What does the Lord require?

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 and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, - Deuteronomy 10v12

There is much in the word of God about what He requires. One thing that is clear is that He does not require a simple legalistic submission to and obedience of a set of laws.

Even during the time of the Law, before Christ came and freed us from the Law, there was more to it than obeying the rules.

Notice the combination of the inner and outer man here. ‘Fear the Lord and walk in His ways.’ ‘Love Him and serve Him.’

Sunday night in Bible study we were talking about the Law in connection with Jesus statement on loving your neighbour. It is obvious that keeping the Law will not save. It is obvious that works do nothing at all to save us. But is it also clear from James 2 that faith and works do go hand in hand. It is impossible to have faith without works. True faith always produces works – always. Where there are no works there is no faith.

What does the Lord require? For Israel it was faith marked by the right works. Freed from the Law, our He all He requires from us is faith, but it will always produce the right works.