Topical Bible: Affections: should be Set Upon the Commandments of God

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In the Christian faith, the affections of the heart are of paramount importance, as they reflect one's devotion and commitment to God. The Bible consistently emphasizes the necessity of aligning one's affections with the commandments of God, underscoring the integral role of love and obedience in the believer's life.

Biblical Foundation

The Scriptures provide a clear mandate for believers to set their affections on the commandments of God. In Deuteronomy 6:5-6 , it is written, "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts." This passage highlights the centrality of love for God, which is to be expressed through heartfelt adherence to His commandments.

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is a profound meditation on the beauty and necessity of God's law. The psalmist declares in Psalm 119:47-48 , "I delight in Your commandments because I love them. I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I meditate on Your statutes." Here, the psalmist's affections are clearly set upon God's commandments, demonstrating a deep-seated love and reverence for divine instruction.

The Role of the Heart

The heart, in biblical terms, is the seat of affections, desires, and intentions. Proverbs 4:23 advises, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life." This verse underscores the importance of maintaining a heart that is aligned with God's will, as the affections of the heart influence one's actions and decisions.

Jesus Himself affirmed the necessity of setting one's affections on God's commandments. In John 14:15 , He stated, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." This direct correlation between love and obedience highlights the expectation that true affection for Christ will manifest in a life that honors His teachings.

Practical Implications

Setting one's affections on the commandments of God involves a conscious and deliberate effort to prioritize His will above all else. Colossians 3:2 instructs believers, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." This directive calls for a reorientation of one's desires and priorities, focusing on eternal truths rather than temporal concerns.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this in Romans 12:2 , "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." The transformation of the mind and heart is essential for setting one's affections on God's commandments, enabling believers to discern and pursue His will with clarity and conviction.

The Fruit of Obedience

When affections are rightly set upon the commandments of God, the believer experiences spiritual growth and maturity. Psalm 1:2-3 describes the blessedness of the one who delights in God's law: "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does." This imagery of a fruitful tree illustrates the vitality and prosperity that result from a life devoted to God's commandments.

In summary, the affections of the believer should be firmly anchored in the commandments of God, reflecting a heart that loves, honors, and obeys Him. Through the guidance of Scripture and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to cultivate affections that align with God's eternal truths, leading to a life of faithful obedience and spiritual flourishing.

Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 19:8-10
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 119:20,97,103,167
My soul breaks for the longing that it has to your judgments at all times.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

"Now the God of Hope Fill You with all Joy and Peace in Believing ...
... of all: and therefore we should accordingly convert ... after them the choicest of their
affections, that they ... generally what men's hearts are set upon, that they ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon ix now the god.htm

Of Love to God
... of soul, or the inflaming of the affections, by which ... God does not require that we
should bring money with ... The heart is so set upon God that it desires no more ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/of love to god.htm

The Tests of Love to God
... there in the earth that we should so set our hearts ... is union in fundamentals, there
ought to be union in affections. ... If I loved God more, I should have better ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the tests of love to.htm

Obedience
... Lively affections make golden services. ... Matthew 6:2. Alms should shine, but not blaze. ...
Philippians 2:8. The crown is set upon the head of perseverance. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/1 1 obedience.htm

Thoughts Upon the Knowledge of G0D.
... and subduing all our Passions and Affections before him ... and neglect all the other,
we should questionless look ... several Laws to observe, and hath set us several ...
/.../private thoughts upon a christian life/thoughts upon the knowledge of.htm

Repentance
... It metamorphoses the affections. ... Let us all set upon this great work of repentance;
let us repent ... 1) Consider what there is in sin, that you should continue in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/4 2 repentance.htm

God and Mammon.
... Their family affections are so intense, their family life ... Sundays by people whose
souls are set, the whole ... God forbid that I should check an honourable ambition ...
/.../kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon xxvi god and mammon.htm

Of the Nature of Regeneration, with Respect to the Change it ...
... I will further add, that regeneration introduces a set of new ... are, and to awaken
in it suitable affections; to be ... the very heart; so that He should say, "This ...
/.../doddridge/practical discourses on regeneration/discourse iii of the nature.htm

God's Law Immutable.
... openeth," had declared, "Behold, I have set before thee ... to be a reason why we should
worship Him ... been universally kept, man's thoughts and affections would have ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /25 gods law immutable.htm

First Commandment
... He should have the first and only place in our affections? ... for every known religion,
so that every stranger should have a ... that is what their hearts are set on. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/first commandment.htm