> 11. What Does God Want Us to Do? > > > THE PERFECT MORAL LAW OF GOD > A perfect God governs (controls) His universe by a moral law which is > completely perfect. > > “The LAW of the Lord is PERFECT, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7, NKJV). > > The moral law shows us God's character. So it is unreasonable (not right) > to > think that it can change, just like as if the physical laws which control > nature can change. > > “He is faithful and right in everything he does. ALL HIS RULES CAN BE > TRUSTED. THEY WILL STAND FIRM FOR EVER AND EVER. They were given by the > Lord. He is faithful and honest” (Psalm 111:7, 8). > > God wants every one to be saved in His kingdom. He tells us this in the > Bible. We are saved by Jesus’ love. Jesus died for us. When we love Jesus > we > will want to keep His rules. We will obey Him because we love Him. He > tells > us the rules of His kingdom. In this lesson we shall learn what God wants > us > to do. He has written His rules in the Bible. > > 1. What does God tell us to do? > > “Everything has now been heard. And here’s [here is] the final thing I > want > to say. HAVE RESPECT FOR GOD and obey his commandments. THAT’S WHAT > EVERYONE > SHOULD DO. God will judge everything people do. That includes everything > they try to hide. HE’LL [HE WILL] JUDGE EVERYTHING, whether it’s [it is] > good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14). > > God wants us to respect Him. We are to love Him. We are to honor Him. We > honor and love Him when we keep all His commandments. There is another > reason for obeying His commandments. We will be judged by them. They are > the > law of heaven. God tells us His commandments in the Bible. > > 2. What did God give to Israel at Mount Sinai? > > “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain. Stay here. I will > give you the stone tablets. They contain the law and commands I have > written > to teach the people’” (Exodus 24:12). > > These verses tell of commandments written by God. The TEN COMMANDMENTS > were > written by God. These are God's ten rules which last forever. God also > gave > other laws to Moses. Moses then gave them to the people. These laws were > written in a book called the Torah. This book is also called the LAW OF > MOSES. It is important that we know the difference between the TEN > COMMANDMENTS and the LAW OF MOSES. > > > THE LAW OF MOSES > 3. How was the law of Moses recorded, and where was it placed? > > “I [MOSES] finished writing the words of that law in a scroll. I wrote > them > down from beginning to end. Then I gave a command to the Levites. . . . > ‘Take this Scroll of the Law. Place it BESIDE THE ARK of the covenant of > the > LORD your God. It will remain there as a witness against you’” > (Deuteronomy > 31:24-26). > > Moses wrote the laws that God gave him in a book. There are over 600 laws. > Many of them are health laws that are still used today. Other laws told > the > children of Israel how to rule their nation. Many of these laws are still > being used in today’s world. > > Many rules in the law of Moses tell the children of Israel how to worship > God. There are special days that the Jews were to keep. These were called > holy days or feast days. They were kept once a year. Sometimes they are > called “sabbaths.” They were different from the weekly or seventh day > Sabbath. These yearly sabbaths taught the people about Jesus and His plan > to > die for their sin. They looked forward to Him. We call them "types" or > symbols of Jesus. Other laws are about the animal sacrifices (offerings) > that the Jews were to make. When Jesus came He showed us that those > symbols > became fulfilled by His life and death. Christians do not keep the yearly > sabbaths anymore today. > > The laws of Moses were placed at the side of the ark. The ark was a large > box covered with gold. It was kept in the most holy place of the > sanctuary. > The sanctuary was the temple or church for the Israelites (Jews) on their > journey to the Promised Land. > > 4. When did the offerings, sacrifices, and yearly sabbaths of the law of > Moses come to an end? > > “He wiped out the written Law with its rules. . . . He took it away and > nailed it to the cross. So don’t [do not] let anyone judge you because of > what you eat or drink. Don’t [Do not] let anyone judge you about holy > days. > I’m [I am] talking about special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days. > They > are only a shadow of the things that were going to come. But what is real > is > found in Christ” (Colossians 2:14, 16-17). > > The “sabbath” days in this text were special days that the Jews kept each > year. There were rules about what kind of food they offered to God. There > were other rules about offering drinks. All these offerings came to an end > at the cross. These things pointed toward Jesus in the future. When He > came > these special offerings were no longer needed. They were finished when > Jesus > died on the cross. Christians, today, do not keep the laws about > sacrifices. > They do not keep the yearly holy days. They were finished at the cross. > This > text does not talk about the weekly Sabbath. It tells about the yearly > sabbaths. This text does not talk about eating clean or unclean meat. It > tells about sacrifices and offerings. The yearly sabbaths, the offering of > food and drink, the special feasts of the Jews, pointed to Jesus. When He > died, they were no longer useful. Other laws that talk about health or > government are still being used today. > > > THE TEN COMMANDMENTS > 5. Who wrote the Ten Commandments? > > “The LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai. Then he gave him the > TWO tablets of the covenant. They were MADE OUT OF STONE. The words on > them > were WRITTEN BY THE FINGER OF GOD” (Exodus 31:18). > > “Words were written on both sides of the TABLETS, front and back. The > tablets were THE WORK OF GOD. The WORDS HAD BEEN WRITTEN BY GOD. They had > been carved on the tablets” (Exodus 32:15, 16). > > “There wasn’t anything in the ark [case] EXCEPT THE TWO STONE TABLETS” (1 > Kings 8:9). > > God wrote the Ten Commandments HIMSELF. He wrote them on two large pieces > of > stone with His own finger. These commandments are eternal. God wrote them > on > stone because it lasts a long time. All people are to remember God's Ten > Commandments. Nobody can change the Ten Commandments. God told Moses to > put > them inside the ark. This ark was a special box or case that was holy. By > putting them in the ark God showed that the commandments are very > important. > Keeping these commandments is part of what God wants us to do. > > 6. How long are the commandments of God to be kept? > > “Long ago I learned from your covenant laws [commandments] that you made > them to last FOREVER” (Psalm 119:152). > > God does not change His rules for men. They are still the same today. They > will be the same tomorrow and forever. We are to keep God's commandments > in > our lives. > > 7. Did Christ's death on the cross finish the Ten Commandments? > > “DO NOT think I have COME to GET RID OF what is written in the LAW or in > the > PROPHETS. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full > meaning to what is written. What I’m about to tell you is true. Heaven and > earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. > NOT > EVEN THE SMALLEST stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until > everything is completed. Do not BREAK even one of the least important > COMMANDMENTS. And do not teach others to break them. If you do, you will > be > called the LEAST IMPORTANT person in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, > practice and teach these commands. Then you will be called important in > the > kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19). > > Many people today say the commandments are finished - no more > commandments. > They say we do not have to keep them. What did Jesus say? He told us that > they would last as long as heaven and earth (forever). All the > commandments > are equally important. We are to keep them all. Do not forget any one of > them. If we disobey God's commandments and tell others to disobey, we > shall > be "called the least" in His kingdom. > > 8. How important is it that we keep ALL the commandments? > > “Suppose you keep THE WHOLE LAW but trip over [break] just ONE part of it. > Then you are guilty of breaking ALL of it. God said, ‘Do not commit > adultery.’ He also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Suppose you don’t [do > not] > commit [act in] adultery but do commit murder. Then you have broken the > Law” > (James 2:10, 11). > > This verse is about the Ten Commandments. Verse 11 makes it clear to us. > Think about a big bridge with ten strong sections. If one of these > sections > is taken away, then the bridge is no good. No one could cross it. Every > part > is important. The Ten Commandments are like the bridge. Take one away and > the bridge is no good. Every commandment is important. All are to be > obeyed. > We are to obey all the Ten Commandments. > > > KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS > “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all > your soul. Love him with all your strength [mind].’ This is the first and > most important commandment. And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor > as you love yourself.’ Everything that is written in the Law and the > Prophets is based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). > > There are two sections in the Ten Commandments. The first four tell us how > we should obey and worship God. The last six tell us our duty to other > people. Keeping the first four shows that we love God. Keeping the last > six > shows that we love our fellow men. Jesus said that loving God and loving > other people is what the whole Bible is about. He called it "all the law > and > the prophets." > > “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love > him > with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). > > “Do not try to get even. Do not hold anything against one of your people. > Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the LORD” > (Leviticus > 19:18). > > Would you like to say that you believe in all the Ten Commandments? You > can > answer to yourself by saying "Yes" to each of them if you do believe them > or > “No” if you do not believe them. > > 1.. Do you believe it is wrong to worship other gods? Yes No > > > 2.. Do you believe it is wrong to worship images? Yes No > > > 3.. Do you believe it is wrong to swear? Yes No > > > 4.. Do you believe it is wrong to break the Sabbath? Yes No > > > 5.. Do you believe it is wrong to shame your parents? Yes No > > > 6.. Do you believe it is wrong to kill? Yes No > > > 7.. Do you believe it is wrong to take another man's wife or another > woman's husband? Yes No > > > 8.. Do you believe it is wrong to steal? Yes No > > > 9.. Do you believe it is wrong to lie? Yes No > > > 10.. Do you believe it is wrong to want things that belong to other > people? Yes No > 9. What does Paul say about the commandments? > > “So the law is holy. The commandment also is holy and right and good” > (Romans 7:12). > > A man said, "I wish Jesus would give us a list of what He wants us to do. > On > the list He could put-one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, > nine, > ten. Then we would know what is right and what is wrong." > > The minister answered: "Jesus already did that for us. He gave us the Ten > Commandments. They are His list of ten rules. We are to keep them." > > Look at these commandments. You can see that we are to keep them now. It > was > wrong to disobey God when Jesus was here on earth. It is just as wrong > now. > The Ten Commandments are holy, just, and good. God Himself wrote these > Commandments. It is wrong today to kill, swear, steal, and break the > Sabbath. Jesus said the commandments will last forever. > > 10. How do we show that we love God? > > “We know that we have come to know God if we OBEY HIS COMMANDS. And He > will > give us anything we ask. That’s [That is] because we OBEY HIS COMMANDS. We > do WHAT PLEASES HIM” (1 John 2:3; 3:22). > > Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). > You > want to follow Jesus. To follow Jesus, we keep His commandments. If you > love > Him you will keep the Sabbath; you will worship Him; you will not kill; > you > will not steal. Sometimes people say it is all right to break one of the > commandments. People who say this are not speaking for Jesus; it is their > own thoughts. All people who love God will want to keep His commandments. > > > GRACE AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS > 11. What is sin, and what happens when we sin? > > “Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, BREAKING THE LAW IS SIN” (1 > John > 3:4). > > “When you sin, the pay you get is death” (Romans 6:23). > > The law tells us about sin. The Ten Commandments tell us what sin is. When > we break one of the Ten Commandments, we sin. When we sin, we will die. If > we want to live forever, then we need help to keep the Ten Commandments. > We > cannot keep them without help. Jesus will give us help to keep them. As we > grow in Christian life, we learn to be like Jesus by obeying the Ten > Commandments. We obey the commandments because Jesus lives in our hearts. > If > we love Him, we will want to serve and obey Him. > > 12. When we obey the law of Christ, what happens? > > “Sin will not be your master. Law does not rule you. God’s GRACE has set > you > free. . . . What should we say then? Should we sin because we are not > ruled > by law but by God’s grace? Not at all! What should we say then? Should we > keep on sinning so that God’s grace can increase? Not at all!” (Romans > 6:14, > 15, 1, 2). > > Sometimes we try to keep the commandments, but we fail. Then we ask Jesus > to > forgive us. He helps us keep the commandments. He has promised to help us > and He will keep His promise. > > The blood of Jesus "makes us pure from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Jesus gives > us > grace. This is forgiveness that we do not deserve. When we sin we ask for > forgiveness. Jesus forgives us. Does this mean we can then keep on > sinning? > Can we go on breaking the Ten Commandments? Paul says, "NOT AT ALL!" > > A man became angry and killed another man. The court said he must die. > Some > friends of the prisoner asked the governor not to put him to death. They > said, "He has been a good man; he has a good family.” The governor decided > to pardon the man and set him free. Could this man then go and kill > another > man? No! If he did, he would be sent to court again. The governor’s > forgiveness does NOT mean the man can break the law again. Jesus forgives > us. With His blood He has paid for our sin. Does this mean we can break > the > Ten Commandments? Paul says, "Not at all!” We will keep His commandments > more carefully than before. > > 13. What is the only way we are saved? > > “GOD’S GRACE HAS SAVED YOU because of YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST. Your salvation > doesn’t come from anything you do. It is GOD’S GIFT” (Ephesians 2:8). > > The Ten Commandments cannot save you. They tell you what sin is. They only > show you which actions are sin. Only Jesus' sacrifice for your sins can > save > you. God's grace saves you. This is a gift from God. We do not work for > it. > We do not deserve it. It is given to us when we ask God to save us. > > “Suppose you listen to the Word but don’t [do not] do what it says. Then > you > are like a man who looks at his face in a mirror” (James 1:23). > > Look in the mirror. You see dirt on your face. Do you wash your face with > the mirror? No. Do you break the mirror to clean your face? No. You must > use > water and soap. The Ten Commandments show you your need, but they cannot > forgive you. Only Jesus can cleanse away our sins. Jesus promises to write > His commandments in your heart. He will help you not to sin. Pray every > day > that God will help you keep HIS COMMANDMENTS. > > 14. Why should we keep the commandments all the time? > > “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right > to > the Tree of Life, and may enter through the gates into the city” > (Revelation > 22:14, NKJV) > > The end of the world is near. You must be ready now. Learn now to obey the > rules of heaven. Then you will be ready for heaven. Get ready NOW. Soon > Jesus will come again for us. Do you love God? You show your love to Him > by > keeping His commandments. A new earth and beautiful city is ready for you. > Obey God and you will live in that land. > > Will you ask God to help you obey the commandments now? Give your heart to > Him and He will help you! > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ANSWER SHEET 11 - What Does God Want Us to Do? > > Your Name: (Fir >
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