I’ve benefited greatly from John Piper’s desiring God ministry, and have just discovered another book of his that I’m looking forward to getting into.
It’s called What Jesus demands from the world and in it John has collected 48 demands (commands) from Jesus in the Gospels. The demands John identifies are:
You must be born again
Repent
Come to me
Believe in me
Love me
Listen to me
Abide in me
Take up your cross and follow me
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength
Rejoice and leap for joy
Fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell
Worship God in spirit and truth
Always pray and do not lose heart
Do not be anxious about the necessities of daily life
Do not be anxious about the threats of man
Humble yourself by making war on pride
Humble yourself in childlikeness, servanthood and brokenhearted boldness
Do not be angry – trust God’s providence
Do not be angry – embrace mercy and forgiveness
Do the will of my Father who is in heaven – be justified by trusting Jesus
Do the will of my Father who is in heaven – be transformed by trusting Jesus
Strive to enter through the narrow door for all of life is war
Strive to enter through the narrow door for Jesus fulfills the new covenant
Strive to enter through the narrow door, for you are already in the kingdom’s power
Your righteousness must exceed that of the pharisees, for it was hypocritical and ugly
Your righteousness must exceed that of the pharisees – clean the inside of the cup
Your righteousness must exceed that of the pharisees, for every healthy tree bears good fruit
Love your enemies – lead them to the truth
Love your enemies – pray for those who abuse you
Love your enemies – do good to those who hate you, give to the one who asks
Love your enemies to show that you are children of God
Love your neighbor as yourself, for this is the law and the prophets
Love your neighbor with the same commitment you have to your own well-being
Love your neighbor as yourself and as Jesus loved us
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven by giving sacrificially and generously
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven and increase your joy in Jesus
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven – “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”
Do not take an oath – cherish the truth and speak it simply
Do not take an oath – let what you say – be simply “yes” or “no”
What God has joined together let no man separate, for marriage mirrors God’s covenant with us
What God has joined together let no man separate, for whoever divorces and marries another commits adultery
What God has joined together let no man separate – one man, one woman, by grace, till death
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s as an act of rendering to God what is God’s
Do this in remembrance of me, for I will build my church
Do this in remembrance of me – baptize disciples and eat the Lord’s supper
Let your light shine before others that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven
Let your light shine before others – the joyful sacrifice of love in suffering
Make disciples of all nations, for all authority belongs to Jesus
Make disciples of all nations, for the mission cannot fail
As John Piper says, “the aim of this book is God-glorifying obedience to Jesus”, but note Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28–30:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (NIV)
And from John 10:10:
I have come that they [= you] may have life, and have it to the full.
In Jesus’ demands we won’t find harsh rules that we must obey to obtain salvation – that would be religion, the false hope of trying to change ourselves to somehow become acceptable to God. No, in Jesus’ commands we find life, forgiveness and friendship with God, freely given to us through Jesus death on the cross, his offer of salvation sealed by his rising from the dead.
And once we are in relationship with God, we have His strength through His Spirit to become more like Him by following Jesus’ commands for us, noting stern warnings for those who think a relationship with God means saying sorry once and continuing to live as we see fit:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7
The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:4-6
So whether you’re already a friend of Jesus’ or not, I encourage you to discover what Jesus demands from us. What Jesus demands from the world can be freely downloaded here.