Now that those of us who desire to learn the commandments of Jesus have a complete index of all of His commands with the book Every Commandment of Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible, the key matter for each of us to determine in our own lives is whether Jesus’s commands are the authority in our lives OR whether the application of Jesus’s commands, or lack thereof, is up to our own discretion.
It was around 2,000 years ago that Jesus commanded,
“If you love me, keep my commandments.”
–John 14:15
Yet today, many people who say they love Jesus do not keep much of what He said on a day-to-day basis, nor do they have a clear understanding of what His commandments actually are.
Have we, the followers of Jesus Christ, decided that living and learning what Jesus teaches His followers to do is discretionary?
Here is a definition from Merriam-Webster concerning the word discretionary:
“left to individual choice or judgment.”
Dictionary.com defines it like this:
“for any use or purpose one chooses.”
Authoritative, however, is defined as “proceeding from authority – possessing recognized or evident authority.”
It would be good to have a firm conclusion about how we ought to treat what the Bible records that Jesus commanded His followers to do. As our Lord, Master, King, and Teacher, are Jesus’s commandments merely recommendations that we can decide to do or not do as we choose OR are His commandments absolute rule for our lives as soldiers taking direction from our commander and chief?
There is nothing discretionary about the statement “if you love me, keep my commandments.”
There is nothing discretionary about the things that Jesus commands of His followers.
If we definitively claim Jesus Christ to be our Lord, Master, King, Teacher, and Messiah, how is it that we leave what He teaches us to do up to our own choice or judgment?
Let us remember this question of Jesus:
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
–Luke 6:46
Jesus continued to say..
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
–Luke 6:47-49
Let us followers of Jesus Christ commit ourselves to learning His commandments and living them as orders given to us from our King whom we love and are committed to obeying.
If Jesus is the authority in our lives, let us be sure that the fruit of our lives is according to His word.
Learn all the commandments of Jesus Christ with the book:
Every Commandment of Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible
Available at: www.UnitedInJesusChrist.org/store
