KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS (5)

THE HOLY SPIRIT ENABLES OBEDIENCEOne of the glorious truths of the New Covenant is that God never commands us without also empowering us. Under the Old Covenant, people often knew God's commands but lacked the inward power to fulfil them consistently. Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer.Ezekiel prophesied, "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes" (Ezekiel 36:27).Notice the phrase, "I will cause you.” The Holy Spirit works within us, producing both the desire and the ability to obey.Paul echoes this in Philippians 2:13: "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."Obedience is therefore not self-effort. It is Spirit-enabled cooperation.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSHow do we keep God's commandments in daily life?1. Read God's Word Daily: You cannot obey what you do not know. Daily exposure to Scripture renews the mind.2. Meditate on His Word: Move beyond reading.- Reflect- Pray- MemorizeAllow the Word to shape your thinking.3. Obey Promptly: Delayed obedience often becomes disobedience. Immediate obedience strengthens spiritual sensitivity.4. Practice Small Acts of Faithfulness: Great obedience is built upon countless small decisions.- Speak kindly- Forgive quickly- Pray consistently- Serve joyfully- Honour commitmentsFaithfulness in little prepares us for greater responsibilities.5. Depend Upon the Holy Spirit: Never attempt obedience apart from God's grace. Begin every day by praying,“Give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation from you, and strengthen me with might by the Holy Spirit in my inner man. Thank you, Father, in Jesus’ name."An Illustration from AviationCommercial pilots rely upon detailed checklists before every flight. Even highly experienced captains never say, "I've flown for thirty years. I don't need the checklist.” Why? Because discipline preserves life. The checklist protects both the pilot and every passenger. Likewise, God's commandments are Heaven's checklist for life. They are not given because He distrusts us. They are given because He loves us.LIVING TO FINISH WELLThe goal of obedience is not merely avoiding judgment. It is finishing our race.Paul could confidently declare, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."Notice the connection. He kept the faith. Therefore, he finished the race. A lifetime of faithful obedience prepared him to complete his assignment. That should be every believer's desire.- Not simply to begin well- Not merely to survive- But to finish faithfullyCONCLUSIONKeep God's commandments. His commandments are not chains that imprison us. They are pathways that preserve us. They protect our hearts, guard our relationships, shape our character, and position us to enjoy the fullness of His covenant blessings.As we walk in loving obedience, we discover that God's commands never diminish life – they enrich it. They lead us into the peace, wisdom, and fruitfulness that characterise a life lived in fellowship with Christ.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

守神的诫命 (五)

圣灵使我们能够顺服新约的其中一个荣耀真理是：神给我们颁布诫命的同时，也必赐下力量使我们能够遵行。在旧约之下，人往往知晓神的诫命，却缺少内里的力量去持续践行。而在新约下，圣灵住在每一个信徒的里面。以西结预言：“我必将我的灵放在你们里面，使你们顺从我的律例。”（以西结书 36:27）注意“使你们”这个表述。圣灵在我们里面动工，既使我们生出顺服的渴慕，也赐给我们顺服的能力。保罗在腓立比书2:13中也说：“因为你们立志行事，都是神在你们心里运行，为要成就祂的美意。”因此，顺服并非依靠自我努力，而是靠着圣灵加给你力量，让你可以与神同工。实际的应用我们要怎么在日常生活中遵守神的诫命呢？1. 每天阅读神的话：你不能遵守你不知道的事。每天读经能更新你的心思意念。2. 默想神的话：比阅读更进一步- 反思- 祷告- 背诵让神的话来重塑你的思维。3. 立刻顺服：延迟的顺服往往会演变成不顺服。立刻遵行才能增强你的属灵敏锐度。4. 在小事上操练忠心：极大的顺服是建立在无数微小的决定上。- 善意地说话- 快快地饶恕- 持续地祷告- 喜乐地事奉- 信守承诺在小事上忠心，能预备我们承担更大的责任。5. 依靠圣灵：绝不要脱离神的恩典，试图凭自己去顺服。每早晨都以这个祷告开始新的一天：“求你赐下智慧与启示的灵，藉着圣灵使我心里的人刚强。感谢天父，奉耶稣之名。”取自航空领域的一个比方民航飞行员每次起飞前，都要依照详尽的检查清单逐项核对。即便是经验丰富的机长，也绝不会说：“我已经飞行三十年，不需要检查清单了。”为什么？因为严谨的纪律保全生命。这份清单守护着飞行员与每一位乘客。同样，神的诫命就是来自天上的生命清单。颁布这些诫命并非因为神不信任我们，而是出于祂对我们的爱。跑完当跑的路顺服的目标不只是避开审判，而是跑完当跑的路程。保罗可以满怀信心地宣告：“那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了。”注意其中的关联：他守住了信心，因此跑完了路程。一生忠心的顺服使他得以完成神的托付。这也应当是每一位信徒的心愿。- 不仅是要过得好- 不是仅仅在维生- 而要忠心地完成结语你要守神的诫命。祂的诫命不是捆绑我们的锁链，而是保全我们的道路。它们保守我们的心，护卫我们的人际关系，塑造我们的品格，使我们能够领受祂约下丰盛的祝福。当我们怀着对神的爱顺服祂，就会发现神的诫命绝不会减损生命，反倒使之更丰盛。它们引导我们得着平安、智慧与累累果实，这正是与基督相交的生命所拥有的特质。张耀光牧师 新加坡信心教会请访问我们的中文播客,faithchurch.sg/牧师手札/#牧师手札 ... See MoreSee Less