We assume people get what they deserve. We assume that what goes around comes around. We assume God helps those who help themselves. Those assumptions are false. God does not operate on the principle of merit but of grace. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. God never turns it off. At the entrance of God’s open door is not a Father looking to condemn us, but a Father who has eagerly longed for our return. When we do, he takes us in his loving arms and assures us we are still his child. When the weight of our sin makes us fearful of God’s condemnation, he reveals his grace yet again.

The Second and Third Commandment both relate to how our merciful God saves us. The Second Commandment deals with God’s name. God’s “name” is more than words we use to refer to Him: the Lord, Jehovah, Jesus. God’s name includes His reputation, i.e., everything the Word tells us about God. The Third Commandment deals with the Sabbath rest God wants His children to enjoy: resting from fear of condemnation, resting in His promise of mercy.

When we use God’s name flippantly… when we take God’s reputation lightly… when we are apathetic about His Word… when we have little interest in the spiritual rest He offers… we demolish these Commandments. That hurts us way more than it hurts God. Disobedience of these Commandments are attempted acts of spiritual suicide. If we continue in this rebellion, we are guaranteeing that hell is our eternal home. So, this week, we ask the Spirit to give us the ability to sincerely pray, “Lord, have mercy, for demonstrating irreverence for your name and despising your Sabbath rest.”

The heavenly Father is always present in the lives of His children. He sees every sorrow we endure. He also sees every sin that we commit, even if it’s only in our thoughts. He is always present. Yet, He is also always patient. God does not snap at us the second we turn from Him. He gives us time to see the error of our ways. He assures us that the door back to Him remains always open. By giving us room to share our struggles and shortcomings, He works in us the very repentance He desires and saves us from the judgment that would otherwise be ours.

People think that establishing priorities is about ranking things in order of importance. But it is more than that. We do not have unlimited time and energy. So, establishing priorities enables us to say “no” to things which might be good yet not truly important. Without proper priorities, one inevitably will pursue that which is nice while downplaying that which is needed.

Throughout Scripture believers are urged to prioritize. It is the heart of the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Jesus calls for prioritization when He says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Good news: followers of Christ maintain proper priorities. Even better news: followers of Christ receive His forgiveness for all the times their priorities have been improper.

The entirety of God’s Word can be summed up in one word: love. God’s Law is all about love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). The Gospel is all about love: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16). From His compassion for the sick and broken, to His sacrificial death on the cross, to the peace He provided after His resurrection, Jesus was the perfect embodiment of love. Love is His business.

Therefore, love is our business too. The resurrection reality is that with the same supernatural power by which God raised Jesus from the dead, God now enables us to live a new life—one marked by radically selfless love. The motivation and ability to do this comes from seeing the endless love Christ has for us. We love only because He first loved us.

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