A Radical for Jesus

Are you doing what Jesus wants you to do? Are you sure? How would you know?

Jesus has told us how to live in His Word. It is the standard for our lives. His commands in the New Testament are the standard by which He will judge us.

Sadly, many Christians don’t do what Jesus tells them to do. They have many reasons for disobeying Him, but the bottom line is, disobedience is disobedience. The Bible tells us over and over that we will be judged by our works.

Revelation 20:12-15  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

We see that you will be judged by your works, whether you are in the book of life or not. Even if your name is in the book of life, God will still judge you according to what you have done. There may be eternal consequences for sin, even if you are in the Book of Life. The Book of Life is not the only criteria on Judgment Day. “The books were opened”, says Revelation 20:12.

How do you know if your works are acceptable to God? His commands in the New Testament. If you are a Christian, God will not judge you by the Old Covenant—the Law of Moses. You are dead to that law (Romans 7:4). God is going to judge you based on the commandments that He has set forth for us in the New Testament.

Many “Christians”, sadly, call this “legalism”. They don’t believe that you really need to obey Jesus’ commandments.

John 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:21-24  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.  22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

John 15:9-10  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

1 John 2:3-5  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

All of the above is in the Bible for us to read. The question is, will you follow it? Will you obey Jesus? Will you do what He tells you to do, or will you be a goat and do your own thing?

Some will call this radical. That’s okay. Jesus was a radical. He tells us to do radical things, like love our enemies, remain married to your spouse, love Him more than anything or anyone and not to lay up treasure on earth. That is what makes us radicals for Jesus—when we obey the radical things He tells us to do.

Will you be a radical?

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