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The Kinsmen produced a song titled, Excuses, Excuses, You Hear Them Everyday!  The lyrics of this song include the following:
“Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day.
And the Devil he’ll supply them, if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.”

Then, the song lyrics include a multitude of excuses commonly used by people to avoid religion. Here is an example.
“Well, the preacher he’s too young. And, maybe he’s too old.
The sermons they’re not hard enough. And, maybe they’re too bold.
His voice is much too quiet-like. Sometimes he gets too loud.
He needs to have more dignity. Or, else he’s way too proud.
Well, the sermons they’re too long. And, maybe they’re too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of “stomp and snort.”
Well, the preacher we’ve got must be “the world’s most stuck up man.”
Well, one of the lady’s told me the other day, “Well, he didn’t even shake my hand.”

In over fifty years of preaching, I have heard many excuses just like these!
Twice in the book of Romans, Paul uses the Greek word anapologētos which is translated, “without excuse” in Romans 1:20 and “inexcusable” in Romans 2:1.
First, rejecting God is inexcusable.  “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”   Paul affirms that the creation declares the power and glory of God.  The created universe is visible to all people.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:1-3).  When the truth that God is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him is suppressed, the consequences are disastrous.  Paul mentions: ignorance (Rom. 1:18); ingratitude (Rom. 1:21); idolatry (Rom. 1:23); immorality (Rom. 1:24-32); and impenitence (Rom. 2:4-6).  Individuals who will not turn to the Lord and obey Him will have to face the indignation and wrath of God (Rom. 2:6-11).  They have no one to blame but themselves because they are “without excuse.”
Second, attempting to supplant God in the matter of final judgment is inexcusable (Rom. 2:1).  The Jews judged the Gentiles with regard to moral law, but the Jews practiced the same immoral acts (Rom. 2:21-23) condemned in the law.  They attempted to judge others from a hypocritical state.  Paul states that this is inexcusable because they knew the law and did not obey it.  Another thought on judging others relates to the final judgment of God.  Only God can judge a person’s final standing before Him.  God will render to every man according to his works (Rom. 2:6).  Only God knows everything a person has thought, said, or done.  Only God knows the secrets of the hearts of men.  God is no respecter of persons and His judgment will be according to righteous judgment.  Failure to fear God is inexcusable!
Third, failing to fully obey the gospel of Christ is inexcusable.  In Matthew 22:2-14, Jesus told a parable about the kingdom of God.  The Parable of the Wedding Feast contains a section where the king enters into the the place where the guests were located and sees a man who did not have on a wedding garment.  The king asked, “Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?  And he was speechless” (Matt. 22:11-12).  The man was not properly attired and was immediately cast out (Matt. 22:13).  Wearing the wedding garment clearly stands for our effort to respond to the king’s goodness, grace, and requirements for enjoying the wedding feast.  In order to be in the kingdom of God, a person must be baptized into Christ and put on Christ (Gal. 3:26-27); he must have his sins washed away by the blood of Christ whereby he makes his robes white (Acts 22:16; Rev. 7:14); and he must walk in righteousness and true holiness (Heb. 12:14).  God calls us to holiness by His Word (I Thess. 4:7).  There is no excuse for not obeying the commands of God.
If you haven’t believed in God, feared the judgment of God or obeyed the gospel of Christ, why not?  Be careful how you respond!

An interesting and provocative goal for 2023 is soul-care.  What is it?  Soul-care is nurturing the spiritual aspect of our being (our soul) through sacred knowledge of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit and strengthening our fellowship with them through worship, Bible study, character development, and Christian service.
The First Step in Soul-Care
The first step in soul-care is the deliverance of the human soul from the penalty and practice of sin.  The experience of sinful attitudes and actions is universal.  “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin (Rom. 3:9; Paul proved this in chapters one and two). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  The practice of sin results in the penalty for sin which is spiritual death (Rom. 6:23).  If sin is not forgiven by God, the penalty is eternal punishment.  When we sin against God, our soul is in spiritual peril.  The only remedy is found in and through Jesus Christ.
Obedience to the Gospel
How do we obtain forgiveness of our sins?  This is the most important question that the human heart can ponder.  The first object in soul-care is our salvation from sin and God’s wrath.  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:8-9).  The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin and we are forgiven and freed from the bondage of sin.  When does this occur?
Twice in the New Testament obedience to the gospel is referenced.  However, it is referenced in the negative.  In Rom. 10:16, God’s word declares, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:16-17).  The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16).  Obedience to the gospel is essential in order to obtain salvation.  The second passage of scripture is found in II Thess. 1:7-10, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”  Unbelief produces disobedience.  The gospel of Christ is the good news of the salvation accomplished through the redemptive work of Jesus.  Every person can avail themselves of this salvation.  The gospel of Christ contains: (1) facts about Jesus–His pre-existence, birth, life, ministry, teaching, miracles, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and coronation (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John); (2) Commands.  All of the commandments of Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16);  and (3) promises.  The promises of God relating to salvation and eternal life (Acts 2:39; Titus 1:2).  Certainly, the gospel is “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).
What are Some of the Commands Jesus Gave?
First, we must hear the word of God (Rom. 10:14).  We must come to know God and His will for our lives.  Faith comes by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17).  Knowing the truth and believing the truth are connected.  A person can know the truth and reject it thus manifesting unbelief.  But, you cannot believe if you do not know the truth.  Faith and love for God are connected.  Gal. 5:6, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Faith is energized by love.  Faith is “taking God at His word.”  Love is the highest motivation for obedience to God’s will.  Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “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. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings…” (John 14:23-24).  Just like unbelief produces disobedience, so does lack of love for God.  Jesus also commands us to repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5).  Repentance is a universal command of the gospel.  “And the times of this ignorance God winked at: but now commanders all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).  The gospel requires that people confess that Jesus is Lord.  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believers unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9,10).  Confession of Christ is a pre-requisite to baptism.  Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).  Those who have never obeyed these commands of the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his might (II Thess. 1:7-9).  If we die in our sins, we die without mercy.  If we die in our sins, we will be raised unforgiven in sin and thus raised to damnation (John 8:24 and 5:28,29).
Other Notable Passages on Obedience
In Rom. 6:16-17, Paul writes by inspiration and says that when we obey from the heart that form of doctrine we are made free from sin.  In Heb. 5:8-9, the sacred writer affirms that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.  Jesus taught in Matt. 28:18-20 that we make disciples by teaching them the whole truth and baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Finally, Peter declares that we purify our souls in obeying the truth (I Pet. 1:21-22).
Blessed Are They That Do His Commandments
A special blessing belongs to those who are obedient to God.  “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).  Soul-care begins by obtaining the salvation which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  We must obey the gospel in order to obtain forgiveness of our sins and change our spiritual status before God.  When we obey the gospel, we become the children of God (Gal. 3:26,27).

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22).  The heart (inward man) is at the center of all human life and activities.  “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).  “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34).  “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt. 12:35).  A true heart is an aspect of true religion.  True hearts are purified by obedience to the truth, characterized by genuineness, and blessed by fellowship with God.
Purified By Obedience to the Truth
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (I Pet. 1:22).  There are two parts to our purification from sin.  The first part belongs to God.  The human heart is cleansed by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.  Sin is forgiven on account of the atoning power of the blood of Jesus which was shed on the cross.  His blood secures our redemption.  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7).  God’s love, grace and mercy are all involved in our salvation.  God has done His part.  The second part belongs to each of us.  We must manifest an obedient faith in Jesus Christ.  Our bodies are washed with pure water. This is a reference to baptism (an immersion in water for the remission of sins).  “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us; not the putting away of the filth of flesh but the answer of a good conscience before God.”  Our sins are washed away in baptism. “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).  Paul’s conversion was a pattern to them that should believe unto everlasting life (I Tim. 1:13-14).  Paul was baptized into Christ (Acts 9:18).  Later, he taught others that they must be baptized into Christ and put on Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).  The human heart is purified by obedience to the truth.  When we are baptized into Christ, our sins are washed away by the power of His blood.
Characterized By Genuineness
The word true means, “genuine, free from iniquity, hypocrisy, deceit and so sincere, unfeigned, true-hearted.”  A person must be sincere in one’s faith.  Faith is conviction of the precepts of God and confidence in the promises of God (Heb. 11:1).  Conviction produces assurance (nothing doubting).  A person must not vacillate between two different religions, i.e. Judaism and Christianity.  Paul is an example once again.  When Paul became a Christian, he left Judaism behind.  Immediately after becoming a Christian, Paul began to preach Jesus Christ (Acts 9:20) that He is the Son of God.  This spiritual fact affirms the deity of Jesus Christ which previously Paul had denied.  Paul changed from being a persecutor of the Lord’s church to becoming a proclaimer of the Lord and His kingdom.  A good heart produces good fruit (Matt. 12:35).  This will be manifested in word and in deed.  It will be seen in pure speech and pure religion (James 1:27).  Blasphemy does not come from a pure heart.  Hypocrisy does not come from a pure heart.  Truth comes from a pure heart.
Blessed By Fellowship With God
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to draw near to God.  First, no man can draw near to God apart from Jesus Christ.  John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”  Access to God is made possible by Jesus Christ who opens the door to heavenly realms.  We must be forgiven.  We must be redeemed.  God is holy.  In order to approach God, we must have pure hearts.  Authentic faith in God and genuine love for God secure relationship and fellowship with God.  We draw near to God when we worship Him.  Praise and prayer are avenues of worship whereby the human heart pursues God.  We have fellowship with God through the bond of love that is manifested in our adoration of God.  The pathway to God involves a true heart.  True hearts make true religion.  “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).

In James 4:6, the Word of the God declares, “God resists the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”  Several insights can be gained from this succinct statement of Scripture.
First, the word “resists” is from the Greek word antitasso which is a military term that depicts the orderly arrangement of troops to successfully wage combat against the enemy (non-compliant person).  It depicts an arrangement of military forces to crush the enemy.  God’s face is against them.  God has become an adversary to them.  The proud person is the arrogant person who refuses to submit to God’s Will.  This personal obstinacy against God is met with God’s response of “resistance.”  This means that God has become their foe.  Consider this important fact.  Satan is also an adversary to them.  Peter depicts Satan as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8).  Satan is an adversary and a destroyer (Rev. 9:11).  When the proud person, even if he or she is a Christian, sets himself against God, he has doubled his trouble!  Not only is Satan against him, but, now, God is against him.  James has already addressed this spiritual dilemma.  “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).  The height of human arrogance is manifested in disobedience to God.  The “world” is characterized by the works of the flesh.  “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).  It is one thing to have Satan as your enemy.  It is quite another to have God as your enemy.  When both Satan and God are against you, you have no hope of victory.
Second, the transition from a haughty spirit to a humble heart is an act of personal will.  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  The humble (tapeinos) person is contrite, exhibits lowliness of mind and heart, and has succeeded in slaying pride.  Pride is slain through repentance which affects a change of heart toward God.  “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (I Pet. 5:6).  Humility is accomplished by self-denial (Matt. 16:24).  Our personal will must become one with the will of God.
Third, submission to God’s authority is essential to obtaining the grace of God.  The command is to “submit yourselves” (James 4:7, hupotasso) or willingly place ourselves under the authority of God.  This removes conflict between ourselves and God.  It avoids the chastening of God for Christians who disobey Him and it invites God’s grace.  God’s grace is conditional.  It is conditioned upon humble obedience to His commands.  God’s grace is appropriated through obedience which is accompanied by faith and love.  God’s grace involves the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 15:29).  It involves our: forgiveness, sonship, heirship, fellowship with deity and with the saints, oneness with the triune God, and hope of everlasting life.
When we transgress God’s law, we exhibit a pride that God opposes.  We have doubled our trouble.  The only escape from this spiritual dilemma is humble obedience spurred by repentance.

Knowing God is the ultimate quest of the human heart.  God has revealed Himself in the following ways:  (1) Through His Creative Acts (Rom. 1:20); (2) Through Special Revelation (His Word) (Ex. 34:6-7); and (3) Through His Son–Jesus Christ (John 14:9).  We can know the heart of God.
In II Peter 3:9, the Holy Spirit reveals, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  There are four affirmations in this text.  First, the veracity of God’s Word.  Second, the long-suffering of God.  Third, the desire of God to save.  Fourth, the call to repentance.
The Veracity of God’s Word
The promise referred to in this passage is the promise of the Second Coming of Jesus.  Jesus promised His disciples that He would come again.  “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).  The word of God is true and faithful.  God cannot lie (I Sam. 15:29; Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2).  The fulfillment of this promise is future (II Pet. 3:10-11).  The time of Christ’s return is not known by us (Matt. 24:36).  In regards to this promise, some men mock God (II Pet. 3:3-4).  However, there is a historical precedent–the Flood–that demonstrates the veracity of God’s Word and and His punitive power.  God is not slack (slow) concerning His promises.  God is not delaying or neglectful.  But, God is long-suffering.
The Longsuffering of God
The word lonsuffering (makrothumia) means “to demonstrate self-restraint in the face of provocation.”  Our sin provokes God’s wrath.  However, God is merciful and does not desire that any should perish.  God’s longsuffering is a function of His love and mercy.  God holds Himself back from punishing us immediately because He wills the salvation of every person. God’s long-suffering was functioning in the days of Noah.  Noah was a preacher of righteousness (I Pet. 3:20). God used Noah to proclaim repentance to the people in his day (Gen. 6:3; II Pet. 2:5).  After a period of 120 years, God brought the flood upon the earth. Behold, the heart of God!  God is long-suffering, but the period of His long-suffering ended and His wrath was poured out on the ungodly.
The Desire of God to Save
Paul confirms God’s desire to save.  In I Tim. 2:4, he writes, “Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”  The scheme of redemption proves God’s desire to save from the ravages and eternal consequences of sin.  The cross of Jesus Christ proves it.  The gospel of Christ proves it.  Rom. 1:16 states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  Paul affirms, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I Tim. 1:15).  Because God desires that all be saved, He calls all people to repentance.
The Call to Repentance
Repentance describes the ultimate reversal.  It signifies the complete about-face of heart, mind, and thought and life that triggers conversion and initiates the transition from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13).  The Greek word metanoia literally means “to perceive afterwards.”  In other words, “to see afterwards” is to repent because we see that the way we thought or lived before was wrong and needed changing (see Os Guinness, Fools Talk, p. 43). Repentance involves turning away from sin and turning to God.  The call to repentance tests the hearts of men.  God has revealed His heart in His desire to save.  We reveal our hearts in whether or not we will repent.  The Judge of all men is coming again (II Pet. 3:10-11).  In view of this fact, we have to take advantage of the opportunity for salvation that God’s long-suffering creates.  “And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation…” (II Pet. 3:15).  The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. The world will end.  The Judge of all the earth will be manifest.  All will be judged by Him (Acts 17:31).  God’s long-suffering is our opportunity to be saved before the great and notable Day of the Lord when His punitive power will be unleashed on the ungodly and they will perish eternally.
Obey the Gospel
Every accountable person must obey the gospel (II Thess. 1:7-9) or face God’s wrath.  Peter said to those on the Day of Pentecost, “…repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

Does God love everyone the same?  This question deserves some serious thought.  Is there any difference in God’s love for the world (John 3:16) and His love for His people (John 14:21-24)?  In John 3:16 and Rom. 5:8-9, the Scriptures teach God’s love for sinners.  But, God’s love for sinners does not save sinners if they do not love God and believe on His Son, Jesus Christ.
God’s Love For the World                                                                                                                                           God’s love for the world is manifested in that He:  (1) Sends the sunshine and the rain on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:44-49).  (2) Sent Jesus into the world to die for the redemption of mankind (John 3:16).  Both reveal the general and unconditional aspect of God’s love.  God’s love is God seeking the highest good of each person by providing the essential things necessary to sustain physical life (creation) and to save man from the consequences of sin (redemption).  Just because God loves people in the world and has demonstrated His love in sending His Son to die in their behalf to obtain the means of atonement, does not mean that people love Him back.  Many do not love God.  Many do not believe in God nor heed His commandments.  In John 3:16, unbelievers will perish (eternal destruction, Matt. 25:46) even though God loved them, they will face His wrath.
God’s Love for His Children
God’s special love for His children is conditional.  Consider the words of Jesus in John 14:21-23, “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. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  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. 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.”
God loves those that love His Son, “he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father.”
We love Jesus by keeping His commandments (become His disciples or in other words a New Testament Christian).
Obedience to Jesus wins God’s love.
God fellowships those that love Him and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Notice, the world is not in fellowship with God because of unbelief.  Unbelief and disobedience are connected.  Lovelessness and disobedience are connected.  God does not fellowship unbelievers or the disobedient.
God has a special love, a covenantal love, for His people.  This is God’s lovingkindness toward those who love and obey His Son.
God is Father spiritually only to those in covenant relationship with Him.  Gal. 3:26-27; I John 3:1-2.  “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).
God’s promises and spiritual blessings belong to His people (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:3).  All spiritual blessings are in Christ and so, outside of Christ there are no spiritual blessings and no hope of eternal life (Rom. 6:23; Mark 16:16).
Summary
Those who love God win God’s special love (covenantal love).  Those who love Jesus Christ win God’s special love.  Those who are obedient to Christ win God’s special love.  God loves His people with a special love that He does not love the world with.  Consequently, God loves the world in a different way and in a different sense than He loves His children.  God is in intimate fellowship with His people whereas He is not in fellowship with the wicked of this world.

Before Jesus launched His public ministry, He appears to John the Baptist to request baptism by John.  Jesus recognized John as a prophet from God and knew that his message was from God.   Jesus complied with John’s baptism and was immersed in the Jordan River.  Why?
Personal Purpose.                                                                           Jesus’ mission was “to do thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:7).  Jesus was sinless and therefore, did not need to repent or be baptized for the remission of sins–both of which were aspects of John’s baptism (Mark 1:4).  However, positive conformity to God’s Will was most certainly required by Jesus.  Jesus publicly declares by His baptism His resolve to fully surrender His will to God’s will.  Had he not been baptized, He would have fallen into the same camp as the Pharisees and Sadducees who rejected John’s preaching and thus rejected God (Luke 7:30).  Later, Jesus rebukes them for this rejection (Matt. 21:25).
Paramount Principle
“And Jesus answering said unto him, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).  Righteousness is right conduct based upon God’s Word.  John’s baptism was from heaven (authorized by God, Matt. 21:25).  When the Pharisees and Sadducees rejected John’s baptism, they rejected the counsel of God against themselves (Luke 7:30). These Jewish leaders would not repent.  They would not obey John’s preaching.  They would not obey God.  They acted against their own spiritual welfare.  They violated the sacred principle that Jesus spoke and upheld.  This principle must guide every person today.  We must understand that we are amenable to the authority of God.  We must comply with all of His will for our lives or be in transgression of that will.  Transgression of the will of God is sin (I John 3:4).  There are no excuses for not obeying God.  There are no exemptions from obeying God.  Even Jesus Himself, who was without sin (Heb. 4:15; I Pet. 2:22) complied with all of God’s Will.  If anyone could or would have been exempt, it would have been Him.
Perpetual Pattern
Doing all that God instructs us to do is a powerful ethic for pleasing God and living a disciplined life as a Christian.  All of the evil in the world is the result of a departure from doing God’s Will! No excuse is good enough for disobedience to God.  No one is exempt from obeying God.  Jesus’ obedience to God’s Will is a perpetual pattern for all who would follow Him.  We must walk in His steps (I Pet. 2:21).  In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to teach men to obey all of His commands (Matt. 28:18-20).  One of those commands is to be baptized (Mark 16:15-16).  Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.”  It is perilous to the soul to disobey the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The call to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins is a legitimate part of the gospel.  Peter proclaimed this message on the day of Pentecost and three thousand souls obeyed it (Acts 2:38-41).  Respect for the principle Jesus uttered at His baptism is essential for our salvation.  Will you follow Jesus?