Keep My Ten Commandsments and LIVE.

[Robert O. Sanford]

Keep the Commandments AND LIVE.

In this study, we are going to look first at the Covenant that Jesus Christ gave to His People Israel through His Holy Prophet, Moses. (John 1:17-18 NASB) " For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. {18} No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."

Jesus Christ did not come to give us the Holy Laws from the God of Israel. He came to magnify the Laws that He had given to Israel through Moses. He magnified them by teaching them to the People, and showing them how to live a Holy Life by keeping the Holy Commandments as He did. Israel had been given God's Holy Commandment in the Covenants He had given to His People to set them free from their life of sinning against Him.

(Mat 5:17-19 KJV) "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. {18} For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. {19} Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Every one who has read the Hebrew's Bible, knows this. Jesus Christ came in the flesh to make sure that every man, who would follow Him, by walking in the Truth of His WORD, and walk in the Spirit of His Law of Life, would come to know the Father as He did. To know the Father as His Son, Jesus Christ, know Him, they too would have to walk as He WALKED in the Righteousness of the Father's Holy Life.

(Mat 4:4 KJV) "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

First we will look at the First Covenant that Jesus Christ lived His whole Life under. (Gal 4:4 KJV) "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," The New Covenant given to God's People, Israel, was not SEALED until the Christ had finished giving it through Jesus. Every WORD that Christ spoke through Jesus is part of the New Covenant from God the Father. As the First, also the Last, both Covenants require one to live their life in obedience to the Laws of the God of Israel's contained in Holy teachings.

The Covenants with Israel required them to keep His Commandments or die because of their transgression of His Holy Laws. (Rom 6:23 KJV) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

(Exo 16:28-29 KJV) "And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? {29} See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." Deu 5:14 ""But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:".

(Exo 19:4-6 KJV) "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. {5} Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me

above all people: for all the earth is mine: {6} And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

Here the God of Israel requires Israel to obey His Voice and keep His Covenant to stay His Holy People.

(Exo 20:6-8 KJV) "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. {7} Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. {8} Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."

Here again, the God of Israel is selective to whom He shows mercy to. They must be keeping His Commandments. It implies that if one is not keeping His Holy Sabbath contained in the Ten Commandment Covenant, they are taking His Name in vain. (Jer 11:3 KJV) " Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,"

(Lev 18:1-5 KJV) "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {2} Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. {3} After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. {4} Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. {5} Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD."

In this scripture, the God of Israel is telling His people not to do as the Egyptians and the

Canaanites do. We are not to keep their Babylonian Holidays. The Religions of Egypt, Babylon, and Pagan Rome, all worship the Sun gods.

(Lev 18:26-30 KJV) "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: {27} (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) {28} That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. {29} For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. {30} Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God."

Here in this scripture, the people of Israel and the Strangers (Gentiles) who had joined themselves to Israel's Covenant, were told by God, to keep His statutes and judgments, so that they would not commit any of their abominations. If they did not keep God's statutes,, they were told by God that they would also be spued out of the land as the evil people before them were. Keeping Pagan customs defiles the person keeping them. The Pagan celebration of the birth of the Sun on Dec. 25, and the celebration of the Spring goddess of fertility, Easter, is another.

(Lev 19:2-4 KJV) "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. {3} Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. {4} Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God."

(Lev 20:6-8 KJV) "And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. {7} Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. {8} And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you." Be ye Holy is a New Testament Commandment given by Jesus Christ.

(1 Pet 1:15-16 KJV) "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; {16} Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." One can not be a Son of God without being Holy himself. (1 John 3:9 KJV) "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

(Lev 22:31-33 KJV) "Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. {32} Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you, {33} That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD."

To not keep God's Holy Commandments by living a life within them, and be called the People og God, is not to Hallow His Holy Name. If we do not live a Holy Life as He lives His, He cannot hollow us.

(Deu 5:8-14 KJV) "Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: {9} Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, {10} And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. {11} Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. {12} Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. {13} Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: {14} But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,---.

(1 Ki 9:4-9 KJV) "And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: {5} Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. {6} But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: {7} Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: {8} And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? {9} And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil."

(1 Ki 11:31-34 KJV) "And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: {32} (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) {33} Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. {34} Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:"

(Prov 2:17-22 KJV) "Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. {18} For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. {19} None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. {20} That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. {21} For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. {22} But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it."

(Prov 3:1-7 KJV) "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: {2} For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. {3} Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: {4} So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5} Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. {6} In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. {7} Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (John 1:17 KJV) "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

(Prov 8:32-36 KJV) "Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. {33} Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. {34} Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. {35} For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. {36} But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death."

How do we obtain everlasting life in Christ? By keeping God's commandments as our way of life, and His law as the apple of our eye. All that hate the God of Israel's Commandment LOVE DEATH.

(Ezek 20:18-22 KJV) "But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: {19} I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; {20} And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. {21} Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness. {22} Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth."

(Ezek 36:25-28 KJV) "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. {26} A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. {27} And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. {28} And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God."

Here we find in this scripture, that the promises in the New Covenant, was also given in the Old Covenant. Different words, but the same promise. (Heb 8:10 KJV) "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:"

The New Covenant.

(John 8:51 KJV) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." This is a teaching from the First Covenant. (Prov 8:35-36 KJV) " For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. {36} But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." (Prov 7:2 KJV) " Keep my commandments, and live;" (Psa 132:16-17 KJV) " I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. {17} There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

John 8:35-36 KJV) "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. {36} But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." Old Testament: (Prov 8:35-36 KJV) " For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. {36} But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death."

There is only one God of Israel, and only One Covenant given to Israel, pertaining to Life.

Better promises found in the New Covenant but the same Ten Commandments.

(John 14:11-17 KJV) "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. {12} Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. {13} And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. {14} If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. {15} If ye love me, keep my commandments. {16} And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; {17} Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

(John 14:23-24 KJV) "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. {24} He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."

Both the Old and New Covenants require a person to love the God of Israel and keep His Commandments to have the Father and Son (Christ) make their abode in them. (Col 1:27 KJV) "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles (also); which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" All the Righteous Prophets and Saints of the Old Testament had Christ dwelling in them.

(John 15:8-11 KJV) "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. {9} As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. {10} If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. {11} These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

(Mal 2:10 KJV) "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?" (Rom 3:30-31 KJV) "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. {31} Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (1 Tim 2:5-6 KJV) "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; {6} Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (Eph 4:3-6 KJV) "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {4} There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; {5} One Lord, one faith, one baptism, {6} One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Mat 19:17 KJV) "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Rev 12:17 KJV) "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev 14:12 KJV) "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

(John 14:6-7 KJV) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. {7} If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." Exo 32:8 "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them".

If the God of Israel in the First Covenant, gave Israel the WAY that they should walk in the Spirit of His Word (The Covenant), should we Gentiles who accept the Christ who gave both Covenants, follow the One who gave the Covenants to Israel?

(John 12:49-50 KJV) "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. {50} And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."

End.

robert_sanford@hotmail,com

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