Jesus says “if you love me you will keep my commandments”. We have been taught in the church about God’s love and our need to love others. The great commandment in the Bible is to ‘love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself’. The Bible states doing this is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Through this statement we understand that these actions are required on our part as a disciple of Jesus Christ. How do we love our neighbor as ourselves? Do not commit adultery, do not steal, lie, or cheat your neighbor. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, house, possessions, etc.

There are other exhortations in the New Testament by Paul the apostle, James, John, and other writers of the Bible. Do we need to obey these exhortations also? Would God allow these words to be written down for us disciples if they were not needful? Why are we not taught in the church that we need to obey the commandments of God?

As disciples of Jesus Christ our duty is to follow Christ and not anyone or anything else. God’s word is for us today as much as it was for disciples in the past. We have allowed ourselves to believe teaching from the pulpit that has circumvented God’s word according to popular beliefs and politically correct thinking for our times and of our current day.