As was shown in the previous posting which focused on John 14:15,23, loving God and obeying His commandments are synonymous and inseparable. Regardless of how zealous one’s religiosity might be, it will not substitute for doing what the Lord commands in His Word, the same Word that serves as the only basis for faith. We cannot overestimate the importance of the love-obedience-Word connection. Jesus of Nazareth–our primary example–makes this so clear that even the most nominal of church members can understand it. We must not overlook the fact that the man Jesus was subject to every rule of God. Being a former God did not exempt Him from having to obey His Father without exception in order to remain in His good graces. This is brought out in John 15:10 where we find Him telling His disciples: “If you (disciples) keep My commandments (then) you will abide (remain) in My love, EVEN AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHER’S COMMANDMENTS AND (BECAUSE OF MY OBEDIENCE) ABIDE IN HIS LOVE.” That He had to meet the same requirements as other men in order to spend eternity with the Father is also brought out in Revelation 3:21 where we find Him telling all who would join Him in paradise: “To him that overcomes (Satan’s temptation to sin) I will grant (permission) to sit with Me on My throne, EVEN (IN THE SAME WAY) AS I ALSO OVERCAME AND HAVE SET DOWN WITH MY FATHER ON HIS THRONE.” The Word “ALSO” in the above statement makes His message clear: In order to join Jesus in the Kingdom of God we must obey God exactly as did He. We must “walk as He walked (1 Jn. 2:6), “purify ourselves even as He is pure (1 Jn. 3:3) and “… overcome even as (He) overcame” (Rev. 3:21). He who does so “… to the end shall (then) be saved” (Mat. 10:22). In Revelation 2:26 Jesus tells us that to overcome means to keep His Word. Satan’s self-appointed job is to tempt God-seekers from believing and obeying (keeping) God’s Word. To fail to do so is sin, the wages of which is death (Rom. 6:23). The “gift” of God spoken of in Romans 6:23 is the Holy Spirit which empowers one to overcome Satan’s temptations to rebel against God’s Word. As I have stated several times, EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO THE WORD OF GOD.

Note the two messages Jesus was giving to His spiritual brethren John 14: One: if the preaching, healing, delivering disciples–Christ’s brethren (Mat. 12:46-50)–wanted to remain in His love, THEY HAD TO OBEY HIS WORDS. Two: Jesus Christ–the former God Who had been with God in heaven before coming to earth as a man (Jn. 1:1-4,14), WAS REQUIRED TO OBEY GOD THE FATHER IN ORDER TO REMAIN ONE WITH HIM. Note it: THE FIX WAS NOT IN FOR THE SINLESS SON OF GOD. So who does man think he is? Why does man think he can reject even one of God’s Words and live eternally? Such a one has placed himself above both the Father and the Son. THIS IS IDOLATRY–the breaking of Commandment #1. This truth illuminates the fact that THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH IS AN IDOLATROUS INSTITUTION. But because she has been blinded by Satan, she cannot believe this truth. Now let us see what else God has to say about his Word.

Genesis 3:8,9: Rejecting any part of God’s Word cuts one off from Him. Adam and Eve did so by rejecting only one of the Words God had said to them. That Word was “not.” God–the Word Who became Jesus of Nazareth–had told them that they could “not” eat of every tree of the garden. Satan convinced them that they could ignore the Word “not” and live eternally. After allowing the Serpent to scratch their itching ears, they “knew” that they were not required to believe and obey “every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Being enlightened, they could reject what their Creator had said about eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They “knew” that they could ignore one of His Words and still be one with Him not only in the present, but also for eternity. The Words of Isaiah (59:2) have been rejected by the spiritual descendants of Adam and Eve: “Your sins separate you from God.” Not so, says modern religionists who, believing that sin is inevitable, “know” that God absorbs their sins with His twin sponges named Mary and Grace. They, as did their ancient ancestors, reject the Lord’s Words which send light into the darkness of Satan’s religious world where they live. They have turned His command to “… sin no more” into “try to cut back on your sinning.” Faith, they believe, is all that is needed in order to guarantee a mansion in heaven for eternity. Satan laughs as God’s Holy Bible gathers yet another layer of dust as it sits on the coffee table beside the t.v. listings. L.J.