The Third Commandment?

The Pharisees asked Jesus which was the great commandment in the Torah. He replied, “‘You shall love Yehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.

The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

This caused me to wonder, “what would the third commandment be for believers?” There are many important possibilities. Commands to study the scriptures (2 Timonthy 2:15; Joshua 1:8); to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20); to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17); give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonian 5:18) and many others.

One verse stands out as summarizing all of the commandments in the Torah, the prophets and the New Testament.

James 1:22 instruct believers to, “Become doers of the word, and not just hearers, who deceive themselves.” Doing what the word instructs is central to the three pillars of the Christian life: our salvation, sanctification and service.

Romans 10:9-10 tells us what we must “do” in order to be saved. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” By this we are not earning our salvation. However, we are professing faith in the completed work of Jesus and pledging our obedience and allegiance to Him.

Paul encouraged believers to pursue sanctification. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation [sanctification] with fear and trembling;” (Philippians 2:12). The writer of Hebrews explains how important sanctification (a.k.a. holiness) is in the life of believers, “Make every effort…to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

The third pillar of the Christian life is service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God empowers us to do the work He calls us to do (Acts 1:8). Our service is to reach the lost (Acts 1:8) and to build up the saints (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Our service is also an expression of our love for God, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints” (Hebrews 6:10). We will be rewarded for faithful service, “The Son of man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds” (Matthew 16:27).

Let us love God, love our neighbors (evangelize the lost; build up the saints) and be doers of God’s word. These are central to our Christian life.