We’ve seen people do well in life and we’ve seen them fail.  The ones who have done well generally have a stronger relationship with the Lord than the ones who have failed.  If you want to strengthen your relationship with the Lord so you can do well, then keep the five requirements of the Lord found in Deut 10:12-13.  It just takes failing to meet one of these requirements for sin to eventually overtake you.  The more areas of weakness, the greater the probability of failure.  

When you get saved, there are five requirements in life that will keep you from failing and will help you do well in your life.  The five requirements in life are:

Fear God – Deut 10:12 – “fear the Lord thy God.”  God is the supreme authority in the universe.  He is the judge of all men and of all matters.  You answer to him in everything you do.  So, fear him.  Tremble at his word [Is 66:2].  The fear of God overrides every other fear.  Those who fail fear men; not God.  But men can’t see what God sees.  You can hide your sin from men.  But you can’t hide from God.  And though God’s judgment is often not swift [1 Tim 1:16], it is sure and it is terrible [2 Cor 5:10-11].  

Believe God – Deut 10:12 – “walk in all his ways.” 3 Jn 4 “I have no greater joy that to hear than my children walk in truth.”  2 Cor 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  You must believe every word of God [Matt 4:4].  Men fail when they interpret the word to mean what they want it to say or when they change a word to a word they want to use.  If you walk in your interpretation or your definition or your translation, you are no longer walking in God’s ways; you’re walking in your ways.  Listen, believe what he said; he’ll reveal to you what he meant by what he said when he wants you to know. 

Love God – Deut 10:12 – “”love him.”  I have heard men deep in sin say, “I love God.”  That’s a strange kind of love.  You are to love God on his terms, not yours.  In Jn 14:21, 23 loving God is closely connected with obeying God [see below].  You’re in a relationship with him.  Does he know that you love him as much as you say you do?

Serve God – Deut 10:12 – “serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all they soul.”  You can only serve one master.  So, serve him.  Check your heart here.  For whom are you doing the things that you do?  Are you doing them for yourself, for your spouse, for the brethren, etc?  If you do everything in service as to the Lord, then you are able to serve him and please him while obeying and helping others. 

Obey God – Deut 10:13 – “keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes.”  Some of my friends say you need to live by Bible principles and I agree with that.  However, I say you need to live by every word of God [Matt 4:4].  That is, you obey everything he said for you to do.  That way you don’t have to remember the principle.  You just keep the words.  

Conclusion: the combination of these five requirements is what works.  You don’t want to do three or four and leave out the fifth.  I met a man who said that he believes God, loves God, and serves God.  He reads his Bible daily, he prayed and he never misses church.  But he doesn’t fear God and he isn’t obeying God.  As a result, he has ruined his ministry and he’s getting ready to mess up some other folks.  You don’t want to end up like that.  Keep all five requirements in life.