The word “works” is mentioned approximately 240 times in the Holy Scriptures, most of those instances are found in the New Testament. Twenty-four times Jesus Himself spoke one of the most hated words found in the Bible. “WORKS” is among the two most despised words the Lord ever placed in print. The other word at the top of Christendom’s most-hated utterances list is “OBEDIENCE.” In reality, they are one in the same. When a Bible writer spoke of “works” relative to God’s people he was referring to works of obedience to His Word/Law/Truth. In chapter two of his epistle to the church, the Apostle James proved that works and obedience were also conjoined with the word “FAITH.” Relative to the Word of God, works, obedience and faith are inseparable in the mind of God. Read James 2:10,14,17,18,20,24,26. The Holy Bible is the mind of God–His will–in print. No one has the authority to change so much as jot or tittle from that holy tome that was written under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In changing so much as a comma, one makes oneself God’s self-worshiping replacement–an idolator.

The Lord our God has much to say about works, obedience and faith through Jesus of Nazareth Himself, His Old Testament prophets and His New Testament apostles. Let us examine some of their statements which God had recorded, protected, preserved and made available to the end-time church (1 Cor. 10:11). Their written statements form the foundation of that church (Eph. 2:20) which was established on the Day of Pentecost 31 A.D. As do His Words, God’s tiny church continues to stand today. Jesus promised to build a church that the gates of hell would not prevail against (Mat. 16:18). That mustard seed-sized church exists today, though in the shadow of man’s billions-strong church system that is found throughout the world in hundreds of forms and under hundreds of names. Though minutely small–numbering only a few thousand globally–Christ’s church remains in operation and will still be in operation when she leaves the earth and rises to meet Him in the air upon His return. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14, only a few will have chosen His strait (difficult) gateway into His sheepfold (church) and will have walked His narrow (highly restricted) path. Only these will rise to meet Him in the air during the first resurrection.

Bear in mind that every word found in the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation was written under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit and “is profitable for teaching, for doctrine, for correction and for training in RIGHTEOUSNESS” (2 Tim. 3:14-16). Those holy Scriptures must be thoroughly STUDIED in order to learn how to please God (2 Tim. 2:15/ Isa. 28:9-13). Their writers were divinely proclaimed as “Holy men of old (who) spoke (and wrote) as they were led by the Holy spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). Their sermons and writings delve deeply into the realm of works as they relate to faith and obedience. We must also delve deeply into those divinely-inspired Words which we must know, believe and obey in order to reap the reward of eternal life upon the return of Jesus Christ.

In John 9:4 we find Jesus Himself saying this about works: “I must work the works of Him Who sent Me.” Note that just BEING God’s Son (as are true saints) was not enough for Him to become the Lord’s Messiah and the believer’s Savior. There was work to be done during His short life and He had to be about it. We must follow His example. In First John 2:6 the apostle reminds us that if we claim to be Christ’s spiritual brethren we must “walk (live/work) even as He walked” during His time on earth. This is neither a suggestion nor an option–THIS IS A COMMAND. This is not, as the church contends, a cruel joke in which God commands us to do what we are incapable of doing. In John 14:12 Jesus states that those who believe in Him (believe His message) will not only do everything He did, but will do even greater things. The most important thing He did was to live in a state of holiness and righteousness, the end result of which is eternal life (Rom. 5:21; 6:22). He stated in Matthew 10:22 that only those who did so until the end would be saved (upon His return). If saints are to be “joint heirs” of the universe with Him (Rom. 8:17), they must live (walk) as He lived while on earth. We do this by “purifying ourselves as He purified Himself (1 Jn. 3:3) by “the washing of the water by the Word” (Eph. 5:26). This is accomplished only by continually cleansing ourselves by receiving a steady inflow of God’s Word into our hearts (minds) which removes all that is not of God, BUT ONLY IF WE BELIEVE AND OBEY IT. Bible study, church attendance, prayer, tithing, smiling, etc. accomplish nothing without works of obedience relative to what we have studied.

To a degree, Satan sets a good example. Recall that, when speaking to Eve, Satan quoted God. He later did the same thing when speaking to Jesus Himself, saying: “It is written,” then quoting what God had said (Mat. 4). Satan has great faith; he knows and believes the Bible in its entirety. He does everything required for oneness with God except to obey His Word. To know it but refuse to obey it places Bible owning church attenders in the same category as Satan. Truly, “Satan has deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). Man’s responsibility for walking the walk (working the works) of Jesus of Nazareth relative to salvation is the subject of this series. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR OBEDIENCE.

Satan’s self-appointed task is to tempt man into disobeying God’s Law, meaning to sin (1 Jn. 3:4), thereby making man the spiritual offspring of Satan himself (1 Jn. 3:8-10). Man’s commanded righteousness, holiness and purity are accomplished only by OVERCOMING SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS TO SIN. We are continuously bombarded by his devils/demons who know which buttons to push. Their attempts to separate us from God (Isa. 59:2) come down to DECEPTION in which one becomes convinced that what we are tempted to do will be okay. As one woman said about sin: “Don’t worry about sin; God will forgive you.” As I have proven Scripturally in earlier postings, God forgives the repentant sinner only AFTER HE HAS STOPPED SINNING AND IS WALKING IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM. UNTIL THEN, ONE IS SIMPLY TREASURING (SAVING) UP GOD’S WRATH AGAINST THE SINNER UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT (Rom. 2:5). You will not hear that Truth coming from your church’s pulpit. Nor will I be allowed to speak it from any church pulpit. If Jesus returned to earth in physical form and spoke in the churches what He spoke earlier, He would be escorted out and the doors would be locked.

Satan’s smooth deceptive moves are perfectly exhibited by his dealings with Eve as recorded in the third chapter of Genesis where, using only four words, he deceived Eve into disobeying God. She later admitted this to Him, saying, “The Serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Note that though the devil deceived her, it was her decision to eat the forbidden fruit. She was honest enough to admit this by saying: “I ate.” Eve was honest with God and with herself. SHE decided to disobey God. Satan could not force her to sin. She admitted that her sin was a voluntary act on her part. Adam tried to blame God for his part in the sin, but to no avail. Our original parents, along with every human being but one, has CHOSEN to sin.

The theory called “Original Sin” that puts the blame for man’s sins on Adam is Satanic in origin and is total nonsense. Read Original Sin. Key word–Original. The theory was concocted by a Catholic priest named Augustine many generations ago. Like anything that gives man what he wants, Original Sin became an instant hit. Soon it was “Bible truth.” It still is, even though people like me prove it to be a Biblically-defined lie. When Satan gets his claws into someone it is extremely difficult to pry them loose.

Neither Satan nor Adam can force man to sin. Contrary to popular belief, sin is voluntary and not forced upon man by a miraculous sin gene transferal phenomenon perpetrated upon us by Adam. Belief in the Original Sin theory makes sin as “natural” as breathing. Read Human Nature. Key word–Nature. L.J.