The Commandments of Christ

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So then, how does one become a "true" follower of Christ, one might ask? According to the REAL Jesus, it's simple - OBEY His commandments and you are a true follower, disregard them and you are not. Let's see what he has to say:

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15)

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:21)

"Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching." (John 14:23-24)

Based on Christ's own words, we have established that to be a follower of the REAL Jesus one must obey His teaching. What specifically is his teaching? Jesus taught that the laws of Moses should be obeyed. He criticized the Pharisees for placing their traditions over Moses' teaching (Mark 7:10-13). Yet if that was all he taught, what was the point of His coming? There is much more to Christ's teaching than the law of Moses.

Jesus had the audacity to add an eleventh commandment to the ten established by Moses - that his followers love one another deeply. This deep love was to be their trademark -  a signature and seal by which every true Christian could be recognized. Jesus taught that love for God and one's neighbor was the purpose, goal and substance of the law of Moses and all the prophets. According to Christ, were one to try to keep the law and yet not have love, compassion and kindness within, one would be serving God only in pretense and missing the point of the law of Moses:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”"
(John 13:34-35)

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

"Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40) 

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)

Notice the last phrase in the verse listed above - "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven". What did Jesus mean by this? The Pharisees devoted their lives to obeying God's laws, if anyone possessed "righteousness" it was them. Here Jesus makes a distinction. His true followers must obey not only the law of Moses established in God's ten commandments, but distinct commandments that only Christ himself put into place. The true follower of Christ MUST obey these specific JESUS commandments, else according to Christ they neither love nor follow him. What are these commandments?

The Commandments of Christ

1. Love others as Christ loved us. (John 13:34-35)
2. Do unto others as we would have them do unto us. (Matthew 7:12)
3. Love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-40)
4. Forgive others without condition or limitation. (Matthew 6:14-15) (Matthew 18:21-35)
5. Do not call your fellow man "worthless". Value every living person. (Matthew 5:22)
6. Feed the hungry. (Matthew 25:35) (Matthew 25:31-46)
7. Give drink to the thirsty. (Matthew 25:35) (Matthew 25:31-46)
8. Clothe the naked. (Matthew 25:36) (Matthew 25:31-46)
9. Visit those in prison. (Matthew 25:36) (Matthew 25:31-46)
10. Visit the sick. (Matthew 25:36) (Matthew 25:31-46)
11. Invite the poor to your feasts, not the rich. (Luke 14:13-14)
12. Live free from greed and do not worship money. (Matthew 6:24-26)
13. Do not store wealth up for yourself. (Matthew 6:19-21)
14. Invest in heaven by giving, do not hoard things on the earth. (Luke 12:16-21)
15. Loyalty and communion with God is better than great wealth. (Matthew 6:33-34)
16. If someone asks you to walk a mile, walk two. Be diligent. (Matthew 5:41)
17. Believe that the power of God can change anyone, no matter what they may
     have done in the past. Believe in God's forgiveness. (Luke 6:37) (Matthew 7:1)
18. Do not seek positions of power over others. Rather seek opportunities for
     service to others. (John 13:3-17) (Matthew 20:25-28) (Luke 22:25-27)
19. Walk humbly. Do not exalt yourself. (Matthew 23:12) (Luke 14:11) (Luke 18:14)
20. Revere and love children. (Matthew 18:3-6)
21. Acknowledge and confess Jesus before others, not just with words but with
     deeds of kindness and love. Do not confess him with your lips yet deny him by
     your actions. In so doing you will disown him and he will disown you before his
     father. (Matthew 10:32)
22. Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:44-48) (Luke 6:27)
23. Bless those who curse you. (Luke 6:28)
24. Pray for those who spitefully use you and take advantage of you. (Luke 6:28)
25. When someone attacks you, do not return their aggression. Respond with good
      for evil and kindness for hatred. Offer them forgiveness in response to
      their bitterness. (Luke 6:29-31)
26. When you give, keep it a secret. Don't glorify yourself. (Matthew 6:2-4)
27. When you fast, keep it a secret. Don't glorify yourself. (Matthew 6:16-18)
28. When you pray, keep it a secret. Don't glorify yourself. (Matthew 6:5-8)
29. Do NOT do things to be seen of men. Do not put on an act of righteousness
     when people are watching you. Be humble. Don't glorify yourself or constantly
     draw attention to yourself. Draw attention to God. (Matthew 6:1)
30. Be meek. Be gentle. Don't force yourself on others. Listen to and respect others.
      When you are in a position of power, practice restraint. (Matthew 5:5)
31. Do not seek the flattery of men. Do not seek praise from men. Avoid these
     things. These will be used to inflate your ego and manipulate your pride. When
     people speak evil against you falsely and bear false witness, know that you are
     doing well. When everyone is complimenting you and praising you with empty
     flattery, beware - you may have been led astray. (Matthew 5:11-12) (Luke 6:26)

The presence of these characteristics in someone's life will make them known as a follower of the REAL Jesus. Likewise, the lack of these attributes in one's life will reveal that that specific person is not a true follower or believer at all. For many Christ remains an unfollowed Messiah. They identify as "Christian" and affiliate with institutions and organizations that attach themselves to Jesus' name, yet they themselves have never taken the plunge into the depths of Christ's afflictions or shared in the sorrow of his suffering. Therefore, they do not walk in the joy of abandoning themselves to his service and his love.

If you feel there's something missing in your life, consider these things. Maybe there is a thirst for meaning and purpose that nothing you experiment with seems to quench. Maybe you are unhappy with the emptiness of organized religious institutions and the hypocrisy you see. But remember - the presence of counterfeits does not abolish the possibility that there exists something real and tangible for which you are seeking.

Take note that Jesus' commandments are too radical and volatile to follow without an equally radical transformation. Jesus taught that this kind of life, like that of the mythical Phoenix, demands nothing less than death and rebirth. He told Nicodemus that his followers must be "born again" - not of flesh but of spirit. In so doing this one becomes like the wind, whose sound one may hear, but it remains elusive - unseen from where it comes and invisible to where it is going. (John 3:3-8).

It begins with a little faith, if only as much as a tiny mustard seed - that is enough to begin to pray. If you confess your faults before God and are reborn, his spirit will live within you and empower you to exhibit the signs of a true believer. You may then make a commitment to live your live by Jesus' commandments and teachings as listed above. Then they will know who you follow by your love, as Jesus indicated so long ago, and in your life the unfollowed Jesus will become the followed one.