The Commandments of Jesus by Inference

It appears most of the commandments given by Jesus were given by inference, although He issued a few direct commandments.

It appears also that most of the commandments given by Jesus' Apostles were given directly, although a few were by inference.

In any event, whether the commandment was inferred or expressed by Jesus in the Gospels or by His Apostles in the Epistles, every commandment found in the New Testament comes from Jesus Christ and is to be viewed as God's commandment. They are not just suggestions or good ideas, they are commandments.

We cannot keep the commandments of Jesus Christ in our own strength. We have to keep on coming to the Throne of Grace to receive the strength and wisdom necessary to keep the commandments. The Holy Spirit will always help us do what the Word declares. This is why the Spirit of God is here among us!

Let us now look at a few of the commandments Jesus gave us by inference. These are the commandments referred to in the Book of First John.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3—NIV)

Didn't the Lord put this nicely? But we get the point. We by inference are being commanded to be poor in spirit. If we choose to be poor in spirit, and the Holy Spirit will help us if we ask Him, we will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

But what if we are not poor in spirit? We will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

"Can I be prevented from inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven and still be saved?" I can just hear someone asking this, so determined are we believers to not do what the Lord said.

The answer is, "You will not inherit or enter the Kingdom of Heaven, your eternal abode will be outer darkness."

But what about "grace"? If you call on God in Jesus' name, God will send you the grace to be poor in spirit. You simply cannot use new-covenant grace as a way of entering the Kingdom of Heaven while you remain rich in your own ways.

The Christian churches of today are attempting to use new-covenant grace as a way of getting around the commandments of Jesus Christ. Can you imagine such doctrinal chaos? Such a religious mess? It is no wonder the people of the United States have little confidence in the Christian people or their churches!

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4—NIV)

Aren't Christians supposed to be happy all the time? If you are happy all the time you will not be comforted by the Lord.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. (James 4:8,9—NIV)

Jesus by inference commands us to mourn. James directly commands us to mourn. Every commandment issued by the Lord Jesus can be found in the Epistles, if I am not mistaken.

Look at these wonderful commandments!

Come near to God.

Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James is addressing Christians.

Grieve, mourn, and wail.

Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

If we ask God to help us keep these commandments He shall. Then He will comfort us, and the comfort of God far outweighs in value any gloom we experience.

I am not suggesting weird behavior at this point. It is, however, a wise and righteous person who shuns the levity and foolishness that so often abounds in the Christian churches. We are living in serious days and we need to be watchful in prayer at all times lest we be deceived by the enemy.

There is nothing wrong with being serious, and the Lord Jesus is commanding us to keep ourselves in a sober frame of mind, always ready to weep with those who are being afflicted.

The Christians of the early centuries had many opportunities to grieve, mourn, and wail. Let us keep in mind that our nation is filled with behavior that is abominable to God, and Divine judgment cannot be far off. Let us always remember this and not conduct ourselves in a frivolous, silly manner. Then we will not be knocked off our feet when disaster strikes. Also we will be able to comfort others. When someone is hurting they do not wish to be approached by gleeful people but by those who weep with them and comfort them.

This is what the Lord is commanding.

Will we be comforted because we are being "saved by grace"? No, we will be comforted because we are mourning.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5—NIV)

By inference the Lord Jesus is commanding us to be meek. Meekness is patience, humility, gentleness, submission to authority and teaching. The opposite of meekness is impatience, pride, harshness, and resistance to authority and teaching.

Who will inherit the earth—those who have "taken the four steps of salvation"? Numerous people who have taken the four steps of salvation and fill the Christian churches are impatient, proud, harsh, and resistant to authority and teaching. Their number is legion.

The question is, Who will inherit the earth? The answer God gave us is: "the meek."

Here is the mammoth Christian misunderstanding. We are looking to Divine grace to provide an alternative to meekness so we can be impatient, proud, harsh, and resistant to authority and teaching and still inherit the earth.

Now I ask you, do you really believe God gave us grace through the Lord Jesus Christ so proud, haughty, arrogant, unteachable believers can inherit the earth?

If you believe this with all your heart, join the majority of Christian people.

Do we realize we are making the words of Jesus Christ of no effect by our traditions? Do we even care this is so?

Am I teaching we can be meek, refuse to receive Jesus Christ, and still inherit the earth?

I am teaching nothing of the kind. The Bible tells us clearly that to refuse Jesus Christ is to refuse the Divine salvation, to choose darkness over light.

Rather, I am maintaining that the purpose of Divine grace is to make us meek, patient, humble, gentle, and accepting of authority and teaching.

If grace does not change our personality in this manner it has been made of no effect.

The Word of Jesus Christ cannot be altered in any manner. It is the meek, and only the meek, who will inherit the earth.

I have heard that Dispensationalism teaches the Jews inherit the earth and the Gentiles inherit Heaven. This is the insanity, corruption, and destruction that proceeds from the teaching of Dispensationalism. The arrogant, haughty Gentile believers inherit Heaven, Paradise, the angels, God Himself, while the arrogant, haughty, quarrelsome Jews inherit the earth.

No, Brother, and Sister, the Jews and Gentiles who are part of the Lord Jesus Christ are the one Seed of Abraham. Christ through His Spirit teaches the Seed meekness. Then we are heirs of Heaven, earth, the angels, the new Jerusalem, the saved nations of the earth, and God Himself.

Jews and Gentiles who are not part of Jesus Christ will be judged by the Lord and receive their proper reward when standing before the White Throne.

If Christians threw away their commentaries and read the Scriptures, I think the world would be a better place.

Whew!

We have mentioned three commandments the Lord gave by inference: that we must be poor in spirit if we would inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; that we must mourn if we would receive the Divine comfort; and that we must be meek if we would inherit the earth.

There are many more such implied commandments found in the Gospels. They are to be read, prayed over, and obeyed as the Lord helps. If we obey them Christ will be formed in us. If we do not obey them Christ will not be formed in us and we will be cut from the Vine, from Christ.

Let us now look to see if Christ gave us any direct commandments in the Gospel accounts.