Commandments are care, not control
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” – 1 John 5:3
We have an unhealthy relationship with the word “commandment“. When most people hear the word commandment, they imagine rigid rules, divine ultimatums, or a distant ruler handing down decrees to keep everyone in line. But that’s not how Scripture presents it. God’s commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3); they are not oppressive shackles. They are not the demands of a tyrant who takes pleasure in making things difficult. They are house rules from a loving Father, who, whether we like it or not, is wiser than us, and is dedicated to the good of His household.
. “...the LORD commanded us... for our good always, that he might preserve us alive...” Deuteronomy - 6:24
Commandments: Cause and Effect.
Commandments are tied to cause and effect, not arbitrary reward or punishment. God has woven His wisdom into the fabric of creation, and to obey His command is to align oneself with reality. Plant! - The crop will grow! Don’t! - It won’t!
In other words: Obedience produces life. Disobedience produces loss.
Sow righteousness → reap peace
“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” – Isaiah 32:17
Walk in wisdom → dwell safely
“…whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” – Proverbs 1:33
Obey God’s voice → be blessed
“…if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God… all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee…” – Deuteronomy 28:1–14
Reject His word → suffer consequences —not because God hates you, but because you’re “unlawful”
“…if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God… all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee…” – Deuteronomy 28:15–68
My earthly father had a few commandments of his own when we were growing up. A sharp and stern “Don’t touch that stove…“ was one of them. “Eat all of your vegetables…” was another.
Unlawful Means “Out of Order”
When Scripture calls something “unlawful,” it’s not only about breaking a legal code—it’s about moving outside the God-established order of cause and effect. Just as stepping off a safe path can lead to dangerous terrain, stepping out from under God’s commandments exposes us to harm. God is the God of order and structure. We can not expect to move in chaos and self will and have the results of order. He has established a law, and He upholds that law.
Most people use freedom and liberty like they mean the same thing. They don’t. And if you’re going to live as a Kingdom man, you need to know the difference.
Jesus said, “I have come… to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18). The difference between liberty and freedom is this: freedom allows you to do whatever you want; liberty, on the other hand, protects you and others from free choice. Without liberty, freedom self-destructs. Without freedom, liberty cannot exist.
Freedom is simply being released from bondage.
Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12–14).
In Christ, we are freed from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:18; John 8:36).
Freedom is the removal of chains. It’s the starting line—not the finish line. Without direction, freedom can turn into aimlessness or rebellion (Galatians 5:13).
Liberty is freedom rightly used under God’s law and order.
James calls God’s Word “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25; 2:12).
Paul says liberty is not an excuse for selfishness, but an opportunity to serve (Galatians 5:13).
Liberty is not the absence of boundaries—it’s the presence of righteous ones. It’s freedom with guardrails that protect life and flourishing.
God delivers us into liberty—not so we can do whatever we please, but so we can do what we ought under His rule. Freedom is the release; liberty is the right use of that release.
“…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17
The Father’s Heart Behind Every Command
When you know Gid and understand God’s heart, you stop seeing His commands as limits and start seeing them as life-giving instructions. You get excited when you trust His input; you long to hear Him instruct you. Because you know He will always exceed your expectations.
A coach who says, “Train daily, cut back on the carbs”, isn’t being controlling; they’re preparing you for victory. If a friend who worked in a bookie’s gave you a tip on a horse and said, “Put €100 on Twinkle Toes…” would you get excited and do as you were told? But when God tells you what to do… You make excuses…you get offended and feel “oppressed“ I will argue that Christians who see God’s commandments as oppressive or controlling simply just dont know Him like they claim they do... I’m going to go ahead and leave that statement right there. If the shoe fits…lace it up!
God’s “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not” are always spoken for your good. His commands are care, not control.
Walking in Alignment
When we align with God’s Word:
We stop driving with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake.
We live under the blessing of His design - Cause and effect.
We experience the peace that comes from walking in step with our Creator.
We bear fruit at an exponential rate - Not an arbitrary reward for obedience, simply the result of doing what cultivates and brings forth.
The bottom line: Every commandment is an invitation to life. To reject it is to choose disorder and destruction; to obey it is to walk in the joy and safety of the Father’s house. A healthy home has healthy house rules, there are impartial consequences in disobeying them, and there are impartial benefits in honouring them.
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days…”
- Deuteronomy 30:19–20 (KJV)
