As previously stated, the Christ-rejecting Jews hold the key to conversion, holy living and its end result–salvation (Rom. 5:21; 6:22).  That key, of course, is the Word of God, which He calls His Law.  His Law, which extends from Genesis to Revelation, was summarized into 10 commandments on Mt. Sinai.  He wrote the commandments in stone with His finger, placed them in an ark and hid the ark so that man would not take hammer and chisel in hand and alter even one jot or tittle.  What man could not do physically he, following the instructions of his god–Satan–has done spiritually.

Those terrible Jews that the world, including an ever-increasing segment of professing Christendom, hates DID NOT ALTER, NOR DID THEY DO AWAY WITH GOD’S LAW–THE KEY TO SALVATION.  If any group has a right to hate another group, the Jews have the right to hate the rest of the world, especially that part of professing Christendom that rejects the very key to eternal life–God’s Word.  No group has been so ill-treated by so many for so long.  But the church is equally as guilty before God, for they profess Him before the world, but refuse to obey Him.  This is hypocrisy, which He hates.

SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS BECAUSE THEY HAVE KEPT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS INTACT.  The fact that they reject Jesus Christ does not negate the fact that they have in their possession the very key to eternity.  Like the person who has a fortune in a safe while living like a pauper, the Jew “knows” he is spiritually rich but lives spiritually like a Gentile (heathen).  The Institutional Church suffers from the same Satan-induced spiritual malady.  Both groups “know” they are right with God because they possess His Word.  Both are dead wrong.  Indeed, Satan has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9).  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE HIS POWER.  Through his unseen, and usually unrecognized power the enemy of God and His people has convinced the unchurched world, along with the vast majority of the churched world, that rigorous, open-hearted study of God’s Word is not required for salvation seekers.  He has been very effective.  I ask those who seek salvation to do a little math.  For example, how many minutes each day do you spend doing things like watching t.v., reading books and magazines, checking your hand-held gadget, talking on the phone, emailing, listening to the radio, etc.  Then compare that figure to the number of minutes you study God’s Word in search of His Truth.  If the former is larger than the latter, you are not seeking God’s Truth, rather, you are trying to satisfy Him by doing just enough business with him to “get by.”  This is like hosing down a car instead of taking soap and a sponge to it, then expecting to get paid for a full-service job.  The author of this program is Satan.  Let us examine what the Lord says about His car-washing program.

In 2 Timothy 2:15 the Apostle Paul is writing to Timothy, a young evangelist whose work for God is well known to Bible students.  Here Paul is telling him that he needs to “Study (the Old Testament Scriptures) to show yourself APPROVED BY GOD,” a workman that needs not to be ashamed, who RIGHTLY DIVIDES THE WORD OF TRUTH.”  In the Greek language–the language in which the New Testament was written, to “Rightly divide” means to “make a clean cut.”  The reason most people do not understand God’s Word, then reject it when it is explained to them, is because they do do not rightly divide it.  This includes 99.99% of professing Christian no matter how religious, zealous, etc. they may be.   Note it: An established and accomplished evangelist needed to STUDY God’s Word in order to stay in the Lord’s good graces.  Paul was telling him to study so that he would be ready to fulfill his calling from the Almighty.  Does it not stand to reason that those who are not called to ministry also need to study to be ready when Satan lies to him/her about a passage of Scripture?  This is part of his “fiery darts” package which only God’s “armor” can deflect (Eph. 6:16).  Satan’s “darts” come in a variety of forms–doubt, misunderstanding, persecution, lies, misinterpretations, temptations, trials, tribulations, etc.  Note that Paul was telling Timothy to study the Old Testament in preparation for ministry.  The New Testament would not come into existence for another 30 years or so.  God sent Paul to the city of Berea to teach men in the synagogue there about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.  Luke later noted that the men of Berea “searched the Scriptures daily” to see if Paul was telling them the Truth (Acts 17:10-12).  The Lord’s number one apostle was teaching them out of the Old Testament, the only Scriptures available at that time.  Remember also that the New Testament Church was founded upon the teachings of “the (Old Testament) prophets and the (New Testament) apostles” (Eph. 2:20).

Lastly (and again I must admit) I point Truth seekers to the premier passage relative to the study of God’s Word in the only way that pleases Him–Isaiah 28:9,10: “Whom can He (God) teach knowledge? and whom will He make to understand doctrine (His message)?  They that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast (spiritual babes).  For precept (message-Truth) must be upon (follow) precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little (Truth) there a little.”  This is the type of Bible study that gleans Truth from God’s Word.  Simply reading a few chapters each night before going to sleep will not suffice.  May we all spend less time in front of a screen, page, etc. and more time in front of God’s Holy Word.  Our eternity depends on it.  L.J.