Christ is the solution.
