5 - You must be born again.

You must be born again.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ John 3:3-7

What must I do? How can I obey this command?

This is obviously not something that can be achieved by human effort. This is by the will and power of God. The Holy Spirit is the means and the evidence of this new birth. The life of the Kingdom cannot be lived through the flesh. The indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit is the gift that keeps on giving. We must enter the Kingdom by Him and live the Kingdom life by Him. The fruit of the Spirit and one or more gifts of the Spirit will be evidence of it.

What does it mean to be "born of water"?

Being born of water most likely refers to the natural birth of a human being. Jesus says: "What is born of flesh is flesh..." We are living inside of our mothers before we are transferred into this world through a natural birth process. This existence inside our mother is a life surrounded with water where all our needs are provided through a connection with her via an umbilical cord. When the time for birthing arrives the mothers "water" breaks and is released. Physical birth occurs shortly after.

One other perspective found is that “born of water” refers to spiritual cleansing and that Nicodemus would have naturally understood it that way. According to this view, “born of water” and “born of the Spirit” are different ways of saying the same thing, once metaphorically and once literally. Jesus’ words “born of water and the Spirit” describe different aspects of the same spiritual birth, or of what it means to be “born again.” So, when Jesus told Nicodemus that he must “be born of water,” He was referring to his need for spiritual cleansing. Throughout the Old Testament, water is used figuratively of spiritual cleansing. For example, Ezekiel 36:25 says, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities” (see also Numbers 19:17–19; and Psalm 51:2, 7). Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, would surely have been familiar with the concept of physical water representing spiritual purification.

The New Testament, too, uses water as a figure of the new birth. Regeneration is called a “washing” brought about by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God at the moment of salvation (Titus 3:5; cf. Ephesians 5:26; John 13:10). Christians are “washed . . . sanctified . . . justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). The “washing” Paul speaks of here is a spiritual one.

One could also argue that later, New Testament practices, for those who confessed Jesus as their Lord, Savior and King, were immediately baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit. Some may contend this is not what Jesus was referring to but then I'm not a scholar and I wasn't there at the time so I don't personally know. Maybe someone else could speak to that more eloquently. Perhaps these are all tied together in the essence of being "born again".

What does it mean to be "born of spirit"?

Jesus indicates that a person must also receive a second birth to be spiritually reborn from above. All the evidence pertaining to John 3:5 shows that the new, second, spiritual birth from above is an absolute necessity for someone to enter the kingdom of God. 

In addition, the evidence clearly shows that this birth from the Holy Spirit is spiritual in nature, in distinction to physical birth, and it is not conditioned on water baptism. Though “water” may be the means of initial, physical birth, the passage shows that it is not the means of spiritual birth. 

There are many passages that talk about spiritual washing and cleansing so we know that Jesus was definitely speaking in reference to a spiritual work and change that must happen for one to enter into the Kingdom of God. In other words, "to be saved". Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John 3:3  What we do know is that if Jesus told Nicodemus this was true, then it is true and necessary. It is His command. To know about Jesus is not enough. Many knew about Him and saw what he did. That doesn't mean they all entered into the Kingdom of God. Only those that were "born again' entered in.

So, what about you? Have you been born again? If you don't know, you need to figure it out. Jesus said, only those who are born again will see the kingdom of God. I believe what Jesus said is true. If you want the kingdom of God to be your future then it's a very important issue to settle.

As always, I appreciate any comments or questions you may have. If you would like to be notified of upcoming posts please Subscribe to this blog, Follow by Email or check back at your convenience for updates.

Ref. Curtis Sergeant, The Commands of Christ 
Ref. J.I.Packer, Knowing God, Got Questions - 

4 - Make my house a house of prayer for the nations and do not make it into a market or a den of thieves.

Make my house a house of prayer for the nations and do not make it into a market or a den of thieves.

And he said to them, “It is written: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves.” Matthew 21:13

Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’? But you have made it a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17

And to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” John 2:16

It is one thing to recover expenses when charging for goods and services related to the Kingdom, but there is a lot of profit made through the sale of “spiritual” products. I believe we should be VERY careful about this. All we have, all our knowledge and insight and experience and resources are from God. "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8b) It is also a severe indictment that the VAST majority of the income of the Church is spent on herself in one way or another. That is in addition to a tremendous amount of graft.

Here are a couple of my thoughts. Church as we know it in tradition settings is not so often regarded as a holy place, a sanctuary, as we tended to think about the temple in biblical times. Those have been replaced with giant buildings, like coliseums. They are prevalent and note worthy of providing thousands of people with large stages, stadium seating and sporting video, audio, multi-media presentations that wow and sizzle the audiences.

However, The Pew Research Center reports that attendance to religious weekly meetings are highest in the Jehovah Witness and Mormon religions, but less than 40% of those attend regularly. In the Christian realm of belief and attendance, Protestants are lowest on the recorded charts for attendance within mainline churches. So, in an effort to draw people to their programming and ministries, many churches now have restaurants and/or coffee shops as a part of their building structures. In 2011, Brady Boyd asked on his blog, “Have we, as American pastors, given up our calling as shepherds and unknowingly become fast food entrepreneurs who are building a religious business and not a church?” 

Churches spend an absorbent amount of money on building structures and marketing programs. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is worth over 67 billion dollars, according to www.quora.com. Mega-churches are spending millions of dollars in land acquisitions and wealth building projects. This has been a trend in the American Christian churches for 

I'm not so sure how much of this goes on in the world but I do know the issue has its roots in the "love of money" and "the pride of life".  1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

Many religious leaders, teachers of the gospel and religious authors are marketing and selling their videos, books and teachings throughout the world. 

As always, I appreciate any comments or questions you may have. If you would like to be notified of upcoming posts please Subscribe to this blog, Follow by Email or check back at your convenience for updates.


Ref. Curtis Sergeant, The Commands of Christ 
Ref. J.I.Packer, Knowing God, Got Questions - 

3 - Worship and serve God alone.

Worship and serve God alone.

Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.’” Luke 4:8

At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God,
shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:10

The Mosaic Law is built upon the Ten Commandments, and the law was built upon the first commandment: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me” (The Mosaic Law is built upon the Ten Commandments, and the law was built upon the first commandment: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me” Deuteronomy 5:6-7. Here we see not only God’s prohibition against idolatry, but His reasons for that prohibition. It was the Lord God who had the power to bring His people out of bondage in Egypt. He alone cared enough for them to choose them to be His own, and He alone delivered and protected them. For all this, He declares that He alone deserves to be worshiped and reverenced. No idol made of wood or stone is God. Idols are deaf, dumb, blind, and powerless Isaiah 44:18.

Paul’s letter to the Romans indicates the worship of things in creation themselves—not just their images—is wrong in the eyes of God Romans 1:25. Paul also warns the Colossians against worshipping other supernatural beings: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize” Colossians 2:18a. Jesus expanded the definition of “other gods” to include concepts in addition to images, living things and other supernatural beings. In Matthew 6:24, He warns against the worship of material things. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money”. The Greek word mammonas, translated here as “money,” does not mean the money in one’s pockets. It is the personification of wealth or money (especially wealth gained through greediness), the love of which, in modern terminology, is “materialism.” The dangers of worshipping material things are clearly outlined in the story of the rich young ruler Matthew 19:16-26 who turned away from Christ because he could not part with his wealth (v.22).

Samson Judges 14–16, even though he was set apart for God as a Nazirite, worshipped another god that was much closer than the rich man was to his wealth. Samson’s god was himself, and his pride and self-worship led to his downfall. He was so confident in his own abilities that he believed he no longer needed God, and in the end—despite being beaten, blinded, and humiliated—Samson neither repented nor learned that his way was not God’s way. He was more concerned with revenge and his eyesight than with God’s plan for His chosen people. He served himself and his priorities, making them his idols.

Those who worship “other gods” will ultimately face the same fate as the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel where they were challenged by Elijah the prophet to a duel. Elijah and the prophets of Baal offered sacrifices to their respective deities, but they did not burn the sacrifices. The god who responded to their entreaties and took their sacrifice would be declared the one true God for all Israel. The prophets of Baal started early and prayed and pleaded with Baal to burn their sacrifice. Meanwhile, Elijah taunted them. “Shout louder…Surely he is a god. Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened” 1 Kings 18:27. In the end, the prophets of Baal were all killed by the Israelites after the one true God demonstrated His power, burning up the offering, the water, the wood, the stones, and the soil at the altar.

Our God is never busy, asleep, traveling, or distracted. Paul describes the sovereignty of God: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. …Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill” Acts 17:24-25, 29. God commands us not to serve other gods because there are no other gods except the ones we make ourselves. David describes what awaits the person who puts God ahead of all else: “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” Psalm 40:4. Here we see not only God’s prohibition against idolatry, but His reasons for that prohibition. It was the Lord God who had the power to bring His people out of bondage in Egypt. He alone cared enough for them to choose them to be His own, and He alone delivered and protected them. For all this, He declares that He alone deserves to be worshipped and reverenced. No idol made of wood or stone is God. Idols are deaf, dumb, blind, and powerless Isaiah 44:18.

Paul’s letter to the Romans indicates the worship of things in creation themselves—not just their images—is wrong in the eyes of God Romans 1:25. Paul also warns the Colossians against worshipping other supernatural beings: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize” Colossians 2:18a. Jesus expanded the definition of “other gods” to include concepts in addition to images, living things and other supernatural beings. In Matthew 6:24, He warns against the worship of material things. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money”. The Greek word mammonas, translated here as “money,” does not mean the money in one’s pockets. It is the personification of wealth or money (especially wealth gained through greediness), the love of which, in modern terminology, is “materialism.” The dangers of worshipping material things are clearly outlined in the story of the rich young ruler Matthew 19:16-26 who turned away from Christ because he could not part with his wealth.

Samson Judges 14–16, even though he was set apart for God as a Nazirite, worshipped another god that was much closer than the rich man was to his wealth. Samson’s god was himself, and his pride and self-worship led to his downfall. He was so confident in his own abilities that he believed he no longer needed God, and in the end—despite being beaten, blinded, and humiliated—Samson neither repented nor learned that his way was not God’s way. He was more concerned with revenge and his eyesight than with God’s plan for His chosen people. He served himself and his priorities, making them his idols.

Those who worship “other gods” will ultimately face the same fate as the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel where they were challenged by Elijah the prophet to a duel. Elijah and the prophets of Baal offered sacrifices to their respective deities, but they did not burn the sacrifices. The god who responded to their entreaties and took their sacrifice would be declared the one true God for all Israel. The prophets of Baal started early and prayed and pleaded with Baal to burn their sacrifice. Meanwhile, Elijah taunted them. “Shout louder…Surely he is a god. Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened” 1 Kings 18:27. In the end, the prophets of Baal were all killed by the Israelites after the one true God demonstrated His power, burning up the offering, the water, the wood, the stones, and the soil at the altar.

Our God is never busy, asleep, traveling, or distracted. Paul describes the sovereignty of God: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. …Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill” Acts 17:24-25, 29. God commands us not to serve other gods because there are no other gods except the ones we make ourselves. David describes what awaits the person who puts God ahead of all else: “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” Psalm 40:4.

Whom or what are you living for? How do you decide how to spend your life,
time, energy, money, and other resources? What is your motive for life? Your
purpose? If the answer is anything except God, then that is the wrong answer.

As always, I appreciate any comments or questions you may have. If you would like to be notified of upcoming posts please Subscribe to this blog, Follow by Email or check back at your convenience for updates.

Ref. Curtis Sergeant, The Commands of Christ 
Ref. Michael Horton, Knowing God, Got Questions 

2 - Do not put God to the test.

Do not put God to the test.

Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to
the test.’” Luke 4:12

Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to
the test.’” Matthew 4:7

We are not to go off in pursuit of anything, including the Kingdom, and expect the
Lord to bail us out. If He leads us into a risky situation, we are to enter it willing
to sacrifice everything and risk anything. He may choose to deliver us for His
glory. He may choose to let us suffer and sacrifice and die for His glory. Difficult
situations are meant to be a test of us and not of God.

Here are two examples of both acceptable and unacceptable kinds of testing God. It’s acceptable to “test” God in regard to tithes and offerings, for example, but unacceptable when the test is rooted in doubt.


Malachi 3:10 says, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.’” This is the only situation given in the Bible in which God tells His people to “test” Him. Interestingly, the Hebrew word used for “test” in this verse is bâchan, which means “to examine, scrutinize, or prove (as in gold, persons, or the heart).” Just as gold is “tested” with fire to prove its quality, God invites Israel to test Him in tithes and offerings and see that He proves His faithfulness in response.

There is a Hebrew word for “test” used here. Nâsâh means “to put to the test, try, or tempt.” It is used in Deuteronomy 6:16, where God commands Israel to not test Him: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.”

This second, unacceptable kind of testing, is when doubt leads us to demand something of God to prove Himself to us. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 in the wilderness, in response to one of Satan’s temptations. “The devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”’” (Matthew 4:7–10). Essentially, the devil was telling Jesus to “prove” God’s Word was true by forcing God’s hand—if Jesus was in peril, God would have to save Him. Jesus refused to test God in such a way. We are to accept God’s Word by faith, without requiring a sign (see Luke 11:29). God’s promises are there for us when we need them; to manipulate situations in an attempt to coerce God into fulfilling His promises is sin.

The occasion where the Israelites tested God at Massah is found in Exodus 17. As God was leading Moses and His people toward the Promised Land, they camped at a place where there was no water. The Israelites’ immediate reaction was to grumble against God and quarrel with Moses (Exodus 17:1–3). Their lack of trust in God to take care of them is evident in their accusations toward Moses: “They said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?’” (Exodus 17:3). The Israelites were obviously in a situation where they needed God to intervene. The point at which they tested God, though, is when doubt and fear overtook them and they came to the conclusion that God had abandoned them (see Exodus 17:7). They questioned God’s reliability because He was not meeting their expectations.

The difference between these two kinds of testing God is faith. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The Israelites at Massah tested God because they lacked faith in Him. The Israelites in Malachi’s day were invited to test God because they had faith in Him.


Faith, by definition, takes risk. When true faith is present, obedience follows. It is that faith-inspired action of obedience that God loves. As seen in the example of Israel’s tithes and offerings, when we give out of our faith in who God is, He proves Himself to be faithful. By contrast, when we view God through our doubt and demand something of Him as a way of determining whether or not He can be trusted, we’re in danger of testing God (see Mark 8:11–12).

How many times do we "test" God by our blatant disobedience, thinking He will turn His eyes away from the sin we have committed? Be assured He does not turn His eyes away but sees all that we do and think. He knows us better than we know ourselves. 

The price for our redemption and the cost of our forgiveness was His Son Jesus Christ. 

Imagine your son being given up to the cruelty and openly shameful display of deliverance over to the worldly crucifixion he did not deserve? Beaten beyond recognition, stripped of his humanity, hung on an instrument of slow and painful death? You, being there watching and not being able to rescue him. No, God does not blink at your disobedience or sin when you do the things you do against Him. He knows the great price that was paid for your sin.

Do not test the Lord your God!

As always, I appreciate any comments or questions you may have. If you would like to be notified of upcoming posts please Subscribe to this blog, Follow by Email or check back at your convenience for updates.

Ref. Curtis Sergeant, The Commands of Christ 
Ref. J.I.Packer, Knowing God, Got Questions - 

1 - Live by God’s every word, not merely by food.

Live by God’s every word, not merely by food.

Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Luke 4:4

He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every
word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

This has many implications. For starters, it implies that God is speaking to us
and that we need to be listening to Him. This requires intentionality on our
parts. It implies that this listening needs to be a continual state and that our very
lives depend on it. This is a deep subject, but rather than write voluminously on
it, I will simply refer to some relevant Scriptures:

“Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is
that you do not belong to God.” John 8:47

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my
hand.” John 10:27-28

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will
not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what
is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what
he will make known to you.” John 16:13-14

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8:14
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever
says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is
not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made
complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in
him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6

As always, I appreciate any comments or questions you may have. If you would like to be notified of upcoming posts please Subscribe to this blog, Follow by Email or check back at your convenience for updates.

Introduction to the Commands of Christ

I started this blog thinking there might not be very many writings about the Commands of Christ. Ha! there is a slew of them out there. Some very well done! Some in video format and complete with notes and commentaries. So, what I have decided to do is just list the Commands of Christ as collected from my training with Curtis Sergeants boot camp. Meta Camp training was one of the very noteworthy events in my recent life experiences. I have been motivated to dig deeper and be much more intentional about my relationship with God and other Christians. 

Nonetheless, I wish to focus on one of the more important aspects of knowing Jesus as King and Lord of our lives; obeying His commands. I don't believe you can be a disciple without obeying His commands.


There is some disagreement of how many commands there are and what all those commands are. Regardless of how many or which ones are more important, I want to use the materials represented by Curtis's list of 94 Commands. I want to divide those 94 into different posts, to be able to focus on the practicalities of each command, how it applies to our lives and importance of obedience as Christians.

Kingdom Living*

Perhaps the most well-known list of the commands of Christ summarizes them in
just seven commands. I feel there is value, however, in a more complete look at
the topic. If we want the simplest list possible then we should probably just limit
ourselves to the Great Commandment (and the Second) as Jesus did. If we love
God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves then all the other
commands will be fulfilled. In fact, Jesus equated loving Him with obeying
Him. (John 14:15) That is another way we can look at it.

Obedience to the commands of Christ has nothing to do with legalism or with somehow earning salvation. It is "the response" of our grateful heart in love to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. It is done in the power of the Holy Spirit Whom He has given us. It is evidence of our new life in Him. It is the expression of our love for Him. As it says in 1 John 5:3, “this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” It is not an onerous duty but an overflow of loving gratitude.

Christ is our King. His desire is our aim. He has specific plans for what He wants to do in us in conforming us to His image. He has specific plans for what He wants to do through us as we are told in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We want to please Him. We want His will to be done. That is what life in the Kingdom is all about. Kingdom living is about seeing His will done on earth as it is in heaven. That starts with obeying Jesus’
commands.

Luke 10:25-28 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 6:9-10 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”

Romans 8:28-30 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands.”

The Commands of Christ

Many people have compiled lists of the commands of Christ. There are actually a lot of “judgment calls” that are required to do so. You need to make some decisions about whether He was making a generalized command or a specifically limited command that was only applicable to the specific person in the specific situation. There are many places where He gives a command which is clearly aimed at a specific situation but there is evidence from other Scriptures that the command can and often does have broader application. There are also commands that were given multiple times in different contexts and one must determine whether to count that as a single command or multiple
commands. One must also decide whether or not to include passages where Jesus is quoting the Old Testament.

With all that said, Curtis made his own list. It has 94 commands. My posts will be based off that list.

Why have so many people (including me) gone to the trouble to make such a list? I cannot speak for everyone, but I (and I suspect many others) have done it because of Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission. In that verse, Jesus commands His followers to make disciples. There are several participles in that verse in addition to the primary imperative) verb. In one of those participial phrases, Jesus describes the act of making disciples as including “teaching them to obey all I have commanded you.” In other words, every follower of Christ is to seek others to follow Jesus, and that includes teaching them to obey all His commands. Since that is the case, it is important that we have a clear idea of exactly what His commands are.

A friend of Curtis, Wolfgang Simson, compiled his own list. He describes it as “the constitution of the Kingdom (of God).” I believe that's a helpful way to think of it. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is King. His commands are the Kingdom Constitution, the laws, the principles, the standards, the practices for living in that Kingdom. 

Don’t lose the larger narrative that our lives should be characterized by what Jesus commanded AND as His followers we should be getting others to love (and thus obey) Him as well. This is not optional or for extra credit. It is the very essence of what it means to be His follower.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

As always, I appreciate any comments or questions you may have. If you would like to be notified of upcoming posts please Subscribe to this blog, Follow by Email or check back at your convenience for updates.

*(Used by permission of Curtis Sergeant)