All men are religious. Religion saturates the entirety of humanity. Religion requires a god. God is the entity who directs the life of the religionist. This includes those who claim not to believe in a god of any kind. However, when self-proclaimed atheists are asked who directs their lives, they reply that they themselves decide what they do, when, how, etc. they do it. In so doing the atheist admits that he has a god–himself. Those who claim to reject the concept of God live in darkness, as do those who profess the Biblical God while failing to believe and obey Him. Light has come to earth to lead those in both groups to embrace God’s light and to come out of Satan’s darkness.

In John 12 Jesus of Nazareth is speaking to His disciples about the present and future judgment of mankind. He prefaces His final statement by saying that those who believe what He says believe not only in Him, but in His Father also. Note in verses 44-46 Jesus emphasizes belief in Himself and His Father. In the following verses He emphasizes His and the Father’s Words and the fact that one must believe in Their Words. In so doing He states what is stated many times and in many ways throughout the Scriptures–THE LORD GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THEIR WORDS ARE, IN THEIR EYES, ONE IN THE SAME. The message is clear–ONE CANNOT LIVE ETERNALLY WITH THEM UNLESS ONE BELIEVES IN BOTH MEMEMBERS OF THE GODHEAD, BELIEVES THEIR WORDS AND OBEYS THEM.

Verse 47– Here Jesus states that people will hear His Words but will not believe them. He is referring to the Institutional Church. The church (Catholicism/Protestantism) has His Word on a shelf in their homes, in their purses and briefcases and in their laps on Satan’s sun god day (Sunday). They repeatedly hear and read His Word but refuse to believe it and obey it. JESUS STATED THAT HE WILL NOT JUDGE THOSE PEOPLE for rejecting Him (His Words).

Verse 48– This verse is one of, if not the, most important verse in the entire Bible. Here Jesus says in no uncertain terms that IF ONE HEARS HIS WORDS AND REJECTS THEM, HE IN FACT REJECTS JESUS HIMSELF. That being the case, Jesus the Son of God will not judge the rejecter–the Words He has spoken (and recorded) will reject him. Recall that Jesus is called “the Word” in John 1:1-4 and Revelation 19:13–“And His name shall be called THE WORD OF GOD.” In John 12:48 He says: “… THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WILL JUDGE HIM (THE DOUBTER) ON THE LAST DAY.” The message could not be more clear: To reject any part of His Word is to reject Him. In Luke 10:16 He goes even further and states that those who reject His Words “despise” both Himself and His Father. The following verse explains why.

Verse 49– Here Jesus reveals that He, a man, did not speak on His own accord or under His own power. He makes it abundantly clear that EVERY WORD HE SPOKE CAME FROM THE FATHER. Therefore, to reject one of Their Words is to reject both Father and Son.

Verse 50– To add to the importance of His Words, Jesus makes it clear that God did not merely guide what He (Jesus) said, but rather COMMANDED that He speak His (God’s) Words only. He also makes it clear that man must believe and obey those Words/commands in order to receive eternal life. Note what the man Jesus said: “I KNOW THAT HIS (GOD’S) COMMAND (WORD) IS ETERNAL LIFE. Salvation cannot be received without total belief in and obedience to “… every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4). Perhaps the definitive passage relative to the Godhead-Word-faith-obedience-salvation question is found in John 15:13,14. Here Jesus is talking to the men whom He would trust to spread His gospel throughout the entire world: “Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friends. You (disciples) are My friends IF YOU DO WHATSOEVER I TELL YOU TO DO.” If God’s hand-picked apostles had to obey Him in order to receive eternal life, do not we all? Billions of Bible-toting, Scripture-quoting, church-attending, cross-wearing, verse-reading, tithing, praying self-professed Christians say “NO,” that believing in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice is all one needs to do to be saved. Someone is lying. God says it’s the church; the church says it’s God. We each must choose.  L.J.