The Daily Word of Righteousness

Total Destruction, #10

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9—NIV)

One of the most important aspects of gaining the total destruction of the enemy is that of keeping God's commands. There are numerous commands found in the New Testament that have been issued by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. However, contemporary theology has manufactured reasons why these commands do not need to be kept or cannot be kept—sometimes, should not be kept.

Here is the massive error of contemporary Christian theology—to insist God loves us and receives us even though we do not keep His commandments. But it is not possible to gain total victory over the enemy until we keep God's commandments. Because God has given us grace through Jesus Christ does not mean we do not have to keep Christ's commandments, it means we do not have to keep the Law of Moses. Grace always teaches and helps us live righteously. When it does not it is not the grace of God.

But those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. (Deuteronomy 7:10—NIV)

There has been an overemphasis on the goodness of God and a neglect of the severity of God. We have the expression today "God's unconditional love." God's love always has been conditioned on man's response.

"Those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction."

God has not changed. Christ has not changed. The present overemphasis on God's love, ignoring as it does the bulk of the Scriptures, springs from the soul of man, from man's love for himself. It is not of the Spirit of God and it leads to sin.

It is true that God has endless patience with us, and when we truly repent God receives us. But we always reap what we sow, for this is an unchangeable Kingdom law and is not affected by mercy, love, or grace.

Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today. If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. (Deuteronomy 7:11-13—NIV)

All of these blessings were dependent on the Israelite being careful to obey the commandments God had given. The same is true today. If we love Christ we will keep His commandments. Only then will God bless us. To teach otherwise is to bring one's self and his hearers to destruction.

You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. (Deuteronomy 7:14,15—NIV)

To be continued.