Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
God Speaks to Us
God speaks to us, and it is through His written Word the Bible. Jesus told the disciples and, by extension, He tells us to go into the world to make disciples of all people that we come in contact with, to observe what He taught them. This He says, “I have commanded you.” This is not something we can negotiate out of. It is an imperative command. Will we heed His voice? Jesus said that if you really love Me, you will do what I ask (John 14:15). In other words, we can say we love Him, but if we don’t do what He asks us to do, what proof is there that we really love Him?
Love Equals Keeping God’s Word
God’s will is anything that He commands us to do, and Jesus says that if we really do love Him, we will keep and obey the words He gives to us (John 14:23). It is one thing to say we love Him, but it’s another thing altogether to say we love Him while not doing what He asks us to do. Whoever says they love Jesus but doesn’t follow His commands or His words is deceiving themselves (John 14:24). A large part of doing what God is calling us to do is to love our neighbors (Luke 10:27), and in keeping with this love, we must tell them about the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). If we don’t tell them, who will (Rom 10:15)?
Calling Us to Offer Thanksgiving
Part of the often overlooked calling of God is to give Him the thanks that are due to Him. We are to enter His presence with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4), which God sees as a sacrifice given to Him (Psalm 50:14; Col 3:15). Giving thanks to God should not be done out of compulsion, but for all the good things that He has done for us (Eph 5:20; 2 Cor 9:15). This is actually God’s will: that we are thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18).
A Closing Prayer
God, You are calling me to make disciples of others, to teach them what You have commanded me to do, to love my neighbors, to show my love for You by obeying You, and to continually be offering You thanksgiving. Please forgive me where I fall so short in these areas, and to You I pray in the most precious of names, Jesus Christ.
Amen
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