In verse 7 of the focal chapter of John’s Gospel we find Jesus equating His Words with Himself. That the Lord considers Himself and His Words as of equal importance is a vital Truth that we must understand and honor in order to qualify for eternal life at the end of this world. Notice that He says to His hand-picked disciples, “IF YOU ABIDE IN ME AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU ….” If anyone would be guaranteed eternal life it would be those whom Jesus defines as His FRIENDS–the 12 disciples who had been with him day and night, heard Him, watched Him, touched Him and learned the ways of God from Him would surely qualify as His friends. In spite of all those positive factors in their 3 1/2 year relationship, He used the caveat (condition) “IF” relative to their eternal future. What does that say about those in the church who claim to be saved, born again and rapture-ready, but refuse to obey a direct command from Him? Disobedience toward Christ’s Words was sin then and is sin now. Sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:2). Christ’s friends were and are both “with Him” and “in Him” and He was “in them” (vs 5). One would think that their salvation was a done deal. Was it? Or was there another factor to be considered? Indeed here was, and not just any factor. That factor was love.

This Truth is confirmed in verses 9 and 10 where Jesus equates love toward Him and obedience to His commandments. In verse 9 He tells the disciples that He loves them in the same way that God loves Him. Then in verse 10 He makes a statement that should shake the soul of everyone that reads it. He tells His greatly loved disciples that IF, AND ONLY IF, THEY OBEYED HIS COMMANDMENTS, THEN, AND ONLY THEN, HE WOULD CONTINUE TO LOVE THEM. The next sentence is equally shocking. He says that God would CONTINUE TO LOVE HIM IF, AND ONLY IF, HE OBEYED HIS COMMANDMENTS. As a man, Jesus had to love and obey God as did any other man. And like any other man, His love and obedience determined His future. For Jesus, His disciples and for us the eternal formula is: NO OBEDIENCE=NO LOVE OF GOD=NO LOVE FROM GOD=NO ETERNITY WITH GOD.

Verses 9 and 10 should convince us that God’s love for us IS DEPENDENT ON OUR LOVE FOR HIM WHICH IS REVEALED BY OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS TEN COMMANDMENT LAW–INCLUDING COMMANDMENT #4. THOSE IN THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH OPENLY DISPLAY THEIR REJECTION OF GOD AND HIS LAW EVERY SUN GOD DAY AS THEY FILE INTO SATAN’S CITADEL OF SIN CARRYING THE VERY BOOK THAT PROVES THAT THE “SIGN” THEY ARE “WEARING” IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE ONE THEY CLAIM IS THEIR GOD. Now go to verses 13 and 14 where Jesus reveals yet another Truth about the LOVE-WORD-OBEDIENCE RELATIONSHIP. Again, pay close attention to His exact words.

In verses 13 and 14 Jesus said: “Greater love has no man than to lay down His life for His friends.” He is saying that, because of His great love, He would soon willingly die–BUT ONLY FOR HIS FRIENDS. He then said to His 12 disciples: “You are My friends, IF (AND ONLY IF) YOU DO WHATSOEVER (EVERYTHING) I TELL YOU TO DO.” Seconds earlier He had commanded them OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. THIS INCLUDED #4. The universally-rejected Truth found in these two statements is: IF WE DO NOT OBEY ALL OF HIS COMMANDMENTS–INCLUDING #4–JESUS CHRIST DID NOT DIE FOR US. This means that His death has no effect on our lives–not now, not ever. No matter how smooth and palatable the sermons denying this Truth may sound, they are lies straight from the heart of Satan–the god of the false prophets who tell us that we are saved, born again and heaven bound if we belong to THE ___________ (fill in the blank) CHURCH. Their message is that, since we are already saved, there is no need to obey the Ten Commandment Law which was supposedly “nailed to the cross” of Jesus Christ. I have been told and have heard people say that not only is the Law impossible to obey, it is totally unnecessary due to Christ’s death. If the Holy Bible is indeed holy, those statements are lies. Read The Message of the Cross. Key word–Cross.

God (the Word who became Jesus of Nazareth–Jn. 1:1-4,14) made a separate covenant with biological Israel at Mt. Sinai (Exo. 31:13-17) which later applied to spiritual Israel (His true church–the “Israel of God”–Gal. 6:16). This special covenant made His 7th day Sabbath the ONLY physical “sign” He will allow to be used in the worship of Himself–no crosses, no statues, no pictures, no beads, no gestures, no movie characters, etc. He allows no other man-designed, man-made sign/symbol/entity to represent Him. He views them as gods, which makes them abominations to Him. His 7th day Sabbath is THE SIGN of His ownership of a person (Exo. 31:13-17). His life lived by the true saint reflects what that sign represents. When people see us they must see Him, which represents WHAT WE ARE. The 7th day Sabbath represents WHO WE BELONG TO–WHO BOUGHT US WITH A PRICE (1 COR. 7:23).

Those entrapped in the Catholic/Protestant Religious System summarily, proudly and openly reject God’s “sign” of ownership and Lordship over their lives. By their defiance they proclaim publicly that He does not own them and is not their Lord. By embracing Satan’s “sign” of ownership/lordship (the Sunday sabbath), they commit “iniquity” (Lawlessness), thereby displaying their HATRED toward the God who governs His friends by His Law (Deut. 5:6-9). In Luke 10:16 Jesus said that BY REJECTING ANY OF HIS WORDS people prove that they DESPISE both Him and His Father. Church people know what is written in their Bibles concerning The Holy Sabbath. However, they DESPISE any Words they do not approve of, thereby proving that they despise their Authors.

Those whom the Lord refers to as “My people who are called by My name” are all found in what is known as “the church.” However, as this series proves, all that glitters is not gold. Read the series by that name. Key word–Glitters. Within that group, which today numbers approximately 2.4 billion souls, there are two well-defined, totally opposite groups of people. One group consists of the Lord’s Law-keeping, Very Elect saints. The other 99.99% consists of all others within “the church.” Read Matthew 7:13,14.

Only a small, Very Elect contingent will rise to meet Jesus Christ upon His return, receive salvation and be reborn (be changed from physical to spirit bodily composition–1 Cor. 15:52-54/ 1 Thes. 4:15-18/ 1 Jn. 3:20) descend to the Mount of Olives, then enter Jerusalem where Jesus will establish the eternal Kingdom of God. From that paradise He and His friends will rule, first the earth for 1000 years, then the universe forever. Read The Kingdom of God, the Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe and The Three Resurrections. Key words–Kingdom, Caretakers and Three respectively. Also read Born Again. Key word–Born. L.J.