Part 23 | The Only True God – What does God require of us?

By Vic Gill

Friday 25th June 2010

After about 22 weeks (6 months) or so we’ve joyfully come to the end of our Bible study series entitled ‘The Only True God.’ It has been a great blessing and privilege to learn and teach from scriptures who God is and what He is like. But it has equally been very humbling to learn that the God we serve is awesome and majestic and greatly to be feared. I feel like David when he writes in Psalm 8:

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Why me oh God? You are the awesome God, majestic in holiness and awesome in glory; why would you be mindful of a vile sinner like me?

Each Bible study has been very deliberately doctrinally and theologically based. By God’s grace we have laboured to teach as Titus would call it “the doctrine of God our Saviour.” In learning more about the Lord God and His attributes, we have also explored the glorious doctrines of propitiation, justification, imputation, grace, repentance, faith, incarnation and creation.

However, I don’t want to be the type of Christian that just learns the correct doctrines and theological positions, I want to live them as well. I like the strap line the Grace Baptist Partnership uses “Preaching the Doctrines of Grace, living the Doctrine of Grace.” I believe it would all be in vain if you sat here under the teaching of God’s unadulterated Word for 6 months and went out of the door unchanged. We want to see some of you broken in Godly repentance. We want to see some of you growing in faith towards God. We want to see some of you quake and tremble before His awesome presence. I am also conscious of the fact that there are many good books which we could have individually bought about the attributes of God. It would have been easier for me to have bought them for you, give you each a copy and told you to learn and study the attributes of God. But thus says God’s Word:

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17)

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The study of God’s Word and the public preaching and reading of it is ordained by God for the life of the Church.

One of the hallmarks/characteristics that you will see in a person who has experienced the new birth is seeking ways to please the Lord. The person who has received the benefits and joys of salvation will always desire to render something back to the Lord. Just like David in Psalm 116:12 “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?”

So, what says God’s precious Word about how we ought to live in the context of God’s character? What should we do with all this knowledge about God’s attributes? What does God require from us? What is the responsibility of the Christian before the Lord after having learnt such truths about His divine nature and works? We cannot just walk out of these Bible studies each week indifferent to the Lord and act as if there are no ramifications. I have been praying to the Lord to give me more of a pastoral heart and God has reminded me to give truth and encouragements, but also warning to each and everyone as well. “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. (Luke 12:48). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 5:10).

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. (Deutoronomy 10:12-14)

1. Fear the Lord your God

You must fear God. God requires this from you. This is not scare tactics from the pulpit. I’ve often heard preachers and pastors putting the fear of man into the heart of Christ’s sheep. They use scare tactics to keep people in their Church and then call it ‘reverential fear.’ No beloved, before you fear anyone or person, you ought to fear God. This is not a Church requirement; this is not a denominational requirement, this is Almighty God’s requirement from you. You must walk in fear before a holy God who is so big that the earth trembles and mountains melt like wax before His presence. Jesus said “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:5).

Remember that God is holy. This holiness ought to make you fear and tremble before you do something you ought to fear and tremble before you do anything which you know may displease the Lord or bring disgrace to the Gospel. Your testimony before all peoples should show a fear and reverence towards your Creator. Let people see that you fear God in your decision making. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. I think a study of the life of Joseph will also do you good.

2. Walk in all His ways

God’s actions are always in accordance with who He is. He will not deny Himself. Therefore, His ways match His attributes. Beloved in Christ, God requires us to walk in His ways. This is not optional; God requires obedience from those who name the name of Jesus. Jesus said “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14) “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19).

There are so many people who are deceived into believing they are Christian when in fact they have never experienced the new birth. They reject walking in God’s ways, deny their cross but yet believe they are saved. Many live just like the world but have been told they are saved because they said a prayer many years ago or because they attend Church. One of the sure ways to know you are saved is to test whether you are walking in God’s ways and rejoicing in it.

There are two roads everyone is walking. Both roads go in the same direction but lead to different destinations. One road is God’s way; the other way is your way. God’s way is narrow; full of trouble and hard, but leads to eternal life and heaven. Your way without God will be easy, and wide but will lead to destruction, death and an eternity in hell.

3. Love Him

Jesus said “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15) A love for God is demonstrated in walking with God and keeping His commandments. Remember God not only said He loved us; be He actually demonstrated it to by sending Jesus to die in our place on the cross. Loving God is desiring God. It is to place our affections in God.

I want you to remember something. God is not dependent on anything. He does not need your love. Remember, God is love. He is the source and fountain of love and is never short of it. But He desires to love you and desires for you to love Him. He invites you in to the privilege of a loving relationship with the triune God. James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Our love for God is demonstrated through our worship of Him, our praise of Him, our time spent with Him and our acts towards Him. How do you think your children would feel if you said you loved them but never displayed love towards them? Or how do you think your wife would feel if you said you loved her but never showed affection towards her?

How do you love your children, partners, friends or parents? You spend time with them. You cuddle them. You talk with them. You get involved in their lives and their plans. You make yourself available to them.

4. Serve the Lord your God

God is our Master. He has redeemed us by paying the price for our sin. We belong to God our King. God requires us to serve Him. You cannot wriggle out of serving God by saying that duty belongs t evangelists, pastors, teachers, preachers, vicars or deacons. You as an individual Christian have been called by God to serve Him. 1 Peter 2:5 says “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” You do not have to wait for priests to serve God; you are called a royal priesthood so that you can offer worship, praise and sacrifices to God. Our service to God is exemplified through care and service to one another. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Serving God is not just done in the private boundaries of our own comfort. We have to be prepared to be taken out of our comfort zone to serve the Lord. I have learnt that you can best serve God through the fellowship of a local Church and a body of likeminded believers who above all seek the glory of God. Don’t try to do it alone beloved, you weren’t meant to.

Jesus said “For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:42-45).

In his book 70 X 7, The Freedom of Forgiveness, David Ugsberger tells of General William Booth, the founder of the salvation Army, who had lost his eyesight. His son Bramwell was given the difficult task of telling his father there would be no recovery. “Do you mean that I am blind?” the General asked. “I hear we must contemplate that,” his son replied. The father continued,”I shall never see your face again?” “No, probably not in this world.” “Bramwell,” said General Booth, “I have done what I could for God and for His people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God without my eyes.”

If you are going to serve the Lord, do it with all your might or don’t do it at all. Don’t make excuses or look for the easy way out. I have always been very strong on the discipline that if you are to start something, you must finish it. And if you are to start something, do it with all your heart, otherwise don’t touch it. You’ll only do a half hearted job. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” Jesus said “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” Luke 9:62).

5. Keep the Commandments

God requires us to keep His commandments. Not the 613 mitzvot (commandments) that the Jews keep to try to earn salvation, but the commandments which perfect the free gift of salvation given to us. Jesus said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 22:36-40).

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:9-10).

Conclusion

These 5 points are enjoyed in knowing how big God is. You must get a big view of the glory of God’s power and awesomeness. He is huge. He envelops and swallows up the whole of the universe in His sheer presence. Verse 14 quickly reminds us of this truth and when we obey these 5 points in the context of God’s glory, they become to us pleasure and joy.

Let me conclude with this final story which serves as a warning as opposed to anything else. It is easy to become vain, puffed up and full of pride in seeing a measure of victory of these 5 points in your life. But let me share a story with you of how our hearts ought to remain before God and men.

A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.

Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.

When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never know by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret. Perhaps the episode is a vital insight into why God used D. L. Moody as He did. He was a man with a servant’s heart and that was the basis of his true greatness.

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