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All I Have Commanded, Chapter 6
by Dan Bentley and E. Jay O'Keefe
Important Note: The ¡°one-liners¡± for each command are provided in order to get a quick grasp of the entire category of commands. They can be read at a single sitting, which we recommend doing. But they are not a substitute for the full text. We urge you to read every full reference from the
Scriptures in its context.
FROM JESUS
MATTHEW
24:42-44 Be on the alert for you do not know when your Lord is coming.
26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
LUKE
18:1-8 He gave us a parable to teach us that we ought always to pray and not lose heart.
JOHN
8:31-32 If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You will know My truth and it will make you free.
15:4-7 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask what you wish and it shall be done for you.
15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father¡¯s commandments.
FROM THE APOSTLES
ACTS
20:28-31 Be on guard for false teachers. Protect the flock which the Holy Spirit has given you to shepherd.
ROMANS
12:12 Rejoice in hope. Persevere in tribulation. Be devoted to prayer.
13:11-14 Put away drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, strife, etc., and put on Jesus, making no provision for the flesh.
1 CORINTHIANS
9:24-27 Discipline yourself in such a way that you may earn a maximum reward for your ministry.
15:58 Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
GALATIANS
4:12 I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong.
5:1 Keep standing firm in the freedom Christ has given you and don¡¯t be again subject to a yoke of slavery.
6:4-5 Examine your own work, then you¡¯ll have reason to boast regarding yourself, for each shall bear his own load.
6:9 Don¡¯t lose heart in doing good, for in due time you will reap if you do not grow weary.
EPHESIANS
4:1-2 Walk worthy of your calling, with humility and patience, showing forbearance to one another in love.
4:3-6 Be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
5:6-8 Let no one deceive you with words which bring the wrath of God on the disobedient. Don¡¯t partake with them.
5:11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose/reprove them.
5:15-17 Be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, understanding what the will of God is.
6:14-15 Stand firm in the truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the gospel of peace.
6:18 Pray at all times in the Spirit, and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all saints.
PHILIPPIANS
1:27, 2:1-2 Walk worthy of the gospel of Christ. Stand firm and be of one mind and one spirit together for the faith.
1:29 Because you have been granted for Christ¡¯s sake to believe in Him, expect also to suffer for His sake.
2:12-13 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for God works in you to will and to do His good pleasure.
2:16-18, 3:1 Hold fast the word of life, that in the day of Christ, those who taught and served you may
rejoice.
3:12-15 Forget what lies behind. Reach forward and press toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
COLOSSIANS
2:6-7 As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
3:1-4 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.
1 THESSALONIANS
2:11-12 As exhorted by the apostles and your teachers, walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom.
5:2-7 Knowing the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, don¡¯t sleep as others do, but be alert and sober.
5:8-10 Be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
2 THESSALONIANS
2:1-3 Let no one deceive you. The Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes and the lawless one is revealed.
2:13-15 Stand firm and hold to the traditions you have been taught, by word of mouth, or by letter from the apostles.
3:13 Do not grow weary of doing good.
1 TIMOTHY
1:3-4 Ignore myths and endless genealogies, which foster speculation rather than build the kingdom, which is by faith.
4:13-16 Teachers, give attention to public reading of Scripture, exhortation, teaching. Take pains with these things.
4:13-16 Teachers, watch yourself and your teaching. Perseverance will insure salvation for you and those you teach.
6:11-14 Flee love of money and the desire to get rich, rather pursue righteousness, faith, love. Keep
this commandment.
6:20-21 Guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid worldly arguments, falsely called knowledge, which lead astray.
2 TIMOTHY
1:8 Don¡¯t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, but suffer for the gospel according to the power of God.
1:13-14 Retain the standard of sound words of your teachers, and guard them as a treasure entrusted to you.
2:3-4 As good soldiers of Christ, suffer hardship, not becoming entangled in everyday life, that you may please Christ.
2:15 Present yourself a workman approved by God, who needs not be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
2:16-18 Avoid worldly and empty chatter, which will lead to ungodliness and spread like gangrene.
3:1-5 Realize difficult times will come in the last days, as men commit every form of sin rooted in pride. Avoid them.
3:14-15 Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you learned them.
TITUS
2:11-15 Deny ungodliness and worldliness. Live righteously and godly in this age, anticipating the Lord¡¯s return.
HEBREWS
3:1-6 Consider Jesus, faithful as a Son over his house, whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence to the end.
3:7-15, 4:7 Take care brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart in falling away from the living God.
4:1-3 Fear, lest while a promise remains of entering His rest, any of you should seem to have come short of it.
4:11 Be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following Israel¡¯s example of disobedience.
4:14 Hold fast your confession, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ.
6:1-2 Leave the elementary teachings about Christ and press on to maturity.
6:11-12 Show diligence to keep full assurance to the end, imitating those who through faith inherit the promises.
10:23 Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
10:24-25 Consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, and don¡¯t forsake assembling together.
10:26-30 Realize that if we go on willfully sinning after receiving the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin.
10:31-32 Remember the former days when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings.
10:35-39 Don¡¯t lose your confidence. Endure so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive your reward.
12:1-2 Having many witnesses, lay aside all entangling sin and run the race with endurance. Keep focused on Jesus.
12:3 Consider Him who endured such hostility of sinners against Himself, so you may not grow weary and lose heart.
12:15-16 See that no root of bitterness springs up causing trouble and defiling many.
12:15-16 See that no one follows Esau¡¯s immoral example, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
12:25-29 Do not refuse Him who speaks. If those warned on earth did not escape, much less those warned from heaven.
JAMES
1:2-4, 12 Consider it joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4:13-17 Do not presume on the future saying, ¡°Tomorrow we will do this or that.¡± You do not know what tomorrow holds.
4:13-17 Say, ¡°If the Lord wills, we will do this or that,¡± rather than boast in your arrogance. Such boasting is evil.
5:7-8 Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord¡Strengthen your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
5:10-11 Consider the prophets of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Count those blessed who endured.
1 PETER
1:13 Keep sober in spirit. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
2:18-21 Be submissive to your masters, not just those who are good, but to those who aren¡¯t. This finds favor with God
2:18-21 God calls us to bear up under sorrows when suffering unjustly, as Christ did, leaving us an example to follow.
4:1 Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with
the same mind
4:1-5 No longer live for the lusts of men, but live the rest of your lives for the will of God.
4:12 Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which tests you, as though some strange thing were happening to you.
4:13,14 Rejoice to the extent that you
partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed you'll
have joy.
4:15 Let none suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer or as a busybody
in other people's matters.
4:16 If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but glorify
God in this matter.
4:19 Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls
to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
5:8-11 Be on the alert. The devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking those he may devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.
5:8-11 Remember others are also suffering. After suffering a while, God will Himself strengthen and establish you.
2 PETER
1:5-11 Add to your faith moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.
1:5-11 Make your calling and election sure, for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble.
2:21-22 Better not to have known the way of righteousness, than to know,
stop persevering and turn away.
3:3-4 Know that in the last days mockers will come, and follow their own lusts, questioning the promise of His coming.
3:10-15 Be diligent in holy conduct, looking for the day of God, when the elements will melt with intense heat.
3:10-15 Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, considering God¡¯s patience to be salvation.
3:17-18 Be on your guard, lest being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your steadfastness.
3:17-18 Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and to the day of eternity.
1 JOHN
2:22-23, 26 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
2:28 Abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame.
3:6-10 Don¡¯t be deceived. The one who practices righteousness is righteous, but the one who practices sin is of the devil.
2 JOHN
1:8 Watch yourselves that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
1:9 Any one who does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God.
1:9 The one who abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
JUDE
1:17-21 Remember the apostle¡¯s words, ¡°Mockers will come in the last times, following their lusts and causing divisions.¡±
REVELATION
2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer¡..Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.
2:25-26 Hold fast until I come. To him who keeps my deeds until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
3:2-3 Wake up and strengthen what remains. Remember what you have received, and heard, and keep it, and repent.
3:11 Hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.
22:7, 9-11 Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
22:7,9-11 Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong, the one filthy, still be filthy, the one holy, still keep himself holy.
22:12-14 Behold I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Wouldn¡¯t you know that in addition to keeping all the 400 plus commandments, we will have to face trial and suffering as we keep them, and persevere in doing so on a more or less continuous basis until the day we go to be with Jesus? We¡¯re fallen human beings in a fallen world. Of course there will be happy times, fun times, times of success and victory. Enjoy them while they last, and don¡¯t expect them to last too long. Take Jesus¡¯ words seriously and your expectations won¡¯t become unrealistic, and you won¡¯t collapse when heartache and suffering come.
¡°I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (tribulation). But take heart! I have overcome the world.¡±
(John 16:33) ¡°Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven.¡±
(Matthew 5:11-12). ¡°Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.¡±
(Matthew 5:10). And when suffering comes, go back to square one (read the
Preface). In fact start every day by going to square one by reinvesting your faith in its truth. (Jay)
Endure and receive the promise (Hebrews 10:37-38). Abide, walk worthy, be alert, be ready, be on guard, persevere, awaken, discipline yourself, stand firm, be diligent, work out, hold fast, don¡¯t sleep, don¡¯t grow weary, retain, suffer, continue, press on, run with endurance, be patient, bear up under, gird your mind, don¡¯t be surprised, be sober, do not fear¡¡¡¡ENDURE. All these admonitions express a response to circumstances. I am at a loss to figure how, after all these passages are available in the Word, some of us latch on to the idea that following Christ is going to be success after temporal success, unending health, and mountaintop experiences, one right after another. Endurance as the
believer's degree plan in Christ¡¯s college of maturity would make me wonder if I had enrolled in the right school, if all I touched turned to gold.
Ninety-nine commandments about training and participation in battles, fiery ordeals, all manner of suffering. I visualize John Bunyan¡¯s Pilgrim¡¯s progress as being right on track.
Jesus intends your journey with Him to be exactly as it is. I can¡¯t tell you when, or to what degree, or the duration of your endurance and suffering, but the other important points are: 1) You will be given the grace to endure joyously, and 2) This section of commandments comes with promised rewards.
Don¡¯t Waste Your Sorrows, by Billheimer would be appropriate to read right now.
I have been thinking about what soldiers do, those who are on active duty. Today soldiers wear all manner of body armor. Our soldiers are supplied with the latest weapons, the finest training, and all conceivable security in order to return them safely to their loved ones. They still are wounded. They still die. They are recruited not to earn a living and college tuition, but to fight, and if they fight, they will endure. They will suffer. The most ill-equipped army they face, bare-footed and with an old rusty AK47, can injure or kill them. Our soldiers know that. Why would a soldier of Christ expect anything less? Perhaps that is why so few of us are actually engaged in the real spiritual battle, and why we tend to stagnate in our Christian growth.
These commandments are very important. They should be known by all of us as He places circumstances before us that accomplish His purposes and achieve our benefit. ¡°What can man do to me?¡± All the admonitions to abide assure that it won¡¯t come naturally, or be easy. The training is arduous, the duty is real and demanding, but this is the theatre where the rewards are earned. Remember to go back to Square One
(Preface), ¡°God is in control and has my best interest at heart,¡± and the crown jewel, ¡°The elect are eternally secure.¡± Hold on, my child. Joy comes in the morning. (Dan)
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