What Does God Require?
The Bible gives the answer to the question: What does God require of man: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
The sacrifice of Christ was an expression of God’s love toward us when we deserved death (John 3:16). When we understand that we could never deserve such a gift, we can easily give our hearts to God in gratitude and love and also love our neighbors. The Cross brings in our hearts a deep feeling of humility and meekness toward God and man.
God’s law of love (Exodus 20:3-17) establishes a perfect basis for what God requires of His children. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34-35; 1 John 5:3). Solomon the wise summed what God requires of man thus: “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).
The keeping of the Ten Commandments is the expression of our love to God and man. Love to God makes keeping the first four commandments (which concern God, Exodus 20:1-11) a pleasure, and love toward our neighbor makes keeping the last six (which concern our neighbor, Exodus 20:12-17) a joy. The scriptures says, “Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10) by taking away the burden and by making law keeping a delight (Psalms 40:8).
Besides Micah 6:8, there are a number of other scriptures that tell us how to please God. Hebrews 11:6 shows that we need to have faith to please God. We use our faith to receive grace to obey. No man can keep God’s law by His own power. Christ imparts His pure nature to all those that accept Him by faith and He gives them the ability to walk in love ( 2 Peter 1:4).
In response to our faith, the Lord promises to write His law in our hearts “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8:10). Man can’t do good works by his own power. It is God who does the good works in man (Philippians 2:13). Man only receives God’s grace power for victory over sin by faith (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When we walk in love and obedience by God’s grace through faith, we can have the assurance that we will hear God’s voice at the second coming saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
