Jn. 8:51f, 55; 14:23f; 15:20; 17:6; 1 Jn. 2:5; Rev. 1:3; 3:8, 10; 22:7, 9 – These all are a number of different bible passages that exhort us to “keep My word.” Like this one Revelation 22:7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” All of these passages use the Greek word taereoo for the word that is translated “keep”. There has been no secret in our churches that this word might be better translated “treasure” or “guard”. In our English and in this context “keep” tends to convey an idea of “do”, in other words do what the Bible says is the message. Treasure brings instead the picture of holding it as a precious thing that you will never let out of your sight. Finally guarding it of course means that you are pit bull and you aren’t going to let anyone mess with. And no I am not being sarcastic with that last statement.There is little doubt in my mind that God is asking us to do all three of these things.
Now this is all true and good, but here is the thing that concerns me. We pastors talk about this, and I know none of us want you to get this idea at least I hope none of us do, but when we talk about this then my lazy sinful stupid flesh hears, well the first thing I think is, “oohhh good I don’t have to do everything it says. I just got to love that word, treasure it, not so important to do it.” When we talk about those three deeper meanings of the word it can become an excuse to water down the law, take it and twist it to mean less than what God has to say. In reality those three meanings don’t make this command easier, treasuring God’s word is not less than doing everything it says it is MORE!
Here’s the thing. As Christians we are the only ones in the world who are capable of hearing the full unadulterated and complete word of God. If any preacher were capable of preaching it, true Christians could stand it. Not by themselves but by the grace of God. It’s like the depth of the ocean, who could ever descend that far and live? The pressure is too great. The pressure of the full weight of God’s law is beyond the depths of the ocean and there is no way any could bear that load, but I have Christ between me and it. You can turn that pressure up full notch, heap it up like a mountain of lead, in Christ the pressure can’t touch me.
So, heap your plate as full of the law as you can, you do not need to fear it. It has no power over you. Heap you plate full and dig in. What you can’t finish Christ has finished for you. Why are we timid? Why do we tend to take only a little bit of law? Our pastor brings it out and we say ohh well that’s enough law for me today, as if we are afraid we won’t be able to handle it. Come on and fill your plate. You cannot fail! Because Christ has already finished it. Bring it on.
This passage Revelation 22:7 seeks nothing short of complete and absolute devotion to the word of the Lord. To guard it, treasure it, and do what it says from first to last. To be a good Samaritan, to constantly seek the Lord in prayer, to learn it so well that we have it practically memorized. Should we shrink back from this weight? In Christ it weighs on Him not us. Should we water it down in order that we may be able to bear it. If you are trying to bear it yourself you have already lost, but if in Christ He has carried that burden for you then why seek to deny its full power? Is the grace of God limited that we need to be careful how much we ask Him to bear? “but in all things we are more than conquerors,” what does Paul say? MORE than conquerors.
Or perhaps we should sit back and say, Christ has taken care it, why should I bother. Come on! For the first time in history we have the opportunity to begin to do by the power of the Holy Spirit what no one else has ever even comprehended. The pressure was too great, even wading in the shallow pools is too much for men to bear, but we by the Grace of God can explore it to the darkest depths. And in so doing what will we find? Only the “depth and height and width and breadth of the love of Christ.” For the further we understand the full weight of the Law that we SHOULD be bearing, the greater we understand the power and strength and might of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who bears it for us.
Search the law with this aim not to observe only but to embrace it and seeking to do it. We do not embrace that which can bite or scratch or hurt, but the law is without teeth, since it therefore has no power to condemn you we hug it close. Yet not as close as gospel and the cross of Christ. We delight to hear the law and learn how we can serve since it has no power anymore to condemn us. But ooohhhhh the even greater joy to hear the Gospel.