The rich, young ruler asked Yeshua, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The Messiah answered, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” To fully return to God means to return to His commandments in obedience. Let’s take a look.
After writing many proverbs and the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon ends the book by saying, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Micah the prophet wrote, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does YHWH require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Paul told the churches in Rome that “it is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the Law who will be justified.” (Romans 2:13). In the same letter, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:16-18).
John wrote a lot about keeping God’s commandments. “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: 6 whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6).
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.” (1 John 3:21-22).
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:2-3).
“And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6).
John wrote about the dragon warring against believers in the end times. “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 12:17).
And John identifies the saints of the end times. “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Yeshua.” (Revelation 14:12).
Are we following all of God’s commandments? Pray that the Holy Spirit will show you how to walk as the Messiah walked, in obedience to God’s commandments.
Shalom.