The Biblical words “you,” “ye,” “you-ward,” “yourselves,” “your,” “yours,” etc. number in the hundreds and are found throughout God’s Word.  The question all honest Truth-seekers MUST ask themselves is: Do those words and the statements in which they are found apply to me personally, now, in this situation, in this life?  The answer is: IT DEPENDS.  In the Holy Scriptures, EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON ONE’S BELIEF IN AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S TRUTH–HIS WORD (Jn. 17:17)/ LAW (Mat.14:15,23).  I have found that, with extremely rare exception, church people do not believe this Bible Truth upon which their eternity depends.  To doubt this Truth places one in the same spiritual category as atheists who also do not believe it.  Six times in a single chapter the Apostle James confirms that one must believe that statement in order to be saved (2:14,17,18,20,24,26).  Faith, as defined by the Lord, is simply taking Him at His written Word (Rom. 10:19).  Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep (do) it” (Lk. 11:28).  Anciently, people were told to “hear,” not read, God’s Word because the vast majority of people were illiterate in those days.  People went to the Temple or their synagogue to hear the priest read from the Scriptures.  The quality of their faith depended on whether they obeyed what they heard, or only believed it.  All faith is not equal.  There is life-producing faith as well as death-producing faith (see James 2 above).  As we will see, some faith is useless, even dead.  Dead faith produces dead faith holders.  Only church people have faith in God’s Word.  Those church people who refuse to do the works of faith are not God’s people.  Biblical faith requires works of faith–obedience to the Word in which one has faith.  If one does not prove their faith through works, the promises of God, including salvation, do not apply to them.

Satan and his fallen angels (devils/demons) believe God’s Word (Rev. 12:11/ Jam. 2:19).  Serious salvation seekers study God’s Word relentlessly to make sure that they are taking Him at His Word which requires them to “walk” with Him by agreeing with His Word (Amos 3:3).  Those who call themselves Christ’s brethren must “walk as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:6).  Only those who do so until the end will be saved upon Christ’s return (Mat. 10:22).

The Bible in its entirety is a covenant initiated by the Author of that tome Who states in writing the conditions of the covenant.  A covenant is a two-way agreement.  The Lord declares what He will do and what we must do in order to activate the covenant.  Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26 summarize the Lord’s two-way covenant with mankind.  Here we find Him telling us what He will do FOR us if we obey His Word/Law and what He will do TO us we disobey His Word/Law.  Those chapters need no interpretation.  A child can understand the promises He makes and the conditions that must be met that will bring them to fruition.  Therein lies the “it depends” rule that determines if God is speaking to each and every  believer through His Holy Scriptures.  As He tells us through James, there is a great “depends” gulf separating a promise and its fulfillment.  He also tells us that faith in God’s promises is worthless unless one fulfills the requirements relative to the promises, which He calls “WORKS.”  “Works” simply means obeying His Words.  Let us now look at a few familiar statements by the Lord Jesus Himself that address the question one needs to ask himself daily: Did God make His covenant with me personally?  Again: It depends.

He answers the personal question in general terms through the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Rome in chapter 15 verses 8 and 9.  Here he tells us that Jesus Christ came to earth for one reason: to “confirm the promises made to the (Israelite) fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)” AND so that “the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” toward them by offering them the same covenant containing the same promises.  Paul says that he would continue to confess God among the Gentiles so that they could enter into that same covenant and receive those same promises.  Note: THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN TO, FOR AND ABOUT THE ISRAELITES.  In order for Gentiles to be included in the covenant and is promises they must become spiritual Israelites by obeying the God of Israel.  Jesus told two Jews (a rich man and a lawyer) who had asked Him what they must do in order to inherit eternal life that they must OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW.  He came to extend the same promise of salvation to the Gentiles who must do exactly what those Jews had to do: OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW.    In case there are those who still are not convinced, let us examine two statements Jesus made to and about His disciples and those who would become His disciples.

In John 15:13,14 He told His disciples that He would lay down His life for His friends.  He then said to them, “You (disciples) are My friends IF YOU DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU TO DO.”   He commanded them to do exactly what He commanded the rich man and the lawyer to do–OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW.  Note this and keep it firmly in your mind: If you do not obey His Law HE DID NOT DIE FOR YOU.  His death means nothing to us unless we KEEP HIS LAW, which defines sin and holiness: “To transgress the Law is sin; for sin is the transgression of the Law (1 Jn. 3:4).  This means that to keep the Law (not sin) produces holiness, which must be manifested in order to be saved (Rom. 6:21).

Another passage that proves that the Bible was written to, for and about biological Israelites and those who would become spiritual Israelites which would qualify them for salvation is Matthew 12:46-50.  Only those who obey His commandments now are His spiritual brethren now.  Speaking about His  biological mother, brothers and sisters, He announced that only those who “… do the will of My Father in heaven” were His spiritual brethren.  Nothing has changed.  And what must we do to become His spiritual brethren?  OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW, WHICH IS THE ENTIRE BIBLE IN CONDENSED FORM.  

Only those who love Jesus Christ enough to obey His Law will enter paradise with Him.  He said in John 14:15 and 23: “IF you love Me (15) you will keep My COMMANDMENTS” and “If a man love Me he will keep My WORDS.”  His commandments and His words are the same.  He was addressing His disciples and all who would become His disciples.  In John 15:10 He said to them: “IF you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”  We must prove our love for Jesus by keeping the Commandments.  He had to prove His love for God by keeping the commandments.  He said to a man who asked him how to receive eternal life.  He said to him: “If you will enter into (eternal) life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS” (Mat. 19:17).  Could anything be more clear?  And yet 99.99% of professing Christendom do not believe.  Truly, Satan has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9).

IF YOU DO NOT OBEY GOD’S LAW (KEEP SIN OUT OF YOUR LIFE) GOD’S COVENANT DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU; HIS PROMISES ARE NOT MEANT FOR YOU; HE DID NOT DIE FOR YOU.  This Biblical Truth applies to  you, me and every soul on this earth or who has ever been on this earth.  L.J.