“The law of God, being a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, must forever endure ‘as a faithful witness in heaven. ‘Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. . . . ‘For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” “All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever’ (Psalms 119:89; 111:7, 8).”1

The character of God is love.

“God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is the outflow of unselfish love.

‘His glory is His children’s good;

His joy, His tender Fatherhood.’

“He tells us to be perfect as He is, in the same manner. We are to be centers of light and blessing to our little circle, even as He is to the universe. We have nothing of ourselves, but the light of His love shines upon us, and we are to reflect its brightness. ‘In His borrowed goodness good,’ we may be perfect in our sphere, even as God is perfect in His.

“Jesus said, Be perfect as your Father is perfect. If you are the children of God you are partakers of His nature, and you cannot but be like Him. Every child lives by the life of his father. If you are God’s children, begotten by His Spirit, you live by the life of God. In Christ dwells ‘all the fullness of the Godhead bodily’ (Colossians 2:9); and the life of Jesus is made manifest ‘in our mortal flesh’ (2 Corinthians 4:11). That life in you will produce the same character and manifest the same works as it did in Him. Thus you will be in harmony with every precept of His law; for ‘the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul’ (Psalm 19:7, margin). Through love ‘the righteousness of the law’ will be ‘fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit’ (Romans 8:4).”2

The ten commandment law is God’s character in written form. It is written so that we can understand it, and that Jesus came to show us what the law looked like when made up in human form. We can see that God’s character can never change, and neither can His law, for it is His character in human language.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The love of Jesus in the soul will banish all desire to worship idols. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37, 38). When we seriously consider this, we should allow no separation of our affection towards God. Our supreme delight should be in Him.

The first four commandments encompass love to God; and Him only are we to serve. “Man is forbidden to give to any other object the first place in his affections or his service. Whatever we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, of that do we make a god.”3

When loving God supremely, graven images will have no place in our heart. Our eyes will not rest upon outward shrines. We will not choose to lust after riches, fame, pleasure, or pleasing fables that permit one to follow the inclinations of the unregenerated heart. We will not have a wrong conception of God and His attributes, which so many have and are truly serving a false god as were the worshipers of Baal.

“The prevailing spirit of our time is one of infidelity and apostasy - a spirit of avowed illumination because of a knowledge of truth, but in reality of the blindest presumption. Human theories are exalted and placed where God and His law should be. Satan tempts men and women to disobey, with the promise that in disobedience they will find liberty and freedom that will make them as gods. There is seen a spirit of opposition to the plain word of God, of idolatrous exaltation of human wisdom above divine revelation. Men have allowed their minds to become so darkened and confused by conformity to worldly customs and influences that they seem to have lost all power to discriminate between light and darkness, truth and error.”4

When the love of God moves upon the heart, we will love to talk of Him and talk about Him to others. Our thoughts would be upon heavenly things. We will love to hold conversations that give reverence to God.

God forbids us to use His name “in a light or careless manner, without regard to its awful significance. By the thoughtless mention of God in common conversation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him. ‘Holy and reverend is His name’ (Psalm 111:9). All should meditate upon His majesty, His purity and holiness, that the heart may be impressed with a sense of His exalted character; and His holy name should be uttered with reverence and solemnity.”5

When we pray in Christ’s name, “it means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works.”6

Love to God means to be loyal to Him. The Lord says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 20:8-10). God loves us so much that He has given us the Sabbath to come aside to be with Him. Resting from the toil of the week, He speaks to our hearts, saying, “Come ye yourselves apart . . . and rest a while.” “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mark 6:31; Matthew 11:28).

When we have love for God, we will honor the Sabbath. We will avoid doing things our own way, finding our own pleasure or speaking our own words. “Of the Sabbath, God said, Ye shall not defile it, but keep it holy. ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ (Exodus 20:8). As the tree of knowledge was the test of Adam’s obedience, so the fourth command is the test that God has given to prove the loyalty of all His people. The experience of Adam is to be a warning to us so long as time shall last. It warns us not to receive any assurance from the mouth of men or of angels that will detract one jot or tittle from the sacred law of Jehovah.”7

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14). “On the assurance of the love of God toward us, Jesus enjoins love to one another, in one comprehensive principle covering all the relations of human fellowship.”8

To show love to our neighbor we are to “owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

When we consider our neighbors, we need to regard how we can help them, or how much we can give. “The standard of our obligation to others is found in what we ourselves would regard as their obligation to us.”9

When we see our neighbors in need of clothing, we are to clothe them; when sick, to visit them; in prison, to go to them. When standing before the Lord at the great Judgment Day, “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:37-40).

“In your association with others, put yourself in their place. Enter into their feelings, their difficulties, their disappointments, their joys, and their sorrows. Identify yourself with them, and then do to them as, were you to exchange places with them, you would wish them to deal with you. This is the true rule of honesty. It is another expression of the law. ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Matthew 22:39). And it is the substance of the teaching of the prophets. It is a principle of heaven, and will be developed in all who are fitted for its holy companionship.”10

When speaking to others, we should be very selective of our words, not to injure or to hurt a soul, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). For by injuring others we injure Christ, our Redeemer, as well as ourselves.

“When you decide that as Christians you are not required to restrain your thoughts and feelings you are brought under the influence of evil angels and invite their presence and their control.”11

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“When the mind is drawn to the cross of Calvary, Christ by imperfect sight is discerned on the shameful cross. Why did He die? In consequence of sin. What is sin? The transgression of the law. Then the eyes are open to see the character of sin. The law is broken but cannot pardon the transgressor. It is our schoolmaster, condemning to punishment. Where is the remedy? The law drives us to Christ, who was hanged upon the cross that He might be able to impart His righteousness to fallen, sinful man and thus present men to His Father in His righteous character.”12

In love for us, Christ died so that we might live in perfect obedience to His law.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

“Our duty to obey this law is to be the burden of the last message of mercy to the world. God’s law is not a new thing. It is not holiness created, but holiness made known. It is a code of principles expressing mercy, goodness, and love. It presents to fallen humanity the character of God, and states plainly the whole duty of man.”13

Christ said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai’s mount were the revelation of the character of God, and made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage. That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise. ‘This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan.’ There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO, and Live.”14

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).

What a wonderful promise. Don’t you want to enter in through the gates of Heaven? Jesus waits to welcome you with open arms, saying, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:23). Will you open your heart to God, and allow Him to work in you “to will and to do of his good pleasure,” for Jesus said “without me ye can do nothing” (Philippians 2:13; John 15:5)? Give your heart to God today, so that He can help you keep His commandments, that you may have right to the tree of life.

May God help us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. This is my heart’s desire and prayer for all of us.