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Pictures of God’s Purposes in Salvation
Is Obeying God Is Not Too Hard
Introduction: There is nearly a universal belief among Americans that having a pleasant after-life depends on being a good person and doing good deeds. These same people would admit that no one is perfect, but God’s principle is that he saves good people. Who could possibly imagine it any other way? God certainly wouldn’t condemn good people!
Paul addresses this issue in two texts, Galatians 3 and Romans 10. However, both texts often leave the 21st century reader confused and doubtful about God’s purpose in our salvation. Even we as Christians are at least a little confused on how our personal goodness factors in to our salvation. Let’s look.
Galatians 3:10-12
Paul was writing to Gentile Christians who were being influenced to follow the basic principles of Judaism as revealed in the Law of Moses. You will notice a foundational principle concerning being justified or saved: those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. Paul quotes two OT texts to prove his point:
Deuteronomy 26:27 “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
Leviticus 18:5 “You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them.”
This principle of being under a curse is critical for present day Bible students and today’s culture to understand. We simply cannot bring someone to Christ until they get this.
When we look at this principle from the OT contexts, it brings up a challenging dilemma. God insisted that the people obey the Law if they wanted to live. The Leviticus passage insists on keeping the rules because by doing them a person would live by them. The Deuteronomy text more clearly explains a person’s hopeless condition by saying whoever does not abide by all things and do them is cursed.
We have easily felt that same dilemma in our lives. We have grown up reading passages in both Old and New Testaments that insist on obedience while feeling the threat of condemnation if we do not obey. Just as with the Jews, we are hard-pressed to find some relief to what seems to be a contradictory and impossible condition.
The Jew simply solved the problem similar to our culture’s solution: we assume God will overlook the violation of some commands as long as what we consider the more important laws are followed (Matt. 5:19-48). But we know that solution is not biblical. Who among us doesn’t think that way, at least a little bit? We just “hope” God won’t be too strict on us!
Unfortunately, we think we have solved the problem by simply reading verse 13, that Christ has become a curse for us, and conclude all is well. But without the OT context, that answer is too simplistic.
We Are Cursed: Deuteronomy 27-30
27:14-26 Just imagine entering the Promised Land with high hopes of a life of peace and rest as God provides all that ever could be desired in a life on earth. But before even one Canaanite is driven from the land and before one vineyard and olive garden has been harvested, God says, “Oh by the way, I want the Levites to shout out how I will bless you if you obey but curse you if you do not obey.” Of course, we might think, “That’s fine. We are certainly going to obey.” But then you hear the curses!
In fact, as we read the curses, we are all happy to say “Amen!” at the end of each curse. You get the feeling that the Lord is picking the worst, most disgusting sins to highlight why a curse is so deserved.
But just as the people are getting in the habit of saying, “Amen,” God inserts the last curse (26): “Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.” And then notice the final words: “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ In other words, YOU ARE CURSED!
And remember, Paul quotes this text to say we all are cursed!
To further emphasize this terrible thought, chapter 28 has 68 verses. Fifty-four of these verses are curses if they do not obey. And, by the way, the curses are horrific! They are earthly pictures of an eternal hell; pictures of what it looks like when God is not dwelling in our midst. The Lord is making it very clear, you do not want me to depart from your midst! You do not want to be cursed!
29:18-20 adds to the warning reminding Israel that any person who somehow thinks they will be safe from God’s wrath when they walk stubbornly, will be blotted out from under heaven.
30:1-10 This chapter begins with a shocking statement: “When all these things come upon you…and you call them to mind in the all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you…” Now Moses is really getting depressing. He had said, “If you disobey…”, but now he is telling them that all the curses for disobedience will come upon them
Fortunately, Moses gives them hope. If they will turn their hearts toward him, the Lord would restore their fortunes.
In fact, lest they would doubt how this could happen when they have been clearly a failure and cursed, verse 6 tells us that God would come to the rescue and circumcise their hearts so that they would love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. In other words, that is impossible by your own strength, so the Lord would make it happen.
30:11-14 gives us the details of how this would happen and finally hope that they and us can be blessed and not cursed.
After all that we have seen in the previous verses, verse 11 is a shocking statement: “The commandment is not too hard for you…” We would reply, “But how can that be? We just said ‘Amen’ to being cursed if we do not obey all that is found in the book of the law.”
But the Lord goes on to illustrate that his law actually can be obeyed. It isn’t far off, in heaven so that it must be brought down, or over the sea, making it impossible to reach it. In fact, the word is actually very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
In verses 15-16, God actually calls on them to choose to obey so that they can have life. Notice that there is an emphasis on obeying, but there is also an emphasis that obeying is not too hard. How do we reconcile this?
It Is Not Too Hard: Romans 10:5-13
After reading Deuteronomy, we will be able to understand the answer to our dilemma as Paul explains these texts we have been reading.
Vs. 5 Paul first reminds us of the curse. Righteousness based on “Law” requires a person to do all the commandments and “live” by whether all commandments have been obeyed.
Vs. 6-8 Paul then contrasts righteousness based on Law with righteousness based on faith. This is where Paul references two passages:
First, there are the words, “Do not say in your heart…” That comes from Deut. 9:4, “Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land…’” The purpose of this quote is to remind the reader that God’s blessings do not come because of one’s own morally righteous life.
Paul then adds the words of Deut. 30:11-14. We now know how God would make it possible for everyone to obey and be righteous. It is not too hard and not necessary to go up to heaven or across the sea (things impossible for a human), because God has done the impossible through Christ.
As Paul explains, since Christ has brought the word near to us, we can do it. Notice that the “word” is called the “word of faith,” which is a contrast to righteousness by law or works. So what is required? The opposite of righteousness by works. If we confess our complete trust in the Lord Jesus and we believe (in his way of saving us – forgiveness through Christ – you will be saved. Obeying Jesus will not be too hard!
Now lest anyone thinks that confessing and believing does not include obedience, remember the words in Deuteronomy: “the word is near you that you can do it!” God has not lifted the requirement to obey.
In fact, verses 16-17 clearly equate belief with obedience, and Paul begins and ends his letter with his purpose: “to bring about the obedience of faith to all nations.”
Conclusion: Where does this leave us?
First, and foremost, the whole reason the Lord wrote Deuteronomy 30 was to encourage and challenge Israel to obey! The Lord’s message was that even though you are in an impossible situation in which you are under a curse by not obeying every part of the Law, I have taken what is impossible and made it possible. Therefore, “The word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” – The assurance of hope!
You will notice those words “mouth” and “heart” (30:14). Paul emphasized those same words in confessing and believing. From the Deuteronomy text we can clearly see that God is asking us to devote full allegiance to him with both our mouth and our heart. When we devote our full allegiance both in our confession of him and our whole heart…what were those last words? – YOU CAN DO IT! Obedience to Christ was the reason for Romans 10!
What a beautiful picture for us. The command to obey is still urgent and absolutely necessary, but on the other hand, God said, “It is not too hard for you, neither is it far off…it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. And the reason is, “Christ became a curse for us by [undeservedly] hanging on a tree.”
So, let’s have hope and confidence that we can serve the Lord acceptably. And by all means, let us obey him!