The Holy Bible is God’s love letter to mankind in which He makes many unsolicited promises, including eternal life with Him and His Son in a worldly paradise. The best source of this information is found in Leviticus 26:1-13 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14 where we find the God of the Old Testament making numerous promises, promises that no one asked Him to make, promises that He Himself made to man BECAUSE HE WANTS MAN TO HAVE THE BEST. However, He commands one thing in order to receive those promises–OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAW FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION WHICH HE CONDENSED INTO TEN COMMANDMENTS AND WROTE IN STONE WITH HIS FINGER. Let’s see how this works: blessings throughout this life followed by eternity in paradise in exchange for obedience to ten rules. Granted, there is one who will tempt us to disobey God’s rules of engagement. This one has agents whose job it is to entice us off of God’s Biblical track and onto his church track. However, God has given us His Holy Spirit of power with which to defeat that one whose name is Satan the devil. God tells us what He will do FOR us if we obey Him in the first 13 and 14 verses of the books mentioned above. Then He tells us what He will do TO us if we fail to obey Him in the last parts of the referenced chapters. THIS IS THE COVENANT GOD OFFERS TO MANKIND ON A TAKE-IT-OR-LEAVE-IT BASIS. IT IS AN ALL-OR-NOTHING OFFER. READ REVELATION 3:14-17 WHICH DESCRIBES THE MODERN DAY (LAODICEAN) CHURCH WHICH WAS GIVEN THE SAME GOSPEL WHICH CONTAINS THE SAME COVENANT GOD MADE WITH THE ISRAELITES ANCIENTLY (1 COR. 10:11).

Scripturally, the Lord uses the words “do,” “doeth,” “done,” “does,” “did,” etc. to indicate that one has accomplished something. In this series we will study those “doings” that means that one has obeyed God’s commandments. In John 5:28,29 Jesus makes it clear what one must do in order to receive eternal life. He is referencing Judgment Day when we each will stand before Him: “… they that have DONE GOOD (will receive) the resurrection of (eternal) life, and they that have DONE EVIL to the resurrection of damnation.” Note that the Lord’s emphasis is on what one has DONE with one’s faith relative to God’s grace. The DOINGS God requires are derisively referred to as “works” and “legalism” which are rejected by the church masses. As one former missionary told me, obeying God is “… just too much work.” What she believes but did not say is “… and so unnecessary.” Why do the works of obedience that the Apostle James warns us to do in chapter two when all we need to do is “believe?”

In Romans 2:5,6 the Apostle Paul is addressing church sinners who, like the five foolish virgins of Matthew 10, will come to the judgment seat of the Almighty to receive “the righteous judgment of God” Who “will render to every man according to his DEEDS.” Again, not a word about man’s faith or God’s grace which are indeed parts of the salvation equation. On that day the question will involve what we DID with our faith and God’s grace. Satan has faith and God has grace. However, Satan’s required DOINGS do not match God’s commands. In Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:9 we are commanded to “put to death the DEEDS of the flesh” and “put off (abandon) the old man and his DEEDS.”

Contrary to universal church opinion, God requires obedience to His written Word in order to receive the promises listed in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 and elsewhere in His Holy Bible. In order to remove any questions, He lists what He will do to those who refuse to obey His commandments in Leviticus 26:14-46 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. On the social level, man has adopted God’s formula for obtaining self-provided blessings in this present life: Work=own a house, car, etc. Not work=not own a house, car, etc. However, when it involves God’s promises man’s formula is as follows: Believe=inherit eternity in paradise. Question: what is wrong with this theology? Answer: it is contrary to what is written in God’s love letter to mankind as conceptualized in Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28 as well as the Scriptures we are going to examine now. Note in all passages there is an emphasis on DOING that reflect man’s faith and God’s grace.

The Bible contains a large amount of symbolism. The Book of Revelation, for example, is almost totally symbolic. We must understand that what God reveals in symbols in reality contain real life messages. For example, in Mark 9:43-45 the Lord is speaking about obedience to the Word of God and the removal of everything in our lives that is not in obedience to Him. In this passage He tells us that if our eye or our hand causes us to sin, gouge out or cut off the offending body part. This symbolism means that we must DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THAT WHICH CAUSES US TO DISOBEY HIM. THAT IS OUR PART OF THE COVENANT THAT WE MUST FULFILL.

As is always the case, Jesus of Nazareth is our perfect example. He was tempted and tried as we all are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). Few understand that Jesus was totally human. He brought none of His Godly powers with Him from heaven. False prophets say that He could do the things He did only because He was God in the form of a man. This is refuted by at least two Scriptural Truths. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that, upon coming to earth, He divested Himself of his Godship and the powers it provides and made Himself totally human like all other people. Read Jesus of Nazareth: God, Man or God-man and The God of the Old Testament. Key words–God-man and Old respectively. James 1:13 tells us that God cannot be tempted. Jesus was tempted as Luke 4:2; 10:25 and Hebrews 4:15 proclaim. God cannot die. Jesus died.

As a man He was able to overcome Satan’s temptations to sin and to do all that He did by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwelled within Him. We who have been converted have received that same Holy Spirit, and for the same reason–TO OVERCOME SATAN and, for those He has called into ministry, to fulfill John 14:12. Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:21 that only those who “overcome (Satan) as I overcame (him)” will sit with Him on His throne in the Kingdom of God. If overcoming Satan (obeying God’s Law) is impossible, then why must we obey Revelation 3:21 in order to be saved? Let us be about overcoming Satan and obeying God. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. L.J.