The one making the payment to atone for sin had to be perfect. To confirm he was—and is—the only one to make the necessary payment for sin, Jesus kept without flaw the commandments we are expected to keep perfectly but cannot.

How was this possible for Jesus to do? The message of Christmas reminds us that Jesus became fully human as he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; he is true man while also always being true God. Since Jesus was conceived and born without sin through this miraculous conception, he was perfect and remained perfect by keeping the commandments of his heavenly Father. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that Jesus faced all sorts of temptations in connection to the commandments (as do we), yet he did not waver. Can we say that about ourselves?

We fall short

If God were to rate our lives on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 representing perfection, where would we fall on that scale?

As we attempt to answer that, we need to guard against the two ditches along the road: pride on one side and self-abasement on the other.

We are not at a 5, for as Romans 3:23 reminds us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We cannot live up to God’s righteous expectations, which can be summed up in the phrase “Love God and your neighbor” (Matthew 22:37-39). Have we loved and do we love God and our neighbor perfectly? No human being conceived and born with inherited sin can answer yes to that question. Only Jesus can. There is no room for pride in our failure to keep God’s law. On the flipside, we are not left to live in despair.

The way to righteousness

Humans throughout history have struggled with the Bible-based teaching that states that we cannot earn God’s favor by observing the law (Romans 3:28). In Romans chapters 9 and 10, the apostle Paul elaborates on this teaching that observing the law doesn’t make a person righteous. Paul reminded the Jews of his day who believed they could earn God’s favor by how they lived their lives that their works would not be enough: “They pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone [Jesus]” (Romans 9:32).

Paul also makes it clear in that section how a person can be declared righteous in God’s sight. A righteous standing before God comes from outside us and what we do; it comes through faith in Jesus. The difference between the two views is life-changing. If we had to earn a right standing, not one of us would pass. Since we cannot live up to God’s expectations on our own merit, we cannot make it into heaven on our own.

A person may say, “That is not fair. God is putting expectations on us that he knows we cannot live up to.” Perhaps you have had a conversation with someone or heard it said that a mutual acquaintance is in a better place (referring to heaven) because of being such a good person. The individual may have been a good person, as evidenced by helping a neighbor with lawn work, coaching Little League, or giving a large gift to a university, but that does not change the fact that human beings cannot earn a place in heaven.

The way to righteousness before God, then, is not through people’s works but through Jesus’ work. The perfect life he lived gets credited to people through the gift of faith.

Why keep the commandments?

Why, then, do we try to keep the commandments? It is not because we must but because we want to put into practice what God demands of us and also thank him for saving us. The “want to” attitude is the proper motivation for those who, by God’s grace, confess Jesus as the Savior from sin and believe that he alone is the way to heaven. Keep in mind: Jesus came from heaven to this earth to be under the law that we are under—its expectations and its curse (subject to death). He did this because the law needed to be kept perfectly for our salvation to be secured before God. “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).

This takes us back to the main question: Why was it important for Jesus to keep the commandments? God called for a perfect, innocent sacrifice as the way to appease his righteous anger over our failures to keep the commandments. While in the flesh, Jesus lived up to God’s expectations; we refer to this as his active obedience. His active obedience qualified him to be the one who could—and would—go to a cross on Calvary’s hill (referred to as his passive obedience), where he would restore peace between God and sinners— including you and me.

Jesus’ obedience impacts your life

By the work of the Holy Spirit through the gospel, we are connected to the active and passive obedience of Jesus. Thanks to Jesus’ obedience, God can now look at us as if we have lived that perfect life and died that innocent death. The Lord’s love now moves us to show our gratitude by striving to put into action God’s will for our lives (2 Corinthians 5:14,15). We strive to do this with an attitude of joy instead of obligation. When that attitude of joy seems to be missing, focus again on the life and death of Jesus—he did it all for you.

Along with such reflection, go to God in prayer, asking that the Holy Spirit, who is living in you, help you live a life of faith-motivated obedience to God’s commandments. This includes a life filled with forgiveness, patience, compassion, and more. (See Galatians 5:22,23 for a list of the fruit of the Spirit.) This fruit, witnessed by family, friends, or even strangers, may provide you with opportunities to explain the reason behind your attitude and actions.

The way to righteousness before God is not through people’s work but through Jesus’ work. The perfect life he lived gets credited to people through the gift of faith.

Yes, we still fall short. Thankfully, our standing before God does not rest on us or on our failure to measure up and fulfill God’s commandments. Instead it rests on Jesus and the life he lived with us in mind all the way to the cross.

Why was it necessary for Jesus to keep the commandments? If Jesus did not keep them, we would not possess a righteous standing before God.

So we say, “Thank you, Jesus, for keeping the commandments, something only you could do.”

Author: Jonathan Kolander
Volume 111, Number 09
Issue: September 2024

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