In the Gospel of John we find John the Baptist telling those coming to him for baptism that the King of the Jews had arrived as promised by the Prophets, and that He was walking in their midst. The Messiah’s arrival created a serious problem for two groups of people–the Jewish religious hierarchy and the Roman Empire. If the people recognized Jesus as their king, the priests and Pharisees would lose the power they exercised over them. This could not be allowed. The Jews (Judahites) were the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. This group had been known as the “southern tribes” of Israel while the other 10 tribes were known as the “northern tribes.” Several generations earlier the northern tribes had been conquered and removed from Samaria, the part of Israel occupied by the northern tribes. As was the custom of their Assyrian conquerers, they had placed in Samaria another Gentile nation whom they had defeated and removed from their homeland. At the time when Jesus was on earth these people were still occupying the land and were known as Samaritans. They had learned about the Jews’ Messiah but had remained heathen and were ruled by a miracle worker named Simon Magus (Simon the Magician). This man would come to have incredible influence over church doctrines as the series titled Simon of Samaria: the Legacy. Key word–Simon.

Then there were the Romans who allowed the Jewish priests and Pharisees to retain their social and religious positions in order to help them (the Romans) to control the people. The Jewish hierarchy served as peace-keepers for the Roman Empire which, having conquered the southern tribes now ruled them with an iron fist. The Jews rejected Jesus because He claimed to be the Son of God–the King of the Jews. The Romans rejected Him because no one under their control (most of Europe and the Middle East) was allowed to acknowledge any king other than their king (Caesar). Therefore, both the Jews and the Romans rejected Jesus and wanted to get rid of Him as quickly as possible.

Knowing that they were after Him, Jesus and His disciples departed for Galilee and were passing through Samaria which was populated by Gentiles whom the Assyrians had placed there following their defeat and removal of the 10 northern tribes of Israel several generations earlier. These Israelites had been defeated and scattered throughout the world by the Lord because of their refusal to obey His Law. Read Who and Where is Israel Today? Key word–Today.

As Jesus and His disciples passed through Samaria, Jesus became tired and rested by a water well while the disciples went into a nearby city to buy food. It was here, in a heathen country, that two of the most powerful statements ever recorded in the Holy Bible would be made, and BY HEATHEN PEOPLE. Jesus was sitting on the side of the well when the woman arrived to draw some water. Everyone who has ever been to Sunday School knows the story, therefore we will not go into it.

What we will delve into is what the woman and some men said about Him. Their statement speaks volumes about the state of Christianity today. After talking with Jesus, the woman had returned to the nearby city and had told some men about Him, saying: “… IS THIS NOT THE CHRIST?” After hearing the woman’s story, the men came to the well to meet Him. After conversing with Him for a while they asked Him to remain with them for a couple of days. While He was there many more people heard Him speak. They then said to the woman what I believe is the most church-condemning statement ever made by anyone except Jesus Himself. They said to the woman: “Now we believe (that Jesus was the Messiah), FOR WE HAVE “HEARD” HIM OURSELVES AND (BASED ON WHAT HE SAID) WE “KNOW” THAT THIS IS INDEED THE CHRIST, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.” Notice that they believed that He was God’s Son and the world’s Savior because THEY HEARD HIS WORDS AND BELIEVED THEM. Today billions of people are “hearing Him” (have access to His Words) BUT DO NOT BELIEVE HIM AND THEREFORE DO NOT OBEY HIM. For proof, ASK THEM WHAT DAY IS THEIR SABBATH? IS IT CHRIST’S GOD-WORSHIPPING SABBATH OR SATAN’S SUN-WORSHIPPING SABBATH? Sun worshippers have a long Biblical history going back to the heathenized Jews who had embraced the sun-worshiping religion of their Gentile neighbors as chronicled in Ezekiel chapter 8. Their god–Tammuz–is the same god the church worships today on his sabbath–“the venerable (holy) day of the sun”–THE SUN GOD’S DAY–SUNDAY.

The ultimate irony concerning the Samaritan story is that these people had no direct contact with the Old Testament except through a false priest who had come among them many years earlier. This man had been sent to them by the Israelite king named Jeroboam who had appointed men to the priesthood who simply desired the prestige of the office. Read Second Kings 17:20-28.

Notice in the Samaritan men’s statement that “… we KNOW that this (Jesus) is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the World.” Notice that they “KNEW” that He was Who He said He was because they had heard His own “WORD,” not WORDS. Here the Lord is telling us that the entire Bible is His WORD, not WORDS. Notice that the word “LAW” is Singular, even though it is comprised of TEN SEPARATE COMMANDMENTS RELATING TO TEN SEPARATE SUBJECTS. Why does the Lord use a singular word when He is obviously referring to many words? BECAUSE TO HIM THE ENTIRE BIBLE IS ONE STATEMENT–ONE LAW–HIS SINGULAR WILL FOR MANKIND. Not one Word, not one jot or tittle can be added to or taken from God’s Law–His will–His Truth–His Gospel–His light to the world. Those who carry that light become that light in the eyes of God (Jn. 9:14/ Mat. 5:14). What Jesus and the apostles (God’s light of the world) had in common was God’s light–His Holy Word, which is everything we know about Him, His will, His Truth. Yet billions of Bible owners will believe any book, any magazine article, any television program, any c.d. or d.v.d., any movie–anything other than the Bible. I am repeatedly amazed at the extremes to which church people will go in order to justify their anti-bible, pro-church theology. The lesson is, never underestimate the control Satan has over the church. And never forget that God knows the thoughts, words and actions of every human being,

Those who are “IN HIM” (in the right location) know that if they break one of the commandments in the Law they have broken the ENTIRE LAW (Jam. 2:10), thereby making themselves “workers of INIQUITY—LAWLESSNESS. Those who break His Sabbath Commandment are guilty of transgressing His entire Law. To them Jesus will say on Judgment Day–“I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of iniquity” (Mat. 7:21-23). Their sin was that they heard (and/or read) His “SAYINGS” but refused to “OBEY THEM” (vs 24). As Jesus notes in the following verses, such people are building their spiritual “houses” on sand. When bad times come, those houses will fall, “… and great will be the fall of them” (vs 27). THEY ARE ALREADY FALLING AS CHURCH APOSTASY (FALLING AWAY FROM GOD) IS GROWING IN SIZE AND SPEED. The great “FALLING AWAY” from God that the Apostle Paul prophesied would take place just before Christ returns is now in motion (2 Thes. 2:3). What is becoming ever more apparent even to the world is something God’s Very Elect saints have known for two generations: THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE IN THE CHURCH ARE NOT “IN CHRIST” BUT ARE IN THE CHURCH’S FALSE CHRISTS. Each church, faith, denomination, etc. has its own god, savior, truth, etc.

The Lord is offering “My people who are called by My name” the opportunity to “… humble themselves, pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN (AND ONLY THEN) I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and ….” do what needs to be done in their lives (2 Chron. 7:13,14). In Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 the Lord speaks to Truth seekers, telling them to come out of Satan’s citadels of sin and have nothing to do with them. Notice that it is only after they have come out of “that unclean thing,” have been cleansed of all sin (justified) and have perfected holiness in the fear of God that He will become their God and they will be HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS. Read “My People Who are Called by My Name” and Who Are God’s People? Key words–Called and People respectively. L.J.