The Spirit is given to convict us sin- breaking the law of God, but we are not given the Spirit to dwell with us initially, we have to make the decision we love God and want to serve Him, that we will keep God's commandments before the Spirit is given to dwell with us. If we have a harden heart the Spirit has nothing to work on and will not force Himself on us. The Spirit enables us to keep the commandments, but we first have to hear His voice calling on us and not harden our heart to to will of God.
Why there is a
IF here- its conditional. So if we are arguing about His commandments chances are - we are allowing our own heart to deceive us. Jer 17:9
John 14:15 “If you
love Me, keep My commandments. 16
And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Acts 5: 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is
the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
John15"10
If you keep
My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
The commandments of God are not arbitrary laws- they are written out plainly by God Himself Exo31:18 so if we are debating against keeping them, we are not walking in His Spirit, but walking in our own desires but professing the name of God. This essentially breaks the commandment to not vain God's name- professing Christian while living for another because the voice of God who calls us to be His servant Isa56:6 we are not subjecting oneself to His voice, but serving another of the one we are obeying,
So calling people "legalist" because we love God and want to obey Him on His terms is human judgment which means nothing, I would be more concerned what this is really saying about ourself.
Rom 8: 7 Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God;
for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
This is the test of knowing Him
The Test of Knowing Him- if we are not keeping the commandments of God- His version,
1John2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him,
if we keep His commandments. 4
He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
God invites everyone to join themselves to Him and serve Him. The invitation is open for everyone - all are called, few are chosen because many do not like the conditions- they want to serve the Lord on their own terms and not God's. Whoever we obey is who we serve, why Jesus said many will say LORD LORD but He won't know them.
Isa 56:1
Thus says the LORD:
Isa 56:6
“Also the sons of the foreigner (Gentiles)
Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant
Psa 89:14 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
Lets not be deceived out of our inheritance like those who came before us. Eze20:15-16 Heb3:7-19 Heb4:11
