People expect fathers to have rules for their children. Children that are raised without rules or structure can make awful mistakes because they cannot distinguish right from wrong. I have never been criticized for making rules for my children. My children have never been criticized for following my rules. If you ask my children why I have rules they will tell you it's for their protection because I love them and teach them. I care about everything they do, and I enjoy being involved in their lives. Yes, they make the wrong choices sometimes. But, I'm always there to point them back to the right path and support them when needed.
Our Father in Heaven has His own Instructions. Just like our own rules as fathers, His rules come with the command to be obedient. And, as we should expect of our own children, if we truly do love our Father we will obey His Instructions. We won't do it for some reward (i.e. salvation) but because we simply love Him. What do we get from obeying? We get to partake in the blessings that come with obeying our Father and forsake the curses of refusing to be obedient once we have the knowledge. After all, if we do love him why wouldn't we want to obey?
You might say at this point "Well what about Christ? We are saved in the blood of Christ and don't have to follow the law anymore. He fulfilled it and set us free." I'd respond, "Wow, you are so right. He absolutely did set us free! He broke off the shackles that enslaved us to SIN (not His Torah) and set us free from the sin so we could FOLLOW HIM. The blood of Christ DID SAVE US from the penalty of our own sin, which is eternal death." Looking at the Son of God, Yeshua (Jesus as known by most Christians) He led a perfect life where He obeyed the Father's Torah, taught it to others, and even verbalized it saying things like "Take up your cross and follow me" and these verses:
Matt 5:16-19 "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Does that sound like a Son that is seeking after His Father's business? Absolutely! So, while I can with confidence shout that I love my savior Yeshua and believe He died to save my sins, I can also say Praise Abba for Your Holy Torah which gives me the tools I need to make it on this earth. I obey His commands out of love, and it is of my own free will. Call it law, Torah, Instructions, rules, or whatever else you come up with but a man can only serve one master. Will you be a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness? I choose righteousness, because I love my Father.
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