“He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.”

The person who is a stickler for doing the right thing has regard for the commandments of God. We are not normally or naturally inclined to love the law of God, but we have been changed into the likeness of Christ through faith and are therefore tuned into doing right. As Christ kept the law of God perfectly, on our behalf, so we emulate Him by keeping the commands of the Lord. The moral law in the form of the Ten Commandments is not defunct or out of practice in the daily living of our life. We are bound to keep them according to the will of God. As children of God we love His commands and seek to run in them and obey them. All rebellion has gone and we are seeking to please our Father and bring joy to Him.

“Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am the Lord.”

Leviticus 22:31

There are some who will give a carte-blanch to the bevaviour of Christian people, teaching that we are not under law but under grace. The Apostle Paul teaches us that we keep the commands of the Lord for they are the road to righteousness that we have in Christ. The Christian has the inclination and power to keep these commands and as we walk in their light we gain increasing righteousness before the Lord and become more like Him.

If we keep the commandments we remain in God and God remains in us. We know this because the Holy Spirit will be in our life and lead us in His everlasting way of holiness and righteous living. It is the Spirit within who teaches us all things and gives us the motivation to do right and the power to discipline ourselves to do right. We do not do it ourselves and can therefore take no praise for our righteousness. Righteousness is given by God and we praise Him name for giving it to us. We remain in that righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us remain in God and stay close to the goodness He looks for in our life and in all our motivations. Let us not be argumentative and recalcitrant children who always seek their own way and stubbornly refuse their Master and God. Let us eagerly pursue holiness of life and daily walk with God in all activities and thought processes.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the Lord require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8