Week 39: There’s More That God Requires of You

By www.Remnant7.com

It is often said among Christians, “We are not under the law, but under grace.” And this is true. The cross of Christ freed us from the burden of the law that exposed sin but could never transform the heart.

But grace was never meant to leave us without direction.

God is not vague about the life He calls us into. Grace does not remove God’s expectations—it reveals them more clearly. And no one explained this better than Jesus Himself.

Jesus once said something both simple and searching:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” That statement raises an important question: Which commandments was He talking about?

Was He pointing us back to the hundreds of laws given through Moses? Or was He speaking of something new?

Not long after, Jesus answered the question Himself when He said: “A new commandment I give to you…”

With Christ, something shifted.

The law of Moses focused primarily on identifying sin—showing humanity where it fell short. But the commandments of Jesus focused on transformation—on forming a heart that reflects the character of God.

Christianity, therefore, is more than a confession of belief, more than baptism, and certainly more than receiving a future “ticket to heaven.” The Apostle Paul challenged the church with a sobering question:

“Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid.”

Yet the life Jesus calls us to is deeper than merely avoiding sin.

Jesus described a way of life—one that involves humility, forgiveness, generosity, courage, sacrifice, love for enemies, secret devotion, and wholehearted loyalty to God. These teachings were not suggestions for the spiritually ambitious. They were instructions for anyone who would call themselves His disciple.

Discipleship, in other words, has a cost.

Grace forgives us freely, but following Jesus reshapes everything about us—our priorities, our relationships, our desires, and even the way we see power, wealth, and success.

So if we truly want to understand what God is asking of us, we must listen carefully to the words of His Son.

What follows is a collection of 42 commandments Jesus gave us as followers—clear instructions that reveal what life in the kingdom of God actually looks like.

These are not burdens meant to weigh us down. They are invitations into the life Jesus Himself lived.

And they show us what God, in His love, is forming within those who choose to follow Him.

1. Bless those who curse you, Luke 6:28
2. Do good to those who hate you, Luke 6:27
3. Love God, Matthew 22:37
4. Love one another, John 13:34
5. Love your enemies, Matthew 5:44
6. Love your neighbor, Matthew 22:39
7. Be the servant of all, Mark 9:35
8. Remove the plank from your own eye, Matthew 7:5
9. Serve others, Matthew 20:26
10. Take the lowest place, Luke 14:10
11. Wash one another’s feet, John 13:14
12. Ask, Matthew 7:7
13. Believe the gospel, Mark 1:15
14. Come to Me, Matthew 11:28
15. Knock, Matthew 7:7
16. Seek, Matthew 7:7
17. Seek first the kingdom of God, Matthew 6:33
18. Fast, Matthew 6:16
19. Pray, Matthew 6:9
20. Pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44
21. Watch and pray, Matthew 26:41
22. Abide in Me, John 15:4
23. Be merciful, Luke 6:36
24. Be perfect, Matthew 5:48
25. Deny yourself, Luke 9:23
26. Forgive others, Matthew 6:14
27. Repent, Matthew 4:17
28. Take up your cross, Luke 9:23
29. Bear fruit, John 15:8
30. Keep My commandments, John 14:15
31. Let your light shine, Matthew 5:16
32. Remain in My love, John 15:9
33. Feed the hungry, Matthew 25:35
34. Freely give God’s Word, Matthew 10:8
35. Give to the poor, Luke 12:33
36. Store up treasures in heaven, Matthew 6:20
37. Baptize disciples, Matthew 28:19
38. Follow Me, Matthew 4:19
39. Go and preach the gospel, Mark 16:15
40. Heal the sick, Matthew 10:8
41. Make disciples, Matthew 28:19
42. Teach them to obey, Matthew 28:20

Do You Love the Imaginary Jesus Who Requires Nothing—Or the Real Jesus Who Gives Commandments?

These forty-two commands are not simply teachings to admire—they are marching orders from the King.

They define what love for Christ actually looks like when it moves from words into action. Every one of them calls us to step beyond comfort, beyond routine religion, and into a life that reflects the heart of God in the real world.

This is the path of a disciple.

So the question is no longer “What do we believe?” but “What will we do with what Jesus has commanded?”

If we choose to live them—loving the difficult, serving the overlooked, forgiving the undeserving, praying in secret, giving without applause, repenting quickly, and making new disciples—our lives will become living evidence that Christ truly reigns.

There will be no shortage of purpose. No lack of holy work to do. No empty waiting for His return.

Instead, we will be found doing exactly what He asked of us—living His commands, advancing His kingdom, and becoming the kind of people who actually look like followers of Jesus.