Carefully Hearken

Deuteronomy 15:5 KJV

Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

The context of this verse has to do with

• Lending money
• Forgiving debts and
• Taking of slaves

But the import of this passage is in that word "carefully". The people of God were to carefully hearken to obey God's law. 

I am relieved to know that my salvation does not depend upon carefully obeying all of the Old Testament law.

Neither does it depend upon my careful obedience to those principles of Christian walk that we derive out of the New Testament. If it were so we would all perish because, as James said, if we keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, we are guilty of it all. My soul's keeping is only in the hands of Jesus Christ. I thank God for that. 

I am also glad that my pleasing God is not bound in my ability to carefully hearken to every point.

I have not attained such am ability and will not, the Bible convinces me, until I get to heaven. 

Still there is in this phrase a missing piece of modern Christianity. We seldom carefully do anything when it comes to our faith. We have taken for granted, for so long, that our relationship with God is bound in the righteousness of Jesus Christ that we have neglected a walk that is worthy of our professed faith. 

• No, the Christian does not earn His salvation or his relationship through careful obedience
• Of course, the Christian ought to carefully hearken to the Word of God that his walk and conversation in this world is worthy of the Christ who saved him