(English & Español)
by Raimer Rojas
The Cultural Mandate: God’s Design for Human Flourishing • Exodus 18 Through the Eyes of Jethro (and the Cultural Mandate) • The Cultural Mandate as a Reality Check • The Cultural Mandate Stewardship Checklist
From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals four great callings that define the life of His people. These callings are not optional—they form the biblical backbone of what it means to know God, walk with Him, and participate in His work in the world. Together, they shape who we are, how we live, and what we do as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our Relational Calling — who we are becoming
Scripture: Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:37–40
Jesus taught that the greatest of all God’s commands is love. This calling shapes the inner life of every disciple.
We are called to:
Love God with all our being
Love yourself in the love God has loved you
Love your neighbor as yourself
Jesus said that "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these commands", meaning they define the heart posture behind everything we do.
What this calling shapes:
Our identity and worth
The posture of our heart
How we relate to others
The motivations behind our obedience
Love is the root and center of discipleship—everything flows from it.
Our Creational Calling — how we steward God’s world
Scripture: Genesis 1:28; 2:15; 9:1–7
Long before the fall, God gave humanity a mission: to cultivate, steward, order, and multiply His goodness in the world.
We are called to:
Be fruitful — bring forth good
Multiply — expand goodness
Fill the earth — extend God’s blessing and reflect His image
Subdue and steward creation — cultivate potential and shape flourishing communities
Work and keep — care for what God entrusts to us
This mandate never became obsolete. It is reaffirmed after the flood and expressed throughout Scripture in themes of stewardship, creativity, work, leadership, and civic responsibility.
What this calling shapes:
Our work and vocation
Our presence and participation in society
How we build families, teams, and communities
How we cultivate environments of life, order, and blessing
How we lead and steward responsibility
The Cultural Mandate is the forming mandate—disciples help bring God’s order, beauty, and blessing into every sphere of life.
Our Ethical Calling — how we live out God’s heart in the world
Scripture: Micah 6:8
God summarizes His expectations for His people in three simple but profound commands:
We are called to:
Do justice — act rightly and protect the vulnerable
Love mercy — extend compassion, forgiveness, and steadfast kindness
Walk humbly with God — live surrendered and obedient, with Christ as King
This calling sits at the intersection of character and action, bridging the love of the Great Commandment with the stewardship of the Cultural Mandate.
What this calling shapes:
Our integrity and compassion
Our treatment of the poor, wounded, and marginalized
How we lead with humility
How we make relational and ethical decisions
The Great Requirement is the character mandate—disciples embody God’s justice, mercy, and humility in daily life.
Our Missional Calling — how we multiply disciples
Scripture: Matthew 28:18–20
Jesus gives His followers a global mandate that renews and expands God’s original purpose for humanity.
We are called to:
Make disciples of all nations
Baptize them into the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded
Go in the authority and presence of Jesus Himself
This calling reframes the Cultural Mandate into a spiritual movement of multiplying people who reflect Christ’s image.
What this calling shapes:
How we share the gospel
How we disciple others relationally
How we train leaders
How we extend the Kingdom into every place and people
How we build simple, reproducible patterns of faith and obedience
The Great Commission is the multiplication mandate—disciples make disciples who make disciples.
These four callings are not separate assignments—they form an integrated, whole-life vision for following Jesus:
The Great Commandment forms the heart of a disciple
The Cultural Mandate forms the work and stewardship of a disciple
The Great Requirement forms the character of a disciple
The Great Commission forms the mission of a disciple
Together they define the core identity and purpose of God’s people:
A disciple knows and loves God deeply, loves others well, stewards life faithfully, walks in justice and humility, and multiplies the life of Jesus in others.
This is the biblical blueprint for a whole-life disciple of Christ.