Why God's Command Matters for Believers Today

What is God's command?

In Scripture, God’s commands are authoritative instructions that reveal His will and character, serving as a moral framework for His people.

A biblical 'command' (Hebrew *mitsvah*) denotes a divinely ordained directive, distinct from human legislation by its origin in God’s unchanging holiness. Exodus 20:1-17 exemplifies this, as the Decalogue presents direct divine speech: 'I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before me' (Exodus 20:2-3). These statutes are not arbitrary but reflect God’s nature and covenantal relationship with Israel.

Unlike human laws, which derive authority from societal consensus or temporal power, God’s commands carry eternal weight because they flow from His perfect justice and love. This foundational distinction underscores their role in shaping both individual righteousness and communal worship.

The Ten Commandments as a Model for God's Commands

Exodus 20:1-17 presents the Ten Commandments as the quintessential model of God’s commands, balancing reverence for His sovereignty with practical guidance for communal living.

The Decalogue opens with a divine prologue (Exodus 20:2) that grounds the commands in God’s redemptive act, establishing their authority as covenantal obligations. The first four commandments focus on vertical relationships, demanding exclusive devotion to Yahweh (20:3-11), while the last six address horizontal obligations, structuring ethical conduct toward others (20:12-17). This duality reflects God’s character: His jealousy for worship (20:5) mirrors His commitment to justice (20:13-16). By embedding moral imperatives within a covenant framework, the commandments reveal divine holiness as both transcendent and relational.

The theological weight of these commands lies in their inseparable connection to God’s self-revelation. When He declares, 'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain' (20:7), or mandates Sabbath rest (20:8-11), He simultaneously defines righteousness and models His own faithfulness to His people. These statutes are not external constraints but reflections of His nature as both Creator and Redeemer.

Though given to ancient Israel, the commandments’ moral core transcends cultural context, addressing universal human responsibilities. Their enduring relevance stems from their ability to diagnose the heart’s orientation toward God and neighbor, a diagnostic still vital for ethical discernment. This dual focus prepares readers to consider how God’s commands shape both worship and social justice, a theme warranting deeper exploration in subsequent analysis.

God's Commands and the Covenant Relationship

God's commands are deeply rooted in His covenantal relationship with Israel, reflecting both His character and His redemptive purposes.

In Exodus 20:2-3, God begins the Decalogue by declaring, 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery,' anchoring the commandments in His act of deliverance. This covenantal context reveals that obedience is not mere legalism but a response to grace - Israel's freedom shapes their duty to worship and love God exclusively. The commands, then, are relational obligations born of gratitude, not burdensome rules detached from relationship.

New Testament teachings reinforce this dynamic: Jesus reorients the law around love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39), while 1 John 5:3 clarifies, 'This is love for God: to keep his commands.' Obedience, framed by covenant grace, becomes a joyful participation in God's life - a theme that bridges to the interplay of law and gospel in Christian discipleship.

Old and New Testament Commands Compared

The New Testament reorients God's commands from covenantal statutes to principles of love, while maintaining continuity with the moral law established in the Old Testament.

Exodus 20 presents the Decalogue as direct divine speech, structuring obligations around worship and justice (Exodus 20:3-17). Jesus summarizes this in Matthew 22:37-40, declaring the law hinged on loving God and neighbor - a synthesis that preserves the Ten Commandments' essence while emphasizing their spiritual intent. This shift does not negate the OT law but reveals its deeper purpose as a reflection of God's character.

Jesus affirms the law's permanence (Matthew 5:17-18) while challenging superficial obedience, as seen in His reinterpretation of commands like 'You shall not murder' to address inner attitudes (Matthew 5:21-22). Such teachings highlight a transformation from external compliance to internal alignment with divine holiness. This continuity with transformation sets the stage for understanding how God's commands remain authoritative yet adaptable in Christian discipleship.

Why God's command Matters Today

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:17-20 clarifies that God’s commands remain foundational for ethical living, even as their fulfillment deepens through His redemptive work.

Today, these commands guide ethical decision-making by directing believers to align their choices with God’s character, shape community standards through shared commitments to justice and mercy, and anchor personal discipleship in a transformative relationship with Christ. As Jesus declares, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). This emphasizes that divine authority endures while its application becomes spiritually interiorized. This reorientation challenges modern Christians to let commands such as 'You shall not murder' (Matthew 5:21) expand into heart attitudes rather than only external actions.

Ignoring these commands risks distorting Christian identity, which is rooted in obedience as a response to grace. Yet when embraced, they cultivate a discipleship that reflects God’s holiness in both individual lives and communal witness, bridging covenantal promises to contemporary faithfulness.

Going Deeper

To deepen your understanding of God’s command, consider how specific statutes shape both personal devotion and communal ethics.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 emphasizes the importance of internalizing and teaching God’s law, while Romans 13:8-10 reorients commands around love’s transformative power. Hebrews 4:12 highlights Scripture’s living authority, challenging believers to reflect on how obedience aligns with God’s character.