Postive and Negative Commands

God commandments can be expressed two ways - as positive and as negative commands. Following are listed one command taken from each of the New Testaments books from Romans to Revelations (JKV). Hopefully readings these will be helpful for the reader to see these two modes of expressing God's will. Our prayer is that these will be a blessing to all.

Positive commands:

Rom 13:1: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

I Cor:11:28: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

II Cor:17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Gal. 6:2: Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Eph 5:22: Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Phil. 4:9: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Col. 4:6: Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

I Thess. 5:16: Rejoice evermore. 17: Pray without ceasing. 18: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19: Quench not the Spirit.

II Thess. 3:13: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

I Tim. 2:8: I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9: In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.

II Tim 4:2: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Tit. 2:7: In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity.

Philem. 3: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb. 10:24: And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

Jas. 1:2: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

I Pet. 2:21: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

II Pet. 3:18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

I John 2:6: He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

II John 6: And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

III John 11: Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Jude 24: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

Rev. 2:5: Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Negative commands:

Rom. 12:2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I Cor. 6:7: Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

II Cor. 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Gal 4:13: Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

Eph, 4:30: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Phil. 2:4: Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Col. 3:21: Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

I Thess. 5:19: Quench not the Spirit.

II Thess. 3:14: And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

I Tim. 4:7: But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

II Tim. 1:8: Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.

Tit. 2:10: Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

Philem. 14: But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

Heb. 10:25: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Jas. 4:11: Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

I Pet. 3:9: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

II Pet. 3:8: But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

I John 4:1: Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

II John 10: If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.

III John 11: Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Jude 10: But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Rev. 3:16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

These few examples from the Word of God shows how He revels His will in both positive and negative commands. To ignore or reject the use of negative statements would be folly and lead to partial obedience of God's will.

May the Christian seek to follow all the Word. And may the none-Christian see His sinfulness in disobeying God's Word and repent, and come to Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died and arouse for his redemption so that they may too live by grace a life enriched by following His will.