How does the Red Sea example apply to people trying to keep the commandments today?
The Red Sea example teaches that people trying to keep the commandments by their own effort are like Israel trapped: God says stand still, do nothing, and believe it has all been done. God, not human works, precipitates the action, sending the Spirit of His Son into believers' hearts.
Les teaches that Israel was trapped with the Egyptian army behind them, mountains on the right, obstacles on the left, and the Red Sea in front. God did not tell them to build rafts or boats or to perform rituals; He said, “Stand still. Don’t do anything, and wait for the power of God.” The Red Sea opened, and He led them through. Les explains that it is the same today. People try to do this, work, attempt, and want to keep the commandments, doing, doing, doing, but God keeps saying, “Stand still. Don’t do anything, but believe.” They are to believe that it has all been done. Because of the believer’s position after believing faith, God is the one who precipitates the action. God has sent forth the Spirit—the Holy Spirit of promise—not into a denomination or church building necessarily, but the Spirit of His Son into believers’ hearts, crying, “Abba, Father.”