WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF US?
DEUTERONOMY 10:12:
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” See also MATTHEW 22:34-40.
Introduction:
There are four things mentioned in this verse that God expects of us: to FEAR the Lord thy God; to WALK in His ways; to LOVE Him; and to SERVE Him.
In order to do these things, three parts of us are involved: the HEART, the SOUL, and the MIND. Matthew 22:37 says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
I. GOD REQUIRES US TO FEAR THE LORD.
A. The unbelieving man has no fear of God, Romans 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
1. Man does not hearken to the Word of God, Luke 11:28, “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”
a. Hearken means to hear the Word of God.
b. It does not only mean to hear, but to keep or obey the Word of God is the significance of the word.
2. Fear is a result of the preaching of the Word of God, Acts 2:43, “And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.”
B. The Fear of the Lord come on a person who realizes that they are condemned before the Lord without Jesus Christ. John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
II. GOD REQUIRES US TO WALK IN HIS WAYS.
A. When a man trust Christ as his Savior, he gives HIS WORD that he will walk in God’s ways. Deuteronomy 26:17, “Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:”
1. The word “avouched” means “to affirm” that God is your God.
2. It means “to guarantee” that you will “walk in his ways.”
B. “That it may be well with you,” Deuteronomy 5:33, “Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” Walk in the ways of the Lord…
1. …that ye may live.”
2. …that it may be well with you.”
3. …that ye prolong your days.”
III. GOD REQUIRES US TO LOVE HIM.
A. Love Him with all your heart. Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” This the physical being. You should love God with all of your physical strength.
B. Love Him with all of your soul. This is the spiritual and emotional part of man. This is the inner person that Gods see when no one else can.
C. Love Him with all of your mind. This is your understanding, all of your mental faculties and abilities.
IV. GOD REQUIRES US TO SERVE HIM.
A. God wants us to be in subjection to Him.
One who is under the control of God, Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
2. One who is lead by God, Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”
B. God wants us to work for Him. 1 Corinthians 13:9, “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
1. Faith without works is dead, James 2:18, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
2. We are His workmanship and God has plans for us, Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
CONCLUSION
What does God expect from us? He expects a fully equipped servant, who has prepared himself by worship, Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” One who has prepared himself through his love for the Lord, in the giving of himself to the Lord.