Honor Marriage

“He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."” (Matthew 19:4-6 ESV).

As we consider the command to honor marriage, we must consider what God says about who is to marry who. We begin with what seems very clear, that God created male and female, which is determined by physical characteristics, not by what you think you are or want to be. For example, if a person, a male by birth, who has fathered children, walks around dresses as a woman and thinks he is a woman, is not a woman, but one who is deceived and dishonors God.

This male and female that God created, who have the proper physical parts to come together to create children, are to marry. It is to be one male to one female, not some other combination that some promote. Any marriage combination other than one male and one female and for life, dishonors God and is sin. Remember, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4 ESV).

Prayer

Father, even many Christians have deviated from this command. We are not willing to take a stand against the immoral behavior that is becoming a more normal way of life and as a result the family unit Is rapidly breaking down, resulting in social distress in our culture. Looking at the cross, we see love as a sacrifice, but today love has become more of a feeling. Love as a sacrifice looks out for the benefit of the other while love as a feeling looks out for the benefit of self. Father, we need to bring honor and sacrifice back into marriage.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Honor God's Law

“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19 ESV). This command to honor God’s Law is found in a section where Jesus is explaining that he came to fulfill the Law. Stating it's important, Jesus then points out the importance for us to understand the need to obey the commands and emphasize their importance to others. How effective we are in accomplishing this will determine our position in kingdom of heaven.

As I think about this I realize how relaxed we have come in obedience to the word. Our relationship to the word is like our eating habits. We select what we like and eat all we want without too much concern about how it will impact our health. We pick and choose what we like; for example, things like the verse of the day, or a devotional verse, or those that make us feel good, but anything that would cost us something, take our time, or limit us in fulfilling our desires, we tend to shun. As a result, our knowledge and experience with God is limited and we are not growing in spiritual maturity as we should. We need to be more intentional in our faithfulness to the word of God.

Prayer

Father, we need to embrace Galatians 2:20 (ESV): “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” We need to clearly understand that “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 ESV). Lord, we need to be broken before you so that you can use us to accomplish great things. We also need to understand that a rich meaningful life comes when we pour ourselves out in giving ourselves in serving others, to make room to receive more. If you fill your cup and leave it full it will soon become undesirable, but if we continue to pour out some we make room to receive more, which is new and refreshing.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Hear God's Voice

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15 ESV). At first this sentence seems out of place with little connection to what Jesus is saying. But realizing this to be a proverbial expression, frequently used by Jesus to draw attention to that which is important and which may require extra effort to understand, it then fits here as in many other places in Scripture. For example, see Matthew 13:9, Mark 4:23 and the end of each of the seven letters to the churches in Revelation.

When the reader encounters this expression, the command is too backup and read again what was written because it probably includes something of importance, which will require special attention to truly understand what is being said. In this current context, Jesus is saying that John the Baptist is the greatest of all, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater yet. Looking at verses 12 – 14, raises some interesting questions. How has the kingdom of heaven suffered violence since the days of John the Baptist? What have the prophets, of which John is the last, prophesied? How is John, Elijah who is to come? These are not easy questions to answer and may require extra study to understand. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” is a speed bump to draw your attention too slow down and think about what you just read or heard.

Prayer

Father, so often, when we read the Bible, we just read over the surface, like we were snorkeling, but we need to slow down and do some scuba diving to experience some of the beauty found at greater depths. It seems to me that this command is asking us to do more scuba reading to learn more about the mature things of God. Father, the past two years of Bible study have been so rich as to cause the things of the world to become simply shadows of what is truly real.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Go to Offenders

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17 ESV).

The discipline process outlined by these verses applies only for sin serious enough to remove a member from fellowship and there is evidence of that unrepentant sin by at least two or three witnesses. If the situation is about conflict resolution or there are not firsthand witnesses to the unrepentant sin, then these verses do not apply.

If a brother sins against you it is your responsibility to go to that brother, in love and humility, to seek his forgiveness. If he understands how he has sinned against you and seeks your forgiveness, then you have maintained fellowship with that brother. If that brother refuses to repent and evidence of that sin was witnessed by others, then take those witnesses with you and seek his forgiveness. If he refuses and the offense is serious enough to remove him from fellowship, then the final step is to be considered as a last resort. In our politically correct environment of today, this command is very rarely applied now. Even going to the brother who has sinned against you is often complicated by your own sin of sharing your hurt with others as judgment against him and not trying to help you brother who has stumbled.

Prayer

Father, as I think about those who offend us, I am reminded of what Paul said: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV). If we could live in this way, then the offense against us would probably not appear to be as serious as we think it to be.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Go the Second Mile

“You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38-42 ESV). We are not to apply these verses literally, but to understand the truth of what Jesus is teaching and how this might apply to the command of going the second mile.

When someone wrongs us it is our tendency to want to retaliate, but the expression of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is to place a limit on our need of justice to not exceed the injustice done to us. To not resist evil does not mean we give up to its advances when we have opportunity to hold it back. Jesus is not suggesting we allow continued abuse when there are means to overcome it. We are not to allow others to take what is ours just because they want it and there is a limit to what we can do for others. So, what is Jesus teaching through these extreme illustrations?

Consider an example of one who has been taken into custody by authorities for sharing the gospel in a country of persecution. The person is about to be tortured and any resistance would only make matters worse. To renounce your faith, as they demand, is not an acceptable option. Evidence shows and Scripture supports yielding our need of justice over to God, allowing a spirit of love and forgiveness to fill us, providing us with a supernatural witness of the power of the gospel. Many evil men have come to salvation from this kind of witness.

To gain the insight of these verses, one needs to understand the life of Jesus and live as he did. As the Son of God, he humbled himself to a shameful death on a cross to purchase our salvation. How do we resist the powers of darkness and advance the kingdom of God? By going the second mile when called upon to do so.

Prayer

Father, there have been many sermons preached and much written on going the second mile, but the bottom line seems to be our surrender to your will to accomplish your desire for us in doing kingdom work. Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to walk the second mile to give his life so that we who were spiritually dead in our sin could be forgiven and obtain eternal life. Father, help each of us be willing to go the extra mile, to sacrifice whatever is necessary to benefit someone else by living out our faith.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Forgive Offenders

“Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22 ESV). This command was prompted by a question Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness. Apparently Peter thought there was a limit on the number of times a person should be forgiven. Since Peter suggested seven times, Jesus also responds with a number. The number given was large enough to suggest no limit and was validated as such with an illustration.

The setting of the illustration is the kingdom of heaven and its king who wishes to settle accounts with his servants. He calls up one who owed more than a lifetime of wages and wanted payment. The servant fell on his knees and begged for time to repay, which would be an impossibility. Out of pity the king released him and forgave his debt. That forgiven servant then goes and finds a fellow servant and requires payment of debt owed him. That servant asks for time to repay, but the request was denied and he was sent to prison until he could pay in full.

The purpose of this story is to illustrate that each of us owes God more than we could ever pay to cover our sin and if we expect to enter heaven we would have to be forgiven our enormous debt. That forgiveness was made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it comes with conditions; a humble submission before Jesus in belief and the willingness on our part to forgive others: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15 ESV). Just as God is willing to forgive us who offend him, we are to forgive those who offend us, and without limit.

Prayer

Father, it appears that a characteristic of a believer is the willingness to forgive others. The range of seven times to 777 times would suggest we must forgive the small offenses as well as the large ones. Father, as I study persecution, I see extreme examples of this by those who can transfer their need of justice to God and then share expressions of love and forgiveness to those who are persecuting them. Replacing our need of justice with forgiveness is not natural and requires direction and strength from the Holy Spirit. Father, thank you for making that ability available and providing us with an example with Jesus and those who are willing to die for their faith.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Follow Me

“And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."” (Matthew 4:19 ESV). This command was given as an invitation to those men Jesus was calling to be his disciples. Apparently each one called decided to follow as there is no indication otherwise, and to those who follow and leave their current lifestyle, he promises to train to become fishers of men. Since this was a call to those to become his disciples, how might thus apply to us?

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands us, as believers, to go and make disciples. Each believer is therefore considered to be a disciple of his. As we follow Jesus our task is to call others, but only a few of them are actually chosen to follow: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14 ESV). As followers of Jesus, our job is to invite or to call, but only those who are lost sheep, will the Father choose to become disciples. The more people we call the more lost sheep we will find. Remember, of those called only a few are chosen, so we must not be discouraged.

It is important to point out that evidence of being chosen is that we will begin bearing fruit, “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:20 ESV). Those who are chosen receive the Holy Spirit and thus should display the fruit of the Spirit of “. . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; . . .” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV). A central piece of being chosen that is increasingly being ignored today I that we are by faith to be crucified with Christ, for “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV). As Jesus lives his life in me we will take on a new lifestyle and bear fruit to his glory. So, how are we doing in following Jesus?

Prayer

Father, as I think about a prayer in relation to this command to follow Jesus, I realize how far off the mark we are today. Our following involved little lifestyle change and little desire to commit to kingdom work. Following Jesus today appears more and more like being of the world, not being in the world as a representative of God, with the attitude that I have a free pass to heaven. Following Jesus is not being what I want to be, it is becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. 

Feed My Sheep

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."” (John 21:15 ESV). Again, Jesus meets with his disciples, after he was raised from the dead, and after breakfast, Jesus has some specific conversation with Peter concerning his denial of him at the time of his trial. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loved him and three times Peter affirms his love, and Jesus instructs him to be a godly shepherd.

Each of the three times Jesus asks Peter if he loved him and Peter affirms his love, Jesus responds with a different instruction. His instruction was “Feed my lambs”, “Tend my sheep”, and “Feed my sheep”. When Peter was originally called to follow Jesus, Jesus promised to make him a fisher of men; to search for and find lost sheep among men, but here Jesus is instructing Peter to continue the process of caring for the sheep. We should be careful not to separate being fishers of men from making disciples. Jesus said, “Go” (being fishers of men) and make disciples (being a godly shepherd). These are not jobs to be done, but a process like raising a child in a family.

It is interesting to note that Peter denied Jesus around a charcoal fire and it is around a charcoal fire that he is restored. Jesus wants Peter, and you and I, to be a godly shepherd, and thus our command, “Feed My Sheep.”

Prayer

Father, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him more than these fish they had just caught. I believe we are being asked a similar question today, but the word fish is to be replaced by whatever draws our love. Whatever that might be, the question is do we love Jesus more? Father, it appears that our love for you is validated by our attention to being a godly shepherd. It is so easy to put forth effort to feed ourselves and ignore the needs of the sheep. Father, I pray that we will be more intentional at being godly shepherds.  

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Fear Not

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 NASB). We are going to see the importance of context as we look at this command. This verse is found in a section of verses that is titled, “Have No Fear” in the ESV translation, but which is found in a much larger section that is titled, “The Meaning of Discipleship” in the NASB translation. This context of do not fear within the context of making disciples, directs us to a proper application.

Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), which for many is something they fear. Here in the west that fear may simply be the fear of embarrassment, but in countries of persecution, it could mean torcher, a prison sentence or even death. The context of “Have No Fear” is therefore in relationship to making disciples and what might happen to you if you do.

Jesus tells us to go and proclaim the gospel from the housetops and do not fear those who can kill you. Jesus also said, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16 ESV). Knowing that you are out among wolves and could easily lose your life is reason for fear, but there is another, higher level of fear, which we in the west have managed to ignore and that is fear of God in relationship to disobedience. Every believer must stand before the judgment seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10 – 15) for a time of evaluation. Jesus said, “Go.” Do we not fear standing before him if we have not been obedient? Should not that fear be greater than fearing what men can do to us if we obey?

Prayer

Father, as I think about fearing God I realize that is something we do not teach or preach about. We constantly hear about God’s love for us and as a result we fail to think about love including discipline for disobedience. We constantly hear messages that make us feel comfortable and safe, not messages about that which probable cause us a level of suffering and as a result fear of discipline is not a motivation for obedience for us. I confess that I still have areas in my life where I am struggling with that. Father, help us fear that which we should fear; disobedience.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Do Unto Others

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12 ESV). We know this verse as the “Golden Rule” and in the form we probably all learned it as children it was, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In the positive sense you treat others like you want to be treated or in the negative sense you do not treat others in ways that you don’t want to be treated. This is a concept that is found in some form in nearly every religion and extents back to ancient days.

This principal of reciprocity is found in various forms in the New Testament. For example: Matthew 6:15: As we forgive others, our Father will forgive us; Galatians 5:14: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”; John 3:16: God gave Jesus that he might receive us; 1 Peter 3:9: “not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling”; Matthew 7:1 – 5: As you judge others you will also be judged. The example set for us is that God loved us enough to sacrifice his son on a cross so that he might receive us and our love. If we were to live to meet God’s desire the world would sure be a different place to live.

Prayer

Father, as I worked on this command I was intrigued by the thought that you loved us and desired that we freely love you. To make that possible and as a demonstration of your love for us, you were willing to sacrifice your Son. We desire others to love us, but what are we willing to sacrifice for that love? Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, generally involves some form of sacrifice, but is our desire strong enough and are we willing to benefit the other person to receive what we desire? Father, it appears from the trends in our nation that we need more good reciprocity today.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Do Not Lust

“You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28 ESV). Today we are experiencing a sexual revolution with sexual stimulation coming from many sources. In fact, it is difficult to avoid it.  As a result, this command, to not lust, is very relevant, but is being ignored by many, even by Christians. I can remember when adultery (sexual activity between a married person and one who is not their spouse) was a crime and tried in our courts. I was even a witness called before such a trial because of what I had seen, but today sexual activity is accepted and expressed in print and in visual formats.

At the time of Jesus, the command not to commit adultery was probably explained by the Pharisees as extending only to the external act and not to evil thoughts or desirable imagination. Jesus corrected them by saying the command extends to the secrets of the heart and the looking with the eyes. Those who indulge their imaginations with wanton desire or who look at a woman with desire, have already, in the sight of God, violated the command. That which begins in the heart, if not controlled, may live itself out in reality as was the case with king David.

James speaks of this process of evil desire beginning in the heart: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15 ESV). How much grief and suffering could be avoided today if this command were obeyed, but with many it is not and in the end life becomes so much more difficult, especially for any children involved.

Prayer

Father, as your children we fall so far short in setting a moral standard for the world to rub against and instead we have allowed their standards to creep into our lives. With the emphasis on holy and righteous living lacking, we are allowing sin to creep in, darkening our lives. With our light diminishing, we are losing our ability to guide the loss to their needed savior and together we are headed toward appropriate judgement. Father, as we see the devastating changes taking place in our culture, we have but us to blame. I have a suspicion it might take persecution to encourage obedience.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Do Not Cast Pearls

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matthew 7:6 ESV). This command, “Do not cast pearls” is found at the end of a section of verses about judging others. We are warned that as we judge others we will likewise be judged. We are not to point out some flaw in another when we have an even greater flaw in ourselves to take care of. It is in that context that we are instructed not to give that which is holy and of great value to dogs and pigs.

To the Jews, dogs and pigs are considered unclean and suggest vile sinful people that the Jewish leaders would avoid. That which is holy and of great worth could suggest the word of God and the truths of the gospel. This metaphor is thus generally understood of not delivering or communicating the word of God or the truths of the gospel to vile evil people. But should not all hear the gospel as there might be some lost sheep found among them?

Since this metaphor is at the end of a section about judging others then it must somehow relate to that context. I believe it has to do with how we use the word of God and the gospel when around vile evil people. What message are we communicating? Is it judging them or sharing the love and forgiveness of God? Proverbs provides guidance for us: “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.” (Proverbs 9:7-8 ESV). 

In place of correction we might consider sharing the message: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17 ESV). There are testimonies of men of great evil coming to salvation because of expressions of love and forgiveness from those being tortured. There may be times when God would have us say nothing, but foremost, our goal is to find lost sheep and guide them spiritually, not to increase the anger and hate of people and thus push them farther away from God.

Prayer

Father, you promised to give us the words to say when facing a difficult situation. I pray that our stance before evil would be that of Jesus with a clear message of love and forgiveness, being willing to suffer for our faith if called upon to do so.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Do Not Worry

“But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Matthew 10:19-20 NKJV). For some reason this command is not found in standard lists of commandments of Jesus. This command is also found at Matthew 6:25, but in a different context. It reads: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 ESV).

The context in Matthew 10 is coming persecution, while in Matthew 6 it is about daily living. The one we think about the most here in the west relates to daily living, simply because we don't currently live under persecution. That experience may be closer than we think and should be considered.

In Matthew 10, Jesus speaks of us as sheep being sent out in the midst of wolves. This illustration and the details Jesus gives about what will happen is clearly understood as it is being experienced in countries of persecution. There the wolves, the evil men, the pawns of darkness, will bring us before those in authority, usually with false charges. Family members may oppose us as well as others. Sheep in the midst of wolves describes suffering, even death for the sheep.

In Matthew 6, Jesus appears to be speaking to those living in poverty who are anxious about having what they need for daily living. This is a common experience by many who live in countries of persecution, under unstable social conditions, or times of severe environmental conditions. There are many things that are related to daily living that seem to stimulate us to worry from time to time.

Following both examples, Jesus gives reasons why we should not be anxious or worry. To read those reasons please see Matthew 6:25 – 33 and Matthew 10:16 – 22. In addition to those suggestions, we should think about what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6 – 7 (ESV): “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV). Verse 6 describes what we are to do when we feel anxious and verse 7 gives the benefits. For further information on this, please follow this link to a previous study.

Prayer

Father, worry seems to be an emotion that reveals our apparent inability to cope with something. These verses remind us not to remain in that state, but instead remember that you love us and will care for us and that we should come to you and with thanksgiving we should share what we are experiencing. Help us stay focused on you and not on the situation that is troubling us so that we may enjoy your peace and hope in the midst of trouble.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Despise Not the Little Ones

“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 18:10 NLT). In order to understand this command, we need to understand the context of “these little ones”. Going back to verse 1, we find the disciples asking Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Using a child as an example, Jesus explains that whoever humbles himself like a believing child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This, I believe, establishes the context of childlike faith.

Looking at the verses that follow verse 10, we have the parable of the lost sheep, but what is a lost sheep and how might they relate to these little ones that we are not to despise or look down on? Everyone may not agree with me at this point, but a lost sheep is a person the Father has chosen for salvation and is yet to be born spiritually. A lost sheep is one who has been spiritually conceived by God and is in their spiritual gestation period, growing in spiritual awareness to the point where they are ready to be born spiritually.

These little ones are the lost sheep we are commanded to go into all the world and find and make disciples of. They are of little faith and need our help in becoming spiritually mature. We are not to despise them for their immaturity, but we are to encourage their spiritual growth. Special care for the health of a child before and after physical birth is necessary as it is for spiritual birth. Heaven waits with anticipation for these little ones, these lost sheep, to be found and nourished to the point of spiritual birth.

Prayer

Father, when the context of a verse like this one is seriously considered, an interpretation may be quite different than first expected. If we are great in the kingdom of heaven we will be humble servants, seeking out these little ones in faith to bring into fellowship with spiritually born believers. We are not to despise them, but patiently provide a nourishing environment to stimulate spiritual growth. Father, how focused we have become on our own wants and thus fail to meet the needs of these little ones. Father, have mercy on us.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Deny Yourself

“And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”” (Luke 9:23-25 ESV). We may say we are followers of Jesus, but does our lifestyle support that claim? What does Jesus expect from those who follow him? He gives three things we should do if we decide to come after him. First, we are to deny living for self and humbly submit our will to God. We are to live out the Lord’s prayer, which says, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We are to be as committed as Jesus was when he prayed in the garden and said to his Father, “Not my will but yours be done and then he willingly went to the cross to die for us. We are to be willing to step aside from our rights and be willing to be a sacrifice for the sake of the gospel and the needs of others.

Second, we are to take up our cross daily. The cross is not a symbol of a burden we are to carry; it is a symbol of death by the most painful and humiliating means humans could devise. To carry the cross is to carry your own execution device among those who ridicule you for your belief. We are to be willing to die too self and even to die physical in order to follow Jesus? Jesus made this point clear when he said, “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. We see this being lived out daily in countries of persecution where believers are suffering and even dying for their faith.

Third, we are to follow Jesus. At the time when Jesus said, “Follow me”, he was inviting them to stay with him as he taught and traveled from place to place. In this way they could listen to him and watch how he lived and learn how to live as one of God’s children. Today we have the Scriptures from which we can learn about him and then as believers. We are to take his yoke and as we walk and work with him we are to learn from him. To do this we are to be crucified with Christ and allow him to live in and through us. For me to follow Jesus at a particular time in my life required me to spend time with him ministering in China.

Prayer

Father, following Jesus has been quite an adventure as it has taken me to different parts of the world to minister and to learn about people there. To follow him I had to let go of certain desires and even do some things I didn't want to do, but I learned from doing them. Today as I follow him, he has taken me in to social media to write Bible studies, providing a witness for him to readers in a surprising number of countries. Following Jesus comes with restraints, but through those restraints I find a different kind of freedom in a life of purpose, meaning and value. Father, thank you for choosing me and giving me to Jesus to become like him.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Choose the Narrow Way

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV). This command relates to our salvation. When we are born physically we are by default on the way that leads to destruction and unless we obey this command and enter by the narrow gate we will continue on to eternal destruction.

A verse that adds meaning is: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV). In Romans 3:23, Paul tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and the wage of that sin death. We are born spiritually dead and as we live out life we continue to sin until we die physically, but while we are physically alive we have the opportunity to enter by the narrow gate, which is Jesus Christ, and be born spiritually and receive eternal life.

In countries of persecution, that choice could result in great hardship, even death. The way that leads to life is hard and those who find it are few. Here in the west very little is said about the Christian life being difficult. Here salvation is seen by many as a ticket to heaven and a life of safety, security and comfort here on earth. An emphasis is not made that as new creatures in Christ we have an assignment to carry out. As members of the kingdom of God, we have kingdom work to do, part of which is to go and make disciples. We are to pick up our cross daily and remember that by faith we have been crucified with Jesus Christ and we are to allow him to live his life in and through us (Galatians 2:20).

Prayer

Father, thank you that through Jesus Christ you have provided a way of salvation. It is given as a free gift, which we must accept if we are to obey the command to enter through the narrow gate. It is a gift that comes with responsibility and as your children we can expect times of discipline as you develop a Christ like character in us. Yes, the gate is narrow and the way is hard, but Father, the benefits are more than worth the hardship. Thank you for the gift of salvation.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Bring in the Poor

“He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."” (Luke 14:12-14 ESV). The command before us today is to bring in the poor.

I believe the implication of this command goes beyond the context of our verses of who to invite to dinner or a banquet, but to who we become involved with and for what reason. An interesting thought that just came to mind is, “Don't do for others what they can do for you, but do for others what that they can’t do for you.” This brings to mind an event that occurs each year that is a very difficult time for me; that event is Christmas. The practice of giving gifts to each other is the same idea as inviting to dinner those who will invite you back. That is not truly giving but an exchange. As I watch people do it and see their reactions I have to force myself to remain during this time of celebration because my heart is breaking for those who are suffering because of evil and have such great needs. This exchange of gifts will become extreme when the two witnesses die and the world rejoices (Revelation 11:7 – 10).

The emphasis of this command is to reach out to those in need who cannot repay you; to establish a relationship with them for the purpose of encouraging an interest in spiritual things. Because of our sinful nature we tend to look out for our own interest and fail to give adequate attention to the interest of others (Philippians 2:4).

Prayer

Father, as I wrote about this command I was reminded of the tendency we have of wanting to identify with or associate with those who are equal or better off than we are for the purpose of how we might benefit from them. This command is a reminder that life is not about ourselves but about Jesus Christ and others. As believers we have been given the assignment of searching for lost sheep and making disciples out of them.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Beware of Leaven

“Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."” (Matthew 16:6 ESV). The command from this verse is to watch and beware of something that leaven represents. Normally we think of leaven as a substance like yeast that is added to dough to make it ferment and rise. That is what the disciples thought, but Jesus had a different meaning in mind. He was thinking of a pervasive influence that would modify one’s behavior negatively.  With the emphasis on watch and beware, one realizes the influence by the Pharisees and Sadducees was inclined toward evil. Looking at the last verse of this section that our verse is from, verse 12, we see that Jesus was referring to the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The application of this command for us is that we are to carefully evaluate what we hear and determine if it is really true so as to not be led astray. If it is true it will encourage freedom, otherwise it will lead us toward bondage. Consider the following verses: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1-3 ESV). In addition to this test we need to determine if there is any conflict of the message with Scripture.

Prayer

Father, today we seem to be willing to accept what we hear if we find it agreeable to our thinking. Even Christians are becoming a standard to which a message is evaluated, not truth as found in the Scriptures. As we drift away from Jesus, the source of truth, we drift away from an interest in truth and the ability of discern right and wrong. Father, you provided us with salvation, but with it came the handbook of life. We need to spend more time learning how to live by the handbook if we are to obey this command.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Beware of False Prophets

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:15-16 ESV). This command, “Beware of False Prophets”, is found in a lengthy teaching session called “The Sermon on the Mount”, which begins in chapter 5 verse 3 and comes from a section titled “A Tree and Its Fruit”.

This command is a warning about a danger that could harm us and the context provides information about recognizing that danger. The danger is from people who present themselves as believers, but are not. These people are referred to as false prophets dressed up to look like sheep, but inside they are ravenous wolves determined to destroy you. They are workers of the evil one, determined to destroy the church through false teaching or as we see today, they gather information on who the real sheep are, where they live and what Christian materials they have for the purpose of a future arrest or some form of persecution.

These wolves can be recognized by their fruit. The example given is the ability to know a tree by its fruit. Inspection of the fruit determines the kind of tree and its health. One of the best test available is found in Galatians 5:22 – 23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” If the fruit is good it will display these characteristics. These characteristics must, however, be inspected to be sure they are genuine and not fake, otherwise they are only sheep clothing and not heart qualifies and the person is actually your enemy.

Prayer

Father, it appears possible that there are people who think they are sheep but are not. These people speak the Christian language and even do Christian work, but they are not born again. It seems that the intent of these people is not to deceive others, as are those labeled above as wolves, but they themselves are deceived. Their danger is their emphasis on religion and not relationship with Jesus, which allows impunity from the world to creep into our churches causing unhealthy conditions that we see in the western church. Father, we need your help in overcoming this.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Beware of Covetousness

“And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."” (Luke 12:15 ESV). In this verse, Jesus commands us to beware of covetousness or to wrongly desire something, possibly without regard for the rights of others. This command comes out of a request made by someone in the crowd listening to Jesus, who wanted help in getting part of an inheritance from a family member. In this context Jesus gives a warning against equating a good life with the accumulation of things.

Jesus illustrates this command with a parable of the rich man who should have a very good harvest and decided to tear down his old barns and build larger ones so he could store the harvest and enjoy a good life for many years. Jesus calls him a fool because his focus is on the benefits of his harvest and not on the needs of others or on his own preparation for eternity. Jesus refers to anyone who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God as a fool.

Prayer

Father, living in a country of great wealth, it is easy to covet things and build your life around them and be distracted from preparing for life after death. With such access to things, we have become comfortable and lose sight of the importance of spiritual growth and the need to share the gospel with others. Father, my concern for the western church is that as we covet things and refuse to share the gospel, we are opening the door for persecution to come upon us as judgment. Father, have mercy on us and draw us back to you.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Wise as Serpents

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16 ESV). The command we are looking at is “Be Wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” The context our verse is from is about persecution. As believers, we are described as sheep that are being sent out in the midst of wolves to share the gospel. As a result of this threat to our safety, we are commanded to be wise and innocent in the face of persecution. Looking ahead in this section, we also find that in the face of persecution we are to beware of men, not be anxious, not be afraid but to endure with love and forgiveness.

Selecting the serpent as a symbol of wisdom is found in the early parables of most eastern nations. We find the serpent being described in Genesis 3:1 as being craftier than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. We are to be wise in how we live among those who would persecute us. We can gain this wisdom by walking close to Jesus and learning from those who face persecution today. We need to understand our enemy and how to maintain a strong position with the Lord. If overcome by the enemy, we will also need wisdom to know how to respond.

The dove is a symbol of innocence. The dove, as a symbol of the Spirit of God, descended and came to rest on Jesus at his baptism; this Jesus being innocent of any crime was condemned to die on the cross for our benefit. In the face of persecution, we are, like Jesus, to maintain a life of innocence.

Prayer

Father, as we live in the face of evil we are to be wise in our walk and innocent in our behavior and if we are forced to suffer for our faith I pray that we would maintain our witness through our love and forgiveness. Maybe this is the only way the one persecuting us will have to experience the gospel. Father, I pray for my brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith, that they would be encouraged, would be able to endure the trial, and would stand steadfast in their faith. 

Be Servants

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28 ESV). The mother of two of the disciples came to Jesus and asked if they could sit, one on his left and one on his right, in his kingdom. This provided Jesus with an opportunity to point out that a position of power is not as important as the humility of a servant.

Jesus, as the Son of God, spoke the universe into existence, but yet he came into his creation, to earth, as a humble servant. He did not come as a powerful political figure, but one who would bear the shame of the cross and die for our salvation. If God, the most powerful agent in existence can humble himself to that extent, then we, as his children, must be willing and committed to the role of servant, which in his kingdom is a position of power and greatness.

Prayer

Father, how difficult it is to walk in humility when the flesh wants the attention of others. Father, how important Galatians 2:20 is in this walk: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (ESV). The only way that I can walk in humility is to die too self so that Jesus can live in me. He's is the key that opens the way to walk in humility as a servant with joy and peace.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Reconciled

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.” (Matthew 5:23-25 ESV). The command of Jesus before us is, “Be reconciled.”

A person has brought their gift before the alter to offer a sacrifice and then remembers being out of fellowship with a brother. Jesus makes it clear that it is more important to leave the sacrifice unfinished and try to reconcile with the brother. Paul also points out the importance of living peaceably with one another: “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; . . ." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21 ESV).

Prayer

Father, because of our sinful nature it is so easy to live for self and overlook the rights and needs of others and allow a breach to develop in relationships. Father, help me look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others, especially those of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:4, 21 ESV) and when I offend another, encourage me to mend the relationship by seeking forgiveness.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Perfect

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:46-48 ESV). What does it mean to be perfect? One might think of being faultless or flawless, but the idea here is that of completeness of our being. In this life we are to be born again and then grow in spiritual maturity. We are to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ to be seen as complete now, then through the resurrection we will have eternal completeness of being; we will be perfect as our Heavenly Father is. Then we will be partakers of his divine nature and be able to love as he loves.

Prayer

Father, it is hard to imagine what it will be like to be perfect as you are and live as Jesus lived. Being born spiritually was a big change in life, but to be like Jesus is more that I can understand. When I think of this I realize how far short I fall. Father, I seek your forgiveness and ask for your help in doing better.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be Born Agin

“Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'” (John 3:5-7 ESV). Life comes in two stages: first is physical life, which provides the possibility of spiritual life. Everyone physically born is born spiritually dead and needs to experience spiritual birth before physical death occurs.

The command before us is: “You must be born again.” If we ignore this command we remain in our sin under the wrath of God, “[but], if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 ESV), being in Christ. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV). That new creation has eternal life, the result of obedience to the command to be born again.

Prayer

Father, I believe salvation is a gift that is given, not something we can work for. Being born again is an event in our lives caused by you, not something we can do. To obey the command to be born again is to realize that it is a life and death event that we must be involved in. To ignore the command is to remain spiritually dead. Father, thank you for the gift of salvation.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Be a House of Prayer

“He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."” (Matthew 21:13 ESV). Jesus comes into the temple and finds an area where Jews and Gentiles could come and pray filled with money changers and people buying and selling items for the sacrifice. In righteous anger, Jesus drives them out and stating, from Isaiah 56:7, that this is to be a house of prayer, but instead the space was corrupted through merchandising and cheating.

Jesus commands they use the temple as a house of prayer. This command applies to us as believers because our bodies are described as temples of the Holy Spirit. I would broaden this to include our churches and ask you to think about the decreasing importance of prayer in both cases and how it is being replaces with other activities and interest. How many churches still have a midweek prayer service or even a Sunday night service. How many of you see the importance of time each day for prayer? I believe this command of Jesus applies to us in that we are to keep our temple from pollution and embrace the act of daily prayer.

Prayer

Father, in the same way that corruption crept into the temple it is creeping into our churches and our lives by replacing the activity of prayer with some worldly practice. The changes I have seen and experienced during my 80 years of life is truly disturbing. For most believers, prayer to involve God in our activities and ministry has been replaced with our own effort. As a result, what is accomplished is only a reflection of our efforts, not a joint effort with God.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.