Beth-El Baptist Church

04/22/2012

Greg Tomlinson


Why did God give us commandments?


Whether the question revolves around the character of God (Is he truly loving?) or around justice of hell (Can't God just forgive?), the issue of the commandments of God, their usefulness and existence is an important question to deal with.


  1. What do God's commandments accomplish in unbelievers?

Roman 7:7-10 Romans 3:19-20

Leviticus 4:22-27 Romans 5:12-14

Galatians 3:21-25


The purpose of the commandments of God, called the Law by Paul, is to point out the reality that every single person has sinned against God and stands condemned before God.


  1. Why is it that violating the commandments of God is considered such a horrendous crime worthy of death?

Genesis 1:26-27 Genesis 9:5-6

Exodus 19:5-6 Leviticus 11:45; 19:2; 20:26

Isaiah 66:3


Violating the commandments of God are so horrendous because they are an attack on the person of God Himself. Every human being has been created in the image and likeness of God. That means that we were designed by God to be a reflection of Him, His nature, His character. When we violate the commandments of God, we are very strongly mis-representing God. When we lie, we are representing that God is a liar. When we are very angry without cause, we are representing God to be a capricious murder who takes a life on a whim.



  1. What would be the ramifications if we did not have commandments from God?

Judges 21:25 Genesis 3:5

Matthew 12:36 Romans 14:11-12

2 Corinthians 10:12 Luke 18:18-20

Proverbs 20:6


Without the commandments of God, man would be in a position to decide for himself what is good and what is wicked. His analysis would generally be based upon his view of his own goodness and thus compare others with himself and others. Without the commandments of God, there would be no way to actually hold one another guilty or innocent of any crime. The crime of murder for example would simply spring out of localized conventions or personal opinion. Murder would then be good and proper by simply deciding to deem it such. With the commandments of God, we have a proper measurement of what is good and what is wicked – the person and character of God is the definition of goodness.



  1. What should God's commandments accomplish in believers?

1 John 5:3-4 Galatians 6:1-3

Ephesians 4:32 1 John 2:1-3


The commandments of God should accomplish a new set of priorities and goals for the believer. He desires to obey the commandments of God in order to seek to become more like Him. The commandments of God also provide a basis for one man to forgive another since he understands the greatness of his own guilt before God and the reality that just as God forgave him, he is able to forgive another. The commandments of God draw us to seek to live as Christ would have us live.