International Smallgroup

Bible Study: Understanding Commands, Rules, and Guidelines in Christian Living

Introduction

Living a Christian life involves understanding and adhering to various principles outlined in the Bible. These principles are often categorized as commands, rules, and guidelines. Despite their distinctions, each plays a crucial role in guiding believers towards a life that honours God.

Commands

Commands are direct instructions from God that demand obedience. They are non-negotiable and often carry significant weight in the spiritual and moral conduct of a believer. Examples of commands include the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. These commands are clear, specific, and universally applicable to all believers.

The Ten Commandments

  • You shall have no other gods before Me.
  • You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
  • You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  • Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  • Honour your father and your mother.
  • You shall not murder.
  • You shall not commit adultery.
  • You shall not steal.
  • You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
  • You shall not covet.

Commands are designed to be followed without question and reflect God’s will for humanity. They serve as the foundation for ethical and moral behaviour in the Christian life.

Rules

Rules are specific applications or extensions of God’s commands. They help believers understand how to apply the commands in various contexts and situations. While commands are broad and overarching, rules are more detailed and situational. For example, Leviticus 19 outlines various rules for holy living, such as dietary restrictions and social conduct.

Rules in the Old Testament

  • Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it (Leviticus 19:26).
  • Do not practice divination or seek omens (Leviticus 19:26).
  • Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly (Leviticus 19:32).

Rules provide clarity and guidance on how to live out God’s commands in everyday life. They are often culturally and historically specific but can offer timeless principles relevant to modern believers.

Guidelines

Guidelines are recommendations or advice on living a Christian life. Unlike commands and rules, guidelines are not mandatory but offer wisdom and encouragement for spiritual growth. They help believers make decisions that align with Christian values and principles. For instance, Paul’s epistles contain numerous guidelines for Christian living, such as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Guidelines from Paul’s Epistles

  • Love one another deeply, from the heart (1 Peter 1:22).
  • Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10).
  • Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Guidelines are flexible and adaptable to individual circumstances. They encourage believers to seek God’s wisdom and discernment in their daily choices, promoting a life that reflects Christ’s love and righteousness.

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between commands, rules, and guidelines is essential for living a faithful Christian life. Commands are absolute instructions from God, rules provide practical applications of these commands, and guidelines offer wisdom for everyday living. By adhering to commands, following rules, and considering guidelines, believers can cultivate a life that honours God and embodies His principles.

New Testament principles (Guidelines)

If you’ve ever purchased a car, you’ve seen the owner’s manual. It’s the book that tells you about the “non-negotiables” for maintaining the car. These are things like changing the oil, filling the tank with gasoline, topping off the transmission fluid, and having tires with adequate tread. We spend a lot of time making sure these non-negotiables are done so that when we get in the car, it runs properly.

The same principle is true for the life of a believer. We must spend time on the non-negotiables so that our lives may glorify God. But what are the non-negotiables? They must be defined in order to maintain and fulfill them. In seeking the Lord, I have discovered what I believe to be 7 non-negotiables for life. Each principle is centered on the Lord, bringing the glory to Him alone, and the fulfillment of each is essential to the healthy Christian life.

1. Seek God, not sin. Amos 5:4   This is what the Lord says to Israel:“Seek me and live;

God is the life-giver. We will find life in no other. But as sinful creatures, our hearts are naturally prone to wander from our Creator. Our souls were made to pursue God, know God, and walk with God – nothing else. It’s only as we pursue Him that we live. In the book of Amos, God tries over and over again to get the attention of His people. He allows them to experience famine, drought, and pestilence and yet, as God says in Amos 4:11, “you have not returned to me.” But Amos 5:4 reminds us of where life is found. God says, “Seek me that you may live.” These words should get our attention. We will only find life in seeking Him.

2. Fear God, not men. Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Our God is holy and is the Lord God Almighty. When I think of the power He holds, I can’t help but fear Him and hold Him in reverential awe. Do you care more about what men think of you than God? Then learn to fear God, and you will be preoccupied in walking in His presence, not wondering what other people think of you. You will begin to live your life in light of eternity, and the temporal views of men won’t matter anymore.

The fear of the Lord also keeps us from evil and sin. A.W. Tozer writes, “It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate.” When we lose the fear of God and don’t respect Him and His commandments, we are going to live our lives without accountability to God and one another, which is the cause of a number of sins.

3. Love God, not the world. 1 John 2:15-17  Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

What is the object of your affections? Power? Recognition? Hobbies? Not too long ago, I visited an unbelievable house, and as I walked around it, for just a moment my thought was, “I could have had a house like this.” But I was reminded that a house is not what life is all about. The world is seeking to seduce us into a love affair, but we must love God and be preoccupied with pleasing Him alone.

4. Believe God, not the deceiver. John 8:44 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

In 1938 a man in Long Island ordered a very expensive weather barometer. He unwrapped it and realized that the arrow that was supposed to reflect the weather he was experiencing was stuck at the bottom, pointing at “Hurricane.” So he slammed it down a few times, and when it didn’t respond, he wrote a hot letter to the manufacturer and mailed it off on the way to work. When he came home, he found that a hurricane had hit, and everything was gone.

As believers, sometimes we don’t want to believe the truth. When life and Scripture collide, which one do you believe and trust? The deceiver wants us to believe the lie. Will you believe God? The Scriptures tell us that without faith it is impossible to please God, but our nature is to move toward unbelief. Never forget that your adversary is the father of lies. He wants to destroy you, so he works to make us doubt the promises and to accuse the brethren.

5. Obey God, not your appetites. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27  24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Obedience to God demands two main things. It demands courage to say no to self, no to appetites, no to lusts of the flesh, no to what’s easy, and yes to carrying the cross. It also demands faithfulness – the plodding endurance to God, to his call, and to that which He calls you to suffer. Only by yielding to the cross can you obey God, not your appetites.

6. Serve God, not self. Isaiah 6:88 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

The concept of becoming a “bond slave” in the Scriptures means that we are the slaves, and He is the master. That means that we must surrender completely, without reservation. Many would see this type of service as lowly, and it is humbling, but it should be seen as a privilege to serve such a loving Lord

7. Worship God, not comfort. Habakkuk 3:17-18 17 Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

I don’t know anyone who enjoys suffering, but I do know many who have benefited from the growth that occurs as a result. Are you celebrating God and worshiping Him in the midst of your pain or do you seek comfort by escaping it? When suffering comes, you must move through the pain to the God who allowed it to come to fruition. When you escape, you miss the comfort God gives in the midst of that pain.

. Pain results in growth and greater fruitfulness for Him. We worship God through music, prayer, God’s Word, and baptism. But we should also worship God in the midst of suffering and pain.

These 7 non-negotiables are the basics for the solid Christian life, and if any of them are neglected, we will be the ones to pay, not God. 

10 Commands in the New Testament

  1. Love God and Love Your Neighbour: Jesus emphasized the greatest commandments as loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).   Look also at Deut 6:5
  2. Repent and Believe: Jesus and the apostles called people to repent of their sins and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).
  3. Be Baptized: New believers are commanded to be baptized as a public declaration of their faith (Matthew 28:19).
  4. Make Disciples: Christians are instructed to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20).
  5. Pray: Believers are encouraged to pray continually and with faith (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 6:9-13).
  6. Forgive Others: Jesus taught the importance of forgiving others as God has forgiven us (Matthew 6:14-15).
  7. Live a Holy Life: Christians are called to live holy and blameless lives, avoiding sin and pursuing righteousness (1 Peter 1:15-16).
  8. Love One Another: Jesus commanded His followers to love one another as He has loved them (John 13:34-35).
  9. Bear One Another’s Burdens: Believers are instructed to support and care for one another (Galatians 6:2).
  10. Share the Gospel: Christians are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others (Acts 1:8).