The Most Vital Element of the Great Commission

It is a big mistake saying that the law which is the Ten Commandments is obsolete.  Abolishing the law and teaching not to obey them will not complete the task of fulfilling the Great Commission. The law is actually the most important part to make disciples as well.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:18-20 NIV

There is one very interesting to take note of what Jesus said in the scriptures above.  He said, “Go and make disciples… and teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded you”.  

No doubt, the teaching to obey the law which is the Ten Commandments is the most distinguishing aspect in everything Jesus have commanded to disciples all nations. In fact Jesus did not do away, destroy or abolish the law he expound clearly the negative significance of disobeying and not teaching them and the positive significance of obeying and teaching them.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  (Mat 5:17-19)

 In Chapter 5 and 6 of Matthew, Jesus said, “You have heard of long ago”… “But now I tell you”,  it means the law has given more emphasis and importance. Therefore, the law “But now I tell you” is the law that must be obey and teach which is the vital element of the Great Commission as well as in making disciples.

A true follower or a disciple of Christ must do the same as what Jesus did to the law.Obey them and teach them.  It is exactly and the surest way to fulfill the Great Commission.  

Modern Translation of 1 Corinthians 1:12

Original Translation:

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos… Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?  (1Co 1:12-13)

 Modern Translation:

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Calvin ; and I of Armenian… Is Christ divided? was Calvin crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Armenian?  (1Co 1:12-13)

When it comes in the doctrine of salvation both (Calvinism and Armenian) agree that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works of whatsoever. But when it comes in the issue whether salvation can be lose or not , conditional or eternal, division exist in the Body of Christ which is the church and it creates a big separation wall between of them.  There have been many debates and discussions over that matter until today and it seems will never end. They even pointing each other as unbiblical, heretic, inspired by the devil etc..etc.., Did they know that they are actually condemning and judging each other?

One thing is clear, both missed a very important issue relevant to salvation. All of those who claimed they are “truly saved” or “always saved” should know that the Law which is the Ten Commandments is the vital thing to give an outmost importance.  

Look carefully on the teaching of Jesus about the law:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  (Mat 5:17-19)

What law Jesus is talking about?

It is not the Ceremonial law, not the Sabbath law and not even the Law of Moses in particular is the Ten Commandments written in the two tablets of stone. The law Jesus is talking about is the law called the law “But now I tell you”. Unlike the Law of Moses that must be caught in the act such as adultery, murder, stealing to be declared guilty of sin, the law Jesus teach doesn’t need to be caught in the act to become guilty.  The former committing adultery is guilty punishable by death while the latter to look with a lust is already adultery and shall be in danger of the fire of hell.

Jesus said, “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  (Mat 5:29-30)

 All who claimed they are in Christ be reminded, ignoring the teaching of Christ regarding the “Law Now” is dangerous. Many think they are “truly saved” or “always saved” but in fact they are not saved at all because of their “hell-dragging-body”- (their eye, hand and tongue caused them to be in danger of the fire of hell).

Jesus Teaching To Obey the Law

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. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
John 14:23-24 NIV

What teaching of Jesus will obey by anyone who loves him?

• It is the teaching to obey the Law (The Ten Commandments)

"Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with — not until the end of all things. So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven. Matt 5:17-20GNT

Nearly all of Chapter 5 and 6 of the gospel of Matthew deals about the Law which is the Ten Commandments. Jesus teach the importance of the law and today they can be represent as the law “But now I tell you”. Same with the Apostle, they didn’t do away with the law, they said, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Rom 3:31KJV)

The teachings of Jesus about the law that must be obeyed are as follows:

• The teaching about Anger (6th Commandment)

"You have heard that people were told in the past, 'Do not commit murder; anyone who does will be brought to trial.' But now I tell you: if you are angry with your brother you will be brought to trial, if you call your brother 'You good-for-nothing!' you will be brought before the Council, and if you call your brother a worthless fool you will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God. Matt 5:21-24GNT

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (1Jn 3:15)

• The teaching about Adultery (7th Commandment)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart. Matt 5:27-28GNT

• The teaching about Vows (3rd Commandment)

"You have also heard that people were told in the past, 'Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.' But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Just say 'Yes' or 'No' — anything else you say comes from the Evil One. Matt 5:33-37GNT

• The teaching about Prayer (2nd Commandment)

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. Matt 6:5-6GNT

• The teaching about Fasting (1st Commandment)

"And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you go without food, wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know that you are fasting — only your Father, who is unseen, will know. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. Matt 6:16-18GNT


Anyone who loves God must obey the teaching of Christ which is the law- The Ten Commandments. Jesus is not referring the law or the commandments “heard of long ago” but the law or the commandments “But now I tell you”. The former law was outward while the latter law deals with the inward. Meaning, God looks not the outward appearance but the inward which is inside of the heart and mind of those who will love Him.

It is very important therefore that the “law now” should become the most desirable to be obey by anyone who say they love God. Obeying the “law now” is all about loving God.

Dreadful Condition of the Body of a Saved Person

The dreadful condition of the body which is the flesh of a saved person are as follows:

• Nothing good lives in there
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing (Rom 7:18)

• There are sin dwelling and became actively doing the sin “I hate to do but I do”.
Eyes- lust of the eyes; Hand- lust of the flesh; Tongue- lying and exaggeration

• Never and ever can be in harmony to the desires of the Spirit
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Gal 5:17)

• So weak to carry out the good we want to do (such as to pray and read the bible)
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (Rom 7:15)
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Gal 5:17)

• Always struggle with the sin living in the members of the body
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members”. (Rom 7:22-23)

• Causes a saved person to be carnally minded and compromiser (one feet on the church and one feet on the world)
The body causes a saved person lazy to the things of God and crazy to the things of the world.

• Can put a saved person in the danger of the fire of hell
Scriptures tells us that if your right eye, your hand and your tongue causes you to sin you’re putting yourselves in the danger of the fire of hell. Mar 9:43-49

• Subject to the law of sin and slave to sin
“For the wages of sin is death” Rom 6:23

• Destined to destruction and hell
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1Co 15:50)

• Love to be in the comfort zone and love to see, feel and taste “little evil” things
Watch out, too much staying in the comfort zone makes the so called “little lustful sin” to creep in. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (Jas 1:15)

A saved person must put to death the body (flesh) and always condition himself to do what Apostle Paul do to his own body, “ I beat my body and make it my slave”. 1 Cor 9:27NIV. When a saved person attained that condition he is completely saved. See The Paradox of the Biblical Salvation.

God Hides the Truth

Paradox is a statement seemingly absurd or self-contradictory, but really found in truth. It is God’s way of hiding the truth on a purpose and Jesus glorified God the father for having that way.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. Luke 10:21 NIV

There are many paradox in the bible we can find that the Lord Jesus used to convey the truth to the hearers of the Word of God. Actually, there are two ways Jesus used to convey his message which contains hidden truth.

• Parables – Jesus narrates things and events to illustrate moral or spiritual lesson, so the hearers could easily understand the truth.

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." Matt 13:34-35NIV

• Paradox – Jesus speaks a very contradicting statements which many hearers becomes so perplex, it becomes so hard and difficult to understand.

Example:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:26-27 NIV. But in Matt 10:34-35, Jesus said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you... On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:53-66NIV (Jesus is God and Man which is a paradox)

Through the parables, the hearers heard plainly the truth but regarding about the paradox, God is hiding the truth which makes the hearers to misunderstood and misinterpret the scriptures. The truth is, God hides the truth for the sole purpose of making the wise in the standard of this world to become fools in his sight, to frustrate the intelligent and to destroy the wisdom of the wise (1 Cor 1:19). While the so called ‘’foolishness of God’’ makes wise those who are being saved.

Two kinds of hearers:

• The Wise (by the standard of the world) – A kind of hearer who are proud of themselves.

• The ‘’Little Children’’ – A child-like kind of learning attitude who have a humble and teachable spirit.

God hides the truth, and this was for his own good pleasure. Therefore, let us all become like of those little children because Jesus loves the little children (those who change and become like them Mat.18:3). He loves to show to them hidden things, unsearchable things, great and mighty things, and difficult things which are hard to understand.

The Law: A very vital part of Salvation

Many saved person were not aware that the law which is the Ten Commandments is a very vital part of Salvation. In fact they ignore them saying the law is obsolete and it doesn’t need to keep to be saved. Actually that is true a person can be saved not because he obey and keep the law but because of Eph 2:8 and 9.

However, there are two distinctions regarding the teachings of the law in the bible:

The Law of Moses

• They are written in the two tablet of stone
• Jesus called them, “the law heard of long ago”
• Cannot saved a person

The Law of Christ

• Written in the heart
• Christ called them, “But (now) I tell you”
• Can save a saved person from the danger of the fire of hell

Teaching of Christ on the law is all about the concerns a saved person might be in danger of the fire of hell if he breaks them (habits of breaking them such as lying, stealing, lustful look etc.). Look at the teachings of Jesus about the law which is in the Ten Commandments:

Jesus teaching on the 6Th Commandment

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matt 5:21-22 NIV

Jesus teaching on the 7th Commandments

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matt 5:27-29NIV

“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die,and the fire is not quenched”.Mark 9:47-48NIV

Christ teach the importance of the law and in the New Testament the apostles highlights many teachings on the Law- the Ten Commandments. They make the law not void (Rom 3:31), they establish them as a very vital part in the life of a saved person in order to be saved from the danger of the fire of hell.

Those teachings of Jesus about the law or the commandments refers more so on the saved person. Therefore, the Law "Now" is a very vital part of Salvation. See “ The Paradox of the Biblical Salvation”.

“Hell Dragging Body” of a Saved Person

Many Christian didn’t know that their body is a “Hell Dragging Body”. It means in the little members of their body (the flesh) there are sin living and dwelling within. Sins that are deeply ingrained causing many to do sin habitually, continuously and willfully. They are not aware of what their members can do to put them in danger of the fire of hell.

Sin living, dwelling and deeply ingrained in the little members of the Body:

• Hand- Lust of the Flesh

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mar 9:43-44)

• Eye – Lust of the Eyes

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mar 9:47)

• Tongue – Lying, Boasting, Exaggeration- also a form of lying

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. (Jas 3:5-8)

These little members are very dangerous that if a saved person will let his members to be slave of sin a place where the worm die not and the fire is not quenched shall be his place. The apostle Paul said in his body (the flesh) dwell no good things and he notice the fact it is the sin dwell in there that caused him to sin (Rom 7:17-20). He is not actually who do it but the sin itself dwelling in his members. He saw his own body (flesh) dragging him always to do evil.

It is undeniable truth, anyone who is in Christ will experience in his own body a dwelling sin dragging him to do evil. You can actually see and can prove it to yourself. In your inner being you want to read the bible and pray, right? Even if we feel sleepy we can watch movie for long hours but to pray we find very difficult to do it. Why we can’t do the good thing we ought to do?

• Our body is weak but our spirit is very willing
• There are sins working actively in the members of our body
• Those ingrained sin is the caused of the ingrained sinful habits we do

Putting to death the body (the works of the flesh) and removing entirely the sin dwelling will save a saved person completely from the danger of the fire of hell. One and the only way of doing it all were already given by the Lord. It is perfect, the perfect solution to the problem from this body of sin. See The Paradox of the Biblical Salvation.

Let this be a prayer of those who are in Christ:

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me (in the members of the body): then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psa 19:13-14)


Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. Psa 120:2