Command 44 : Keep My Commandments | Day 303

Gain Rewards From Commands!

On August 17, 1896, George Carmack and Skookum Jim Mason made a discovery that would send shock waves around the world. Tens of thousands of men dropped what they were doing, grabbed a few personal belongings, and rushed off to the Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada. Of the prospectors who began the rugged trip, relatively few finished the journey. Many died along the way as a result of exposure to the bitter cold, hunger, or disease, yet the stampede continued until Dawson City became an "overnight" town of more than 30,000! Many made great sacrifices; however, few actually "struck it rich" in the Klondike Gold Rush.

In contrast, God says that His commands should be desired more "than gold, yea, than much fine gold" (Psalm 19:10) and that all those who discover them will gain true riches that will never be lost.

“... Let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Proverbs 3:1-2).

The great treasure of keeping Christ's commands before our eyes is making the discovery of Who Christ is. This was the one consuming goal of Paul's life: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10).

Christ's commands express His true nature, which is love. All of His commands are precise and practical expressions of how to love God and others. Thus, Jesus promises, “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).

Love is the most powerful force on earth. It is even greater than faith and hope (see I Corinthians 13:13). If we keep Christ's commands, God promises to reward us with love in four important ways:

1. God the Father will love us. (See John 14:23.)
2. Jesus will love us. (See John 14:21.)
3. God will complete His love in us. (See I John 2:5.)
4. God will love others through us. (See I John 5:2.)

In addition to knowing God and experiencing His incredible love, we gain the further benefit of having our prayers answered: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). John also wrote: “Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (I John 3:22).

Christ's commands are practical applications of God's Law. As we meditate on them and live them out in our lives, they will result in good success. (See Joshua 1:8.)

The IBLP ministry is a testimony of God's rewarding a focus on His commands. The Basic Seminar and the Advanced Training Institute curriculum are filled with many of Christ's commands. Let's continue to let God demonstrate His rewards to the world by keeping Christ's commands.