The Commands of Jesus

A devotional study by bestselling novelist and devotional writer Michael Phillips, identifying 120 commands of Jesus from the gospels.

Jesus often introduces the subject of obedience with the tiny but eternally significant word if. He recognizes that there are always two paths—obedience and disobedience. He commands obedience. But many will not obey.

This obedience is a natural outgrowth of love:

If you love me you will obey my commandments. (John 14:15) He who has my commands and keeps them, he it is who loves me. (John 14:21) If a man loves me, he will keep my word. (John 14:23) You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:14) Jesus is well aware of the games people play with spiritual things. He wants none to mistake what it means to be his follower. Many will claim to love him. Many will pretend to love him. Many will talk about loving him. Many will analyze what it means to love him. However a Christian is distinguished and defined by one, and only one, thing: Obedience.

Obedience to the Commands of Jesus is a daily, moment-by-moment choice. We make it over and over. We are continually making it. It is a progressive and ongoing choice that defines what it means to love Jesus and be his follower.

1. Opening Credits
2. Command 1: Obey my Commands
3. Command 2: Love
4. Command 3: Love God
5. Command 4: Love Man
6. Command 5: Love the Brethren
7. Command 6: Pray
8. Command 7: Be Careful and Watchful
9. Command 8: Remain Alert and on Guard
10. Command 9: Take Heart, Take Courage
11. Command 10: Don't Be Afraid
12. Command 11: Be Pure
13. Command 12: Guard against Ambition
14. Command 13: Commit No Sexual Sins
15. Command 14: Be Patient, Enduring, Preserving
16. Command 15: Repent
17. Command 16: Listen
18. Command 17: Listen Carefully
19. Command 18: Be Clear Minded, Thoughtful, Mentally, Diligent
20. Command 19: Apply Your Self to Think, Learn, Understand
21. Command 20: Think No Impure Thought
22. Command 21: Be Humble
23. Command 22: Give When Asked and Do More Than Required
24. Command 23: Follow Me
25. Command 24: Care for the Suffering
26. Command 25: Give to the Poor
27. Command 26: Believe
28. Command 27: Believe in God
29. Command 28: Believe in Me
30. Command 29: Don’t Be Anxious
31. Command 30: Believe That You Will Receive What You Pray For
32. Command 31: Be Righteous
33. Command 32: If Part of Your Body Sins, Get Rid of It
34. Command 33: Be at Peace, Reconciled, and United With Others
35. Command 34: Deny Yourself
36. Command 35: Lose Your Life
37. Command 36: Be a Servant
38. Command 37: Do Not Defraud
39. Command 38: Be a Son or Daughter of God
40. Command 39: Pray, Fast, Give, and Do Good in Secret
41. Command 40: Beware of Practicing Piety to Be Noticed
42. Command 41: Forgive
43. Command 42: Forgive 70x7 Times
44. Command 43: Do Good, Be Good
45. Command 44: Seek First God’s Kingdom
46. Command 45: Store up Treasure in Heaven
47. Command 46: Be Kind
48. Command 47: Love and Pray for Your Adversaries
49. Command 48: Do Good to Those Who Hate You
50. Command 49: Do Not Exalt Yourself
51. Command 50: Honor Your Father and Mother
52. Command 51: Guard Against Hypocrisy
53. Command 52: Let Your Light Shine Before Men
54. Command 53: If Someone Takes From You, Do Not Demand Back at What You Have Given
55. Command 54: Seek No Spiritual Signs
56. Command 55: Be Born Again
57. Command 56: Do Not Justify or Worry How to Defend Yourself
58. Command 57: Learn of Me
59. Command 58: Receive the Kingdom of God Like a Child
60. Command 59: Have Salt in Yourselves
61. Command 60: Be a Good Steward Over What God Has Given You
62. Command 61: Trust and Have Faith in God
63. Command 62: Do Not Be Called Teacher or Leader
64. Command 63: Do Not Be Diverted by Externals, Traditions, and Doctrines, but Look to the Heart
65. Command 64: Don’t Fret About Trifles
66. Command 65: Do Not Show Goodness and Hospitality Only to Those Who Are Kind to You
67. Command 66: Worship the Lord and Serve Him Only
68. Command 67: Do Not Desire More Than God Gives You
69. Command 68: Do Not Pray Ostentatiously and With Empty Phrases
70. Command 69: Remain Gratefully Aware of Your Spiritual Need
71. Command 70: Take Up Your Cross
72. Command 71: Do and Think Toward Others as You Would Have Them Behave Toward You
73. Command 72: Don’t Judge
74. Command 73: Deal With Your Own Faults Before Thinking of the Faults of Others
75. Command 74: Ask, Seek, Knock
76. Command 75: Enter Through the Narrow Gate
77. Command 76: Come to Me With Your Burdens and Find Rest
78. Command 77: Take My Yoke Upon You
79. Command 78: Don’t Swear
80. Command 79: Judge Rightly Not by Appearances
81. Command 80: Give the World Its Due and Give God the Things That Are His
82. Command 81: Love Truth, Speak Truth, Do Truth
83. Command 82: Do Not Speak Carelessly
84. Command 83: Acknowledge Your Discipleship
85. Command 84: Let Your Yes Be Yes and Your No Be No
86. Command 85: Do Not Doubt
87. Command 86: Speak Graciously With Words of Peace
88. Command 87: Let People Injure You Without Retaliating
89. Command 88: Show Mercy
90. Command 89: Proclaim the Kingdom of God
91. Command 90: Don’t Insult or Call Anyone a Fool
92. Command 91: Rule Your Life by the Will of God
93. Command 92: Settle Disputes Promptly and Privately
94. Command 93: Ask the Lord of the Harvest to Send Workers
95. Command 94: Partake of the Symbols of My Body and Blood
96. Command 95: Do for the Least of Humanity as You Would for Me
97. Command 96: Do Not Give Way to Anger
98. Command 97: Do Not Close Your Eyes to the Holy Spirit’s Work
99. Command 98: Give Generously and Not Merely From Your Abundance
100. Command 99: Don’t Heed False Prophets
101. Command 100: Obey the Commandments
102. Command 101: Be Glad in All Circumstances
103. Command 102: Give Up Everything
104. Command 103: Don’t Resist Evil Men
105. Command 104: Do Not Lead Others Into Sin
106. Command 105: Teach the Nations to Obey What I Have Commanded
107. Command 106: Do Not Follow the Example of Those Who Preach but Do Not Practice
108. Command 107: Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine
109. Command 108: Do Not Test the Lord
110. Command 109: Wash One Other’s Feet
111. Command 110: Be Wise as Snakes and Innocent as Doves
112. Command 111: Abide in Me by Obeying My Commands
113. Command 112: Don’t Separate What God Has Joined
114. Command 113: Love Me by Having My Commands and Words and Keeping Them
115. Command 114: Count the Cost of Single-Minded Devotion to God
116. Command 115: Don’t Look Back on Your Past Life
117. Command 116: Don’t Call Me Lord and Not Do What I Tell You
118. Command 117: Do as I Do and Become Like Me
119. Command 118: Bear Fruit as My Disciples
120. Command 119: Practice My Words
121. Command 120: This Is My Command: Love One Another
122. Closing Credits