Introduction. Jesus offered a challenge to all who proclaim themselves a Christian. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46). A second challenge is “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn. 14:15). Thus, those who call Jesus “Lord” while not keeping His word are only token disciples. If we truly believe “for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (Jn. 18:37), then we must meet His expectations or let go of the truth. If we want to be His genuine disciples, we must accept and submit and never question anything He said.
This critical decision can only be done fully or not at all. The very instant we decide there is a command to which we will refuse to submit, we are no longer of the truth and He is no longer our Lord. In setting aside a command we place ourselves as His equal in deciding what is truth and what it not. It also violates another challenge: “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32). This is a simple fundamental truth. Only if we abide in His word can we be genuine disciples because “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God,” for only “the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” (2Jn. 9). Jesus’ commands are the boundary between fellowship with truth, Jesus and God the Father or with error & lies.
This critical decision can only be done fully or not at all. The very instant we decide there is a command to which we will refuse to submit, we are no longer of the truth and He is no longer our Lord. In setting aside a command we place ourselves as His equal in deciding what is truth and what it not. It also violates another challenge: “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn. 8:31-32). This is a simple fundamental truth. Only if we abide in His word can we be genuine disciples because “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God,” for only “the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.” (2Jn. 9). Jesus’ commands are the boundary between fellowship with truth, Jesus and God the Father or with error & lies.