As followers of God, there are things we have to comply with in order to walk in the light. Through the centuries, God has preserved His word for those with the desire to learn more about Him and His will. Thus, we have commands of God. One can hear objections from modernists who claim that commands are not important, that we are to concern ourselves with love and mercy. While I agree that love and mercy are very important to one’s relationship with God and fellow man, to dismiss commands would be to dismiss Scripture.
Consider the many examples of commands in the Old Testament. The first recorded command the Lord gave to man is in Genesis 2:16 where He told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Other examples of God’s commands are when He told Abraham to go into a different country, Noah to build an ark, and there are many more.
Commands in the New Testament are numerous. We are told to “love” (John 13:34), we are told to “not love” (I John 2:15). We are told several times to “pray” (James 5:16 & Matt. 5:44). We are told to “prove” (I Thess. 5:21), and “rejoice” (Matt 5:12). There are commands to “put away,” “put off,” and “put on.” There are over 1,000 commands in the New Testament; all provide a way for God’s will to be carried out in our lives.
Paul’s teaching in First Corinthians 16:1-2 says, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”
How can one reject the commands of the Bible and not reject God? John 14:15 reads, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”