What does God Require?

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. 21 He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

It’s Really Very Simple

What Moses emphasizes to the people is a call to belief and obedience. That call rings true for us today as Christians.

Many people think Christianity is confusing or they point to things hard to understand in the scriptures, but in the end . . . Christianity is really very simple.

What do we believe

We hold to the great commandments:

Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.

—and—

Love your neighbor as yourself.

We obey the great commission:

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, make disciples of the nations, and teach them all that He has taught us.

So we are called to love God. Interestingly enough,

What makes things so complicated?

Our sin.

The law exists because we sin.

98% of the bible wouldn’t need to exist if we we just love God and love others.

Unfortunately, even in the area of love we have twisted “love” into something that dishonors God. So God had to give us the whole of the scriptures to help our rebellious, dull, and selfish hearts understand what it means to love God and love others.

This is the core of what Moses is teaching the Israelites in this passage today. As they prepare to enter the promised land Moses emphasizes again, the simple reality that God is worthy of our awe and respect . . . even to be feared . . . and that is the core behind all we do. When we fear God we worship God and we emulate God. He reveals His character to us and we reveal Him to the world.

So, how do we uncomplicated things?

We remove sin. We build a strategy to combat sin.

What you need to do yourself?

Deny yourself.

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Crucify your flesh

Galatians 5:24 ESV

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

There are two elements that must be addressed in the crucifying of the flesh:

Spiritual Battle

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

James 4:7 ESV

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Physical Battle

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Timothy 6:11–12 ESV

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

How we depend on each other

Strengthen one another to battle sin

Hebrews 3:13 ESV

13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Stir up one another to love

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Forgive one another

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.