This series explores the reasons why professing Christendom fell from best to worst, from the bearer of God’s light to the bearer of Satan’s darkness, from spiritual penthouse to religious outhouse in one generation. Why? involves several Biblically popular Words that the church has no use for. In part one we focused on the most hated word in the Holy Bible, though the Lord used it approximately 500 times. The Word is IF, as in IF WE OBEY OR IF WE DO NOT OBEY. In this segment we will examine another church-rejected Word that is also recorded approximately 500 times in God’s Book of Truth. That equally-hated, equally-ignored, Biblically-exalted Word is LAW. The two Words are intrinsically joined as in IF WE OBEY THE LAW good things happen. And IF WE DO NOT OBEY THE LAW bad things will happen.

The two important Words are featured in the first two verses of Hebrews chapter four. This passage is normally speed-read which guarantees that the Lord’s message is missed entirely. In my pre-Truth days I was one of the most guilty. It is amazing what I found in the Holy Scriptures when God gained control over my mind. I stopped reading and began studying, which requires much more time, a pen and some paper. I now literally have stacks of notes, reports, memos, etc. in my office that reveal the reveal the difference between pre-conversion and post-conversion ministerial life. We will take it slowly in this series and allow the Lord’s “fine print” message to come off the page and settle into our brains which will allow it to do what it was intended to do–TEACH US THE WAY OF THE LORD.

Again, Paul is including himself with those to whom he is addressing his remarks–his “holy brethren” (3:1). In 4:1,2 he states: “Let US FEAR lest the promise (of salvation–eternal rest) be missed because of having come short of it” (through disobedience). This is where the Lord’s “fine print” message becomes ultimately important. The first word in verse two is yet another hated Word–FOR, meaning “BECAUSE.” “FOR” is often associated with “IF” relative to something happening or failing to happen. IF we do or do not do something often determines whether something happens or does not happen. In retrospect, we then know that something happened or did not happen BECAUSE of the IF factor.

In verse two Paul states that the “holy brethren” might not receive the promise (salvation) FOR (BECAUSE) THE SAME GOSPEL HAD BEEN PREACHED TO “US” AS HAD BEEN PREACHED TO “THEM”–THEIR ISRAELITE BRETHREN AFTER THEY HAD BEEN FREED FROM EGYPTIAN SLAVERY. Paul writes about “THEM” in 3:15-19. The full story surrounding the Gospel being preached to the Israelites at Mount Sinai is found in Exodus chapters 19 and 20. Bear in mind that “the Scripture (the Word who became Jesus Christ) preached the Gospel to Abraham many years later (Gal. 3:8). The Gospel is the good news about the coming Kingdom of God on earth and how to enter it by obeying the Law of God. This is the same Gospel (good news) preached by Jesus Christ and His apostles much later during New Testament times (Mk. 1:14,15). God’s true ministers continue to preach the Kingdom message today. The problem involves having been taught the Gospel, THEN REFUSING TO OBEY IT. Ancient Israel, the Jews, Abraham and the New Testament Church have all had access to God’s Holy Gospel. Incredibly, all have ignored it except the Philadelphia era of church history. Why? Because it involves such words as IF and FOR.

To identify the message Paul is referring to it is necessary to recall exactly what the recently-freed Israelites had been taught by God Himself from atop Mount Sinai following their escape from Egypt. The God Who freed them taught them THE LAW OF GOD. He promised the Israelites that they would be His people and He would be their God IF THEY OBEYED HIS LAW WHICH HE SPOKE TO THEM THEN GAVE TO THEM WRITTEN IN STONE. TO OBEY IT WOULD CAUSE THEM TO WALK IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The Law and God’s command to obey it was carried over into the New Testament Church. This is brought out in First John 3:4 where it is written: “TO TRANSGRESS (BREAK) THE LAW IS SIN; FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW.” The Gospel of God is the same; the Law of God is the same; the command to obey the Law is the same; the reward for doing so is the same and the penalty for not doing so it is the same–spiritual death in this life and physical death in the next life (Rom. 6:21) As stated in part one, “Christ is the end (telos–end result/ goal) of the Law for righteousness” (Rom. 10:4), which must be manifested in order to receive eternal life. Romans 5:21 and 6:22 state that the end (telos–result) of (walking in) righteousness and holiness is eternal life. As John tells us, breaking the Law is sin, meaning unrighteousness and unholiness. This is the same Law that God promised to write in the hearts of His New Testament saints (Jer, 31:31/ Heb. 8:8-12). This is his Gospel Truth which we must obey in order not to “come short” of the salvation God promises IF….

As Paul tells the “holy brethren” among salvation seekers today, we must FEAR LEST THE LORD’S PROMISE OF SALVATION ESCAPES OUT OF OUR HANDS BECAUSE OF SIN IN OUR LIVES. AGAIN: DO NOT LET THE “ANGEL OF LIGHT” AND HIS “MINISTERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ( 2 COR. 11:13-15) DECEIVE YOU INTO FALLING FOR THEIR “SIN AND GRIN MY FRIEND, FOR IN THE END YOU’LL STILL WIN. PIE IN THE SKY, SIN TILL YOU DIE, FOR IN THE SWEET BYE AND BYE, YOU’LL STILL GET TO FLY” garbage. IF we obey God’s Law until the end we WILL BE SAVED. However, IF we fail to be saved, it will be BECAUSE we failed to obey God’s Law. L.J.