Recall that in John 15:9,10 Jesus said: “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love. IF you keep (obey) My commandments (Words) you will abide (continue) in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” In order for the man Jesus to abide (remain) in His Father’s love He had to obey His Words. Jesus was making it clear to His disciples that being with Him, watching Him, ministering with Him, believing in Him and believing His Words were not enough to save them–they had to obey His Words in order to receive the promise. IT’S ALL ABOUT OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORDS. Any deviation from His Word is sin. This means that you and I must believe and obey those passages we have been warned all our lives to avoid, for example 1 John 2:3-6,24; 3:4-10 and James 2:10,11,14,18-20,24. This also means that we must openly reject the church’s heathen doctrines and customs and stand up in defiance against them–we must “contend for the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). It also means enduring with joy the scorn and hatred for doing so (Jam. 5:10,11). See Persecution.

The Word of God works, but only if we work the Word of God. This explains why the vast majority of church prayers go unanswered. Those prayers that are answered are answered in spite of, not because of the prayer’s worthiness. I know, for I have probably prayed more unanswered prayers than any of you, perhaps all of you.

Hebrews 5:7-9 reveals that Jesus’ good standing with God was not automatic–His prayers were not answered simply because of Who He was. As is plainly stated, God heard and answered His prayers because “He FEARED” (HIM); the man Jesus had to “LEARN OBEDIENCE” (TO HIM). Jesus had to be “MADE PERFECT.” Jesus Christ–the man who became a God–had to obey God’s Words in order to be the Savior of those (and only those) who, like Him, obey His Words. The ultimate question then is, from whence came His Words?

In John 17:6-8 Jesus shows us the one-to-one relationship enjoyed by Father and Son: THE WORDS JESUS SPOKE AND OBEYED WERE GIVEN TO HIM BY THE FATHER. The disciples had to obey those same Words in order to be His FRIENDS (brothers) and REMAIN IN HIS LOVE. Jesus identifies as His “brothers” (brethren) those who abide in His love. His brethren are (only) those who “… do the will of My Father in heaven” (Mat. 12:46-50). These are they who retain their JUSTIFICATION (righteousness) by obeying the Ten Commandment Law (Rom. 2:13). Only those who do so can qualify for eternal life (Mat. 10:22). To be a friend of Jesus and remain in His love one must be LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT (Rom.8:14). THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS US TO OBEY HIS (GOD’S) WORD.

Jesus declared that to claim the Biblical God as one’s Lord while rejecting any part His Word is living a lie. He asks those who do so: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46). In Matthew 7:21-27 He tells us what will happen to those who claim Him as their Lord but refuse to obey His Words: “Not every one that says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but (only) he who does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and in your name have cast out devils, and in your name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU; depart from Me, you that work iniquity.'” Jesus calls those who call Him their Lord but do not obey His Words “workers of iniquity”–Lawless. He then goes on to compare those who hear and obey His Words to those who refuse to do so. The difference is life and death. To be continued. L.J.