One of the most cherished, repeated and referenced chapters in the Holy Bible is Isaiah 53 where we are reminded of the incredible price that was paid so that we could have the OPPORTUNITY TO QUALIFY FOR ETERNAL LIFE. That opportunity constitutes one of God’s “headlines”–promises. By studying His Holy Scriptures according to His study rules (Isa. 28:9-13) we are able to find His “fine print” messages which tell us that we can qualify for salvation ONLY by obeying His Ten Commandment Law in both letter and spirit. The Lord’s Law of life (Genesis to Revelation) covers every aspect of mankind’s behavior. The Lord graciously condensed His Law into Ten Commandments which, generally speaking, covers everything man must do and not do in order to qualify for salvation and rebirth. As Jesus told the rich man in Mark 10:17-22, failing to obey even ONE of those commandments makes one guilty of INIQUITY which eliminates him/her from receiving eternal life. Jesus is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34/ 1 Pet. 1:15-17). What He commands of one He commands of all, He Himself being the Standard against which we are being and will be judged (Jn. 12:44-50/ 1 Jn. 2:6/ Rev. 3:21). Notice that in First Peter 1:15-17 the apostle’s Holy Spirit-inspired HOLINESS MESSAGE is not a suggestion or an option: IT IS A COMMAND WHICH MUST BE MET IN ORDER TO RISE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION TO MEET THE LORD IN THE CLOUDS, DESCEND WITH HIM TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES AND ENTER JERUSALEM WHERE HE WILL ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF GOD FROM WHENCE HE AND HIS VERY ELECT SAINTS WILL RULE, FIRST THE EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS, THEN THE UNIVERSE FOREVER. Read The Three Resurrections, The Kingdom of God and God’s Very Elect. Key words Three, Kingdom and Caretakers respectively.

God’s Very Elect were indeed “bought with a price,” which price is written about in the four Gospels by men who were witnesses to the torture and agony inflicted on history’s least guilty human being–Jesus of Nazareth. We can never understand the physical and mental anguish that this sinless, holy man endured. Knowing what He would soon have to endure, He was in such anguish that the thought caused Him to sweat great drops of blood as the blood vessels in His forehead burst from the stress (Lk. 22:44). We can only imagine the effect that the actual beating and crucifixion had on His body and mind. The question this series asks is: IS THE PRODUCT HIS TORTURE AND DEATH HAVE PRODUCED WORTH THE PRICE HE PAID? The only way to answer that question is to consult what was preserved for thousands of years to be used to teach us who are living at the end of the world (1 Cor. 10:11). His Holy Scriptures (writings) TEACH SALVATION SEEKERS HOW TO BE WORTH THE PRICE JESUS PAID FOR THEIR ETERNITY.

The question we must ask ourselves is this: Is Christ and His Father happy with the end product of the sacrifice They made? Are those who claim to be the product of His sacrifice pleasing Them with their “walk”? Are God and Christ pleased with the “walk” of the Institutional Church in general? Another question is: Does it matter? The church’s answer to those questions is “Yes” and “no.” The Godhead provides the heavenly response in the Holy Bible.

God is love (1 Jn. 4:16). Commandment #1 tells us that we must love Him with our total being. In John 14:15 Jesus proclaims that we MUST prove our love for Him by KEEPING (OBEYING) HIS COMMANDMENTS. Jesus then said that greater love has no man than TO lay down His life for His friends. The question then becomes: who are His “friends?” He tells us in John 15:13,14. Do those who claim to be Christ’s friends love Him and prove it by obeying His Ten Commandment Law, including commandment #4? Recall that the Apostle James stated that to break one commandment is to break the entire Law (2:10). This rule includes #4 relative to the special covenant God established between Himself and His people (Exo. 31) So special is this commandment that He designates it as the “sign” (vss13,17) that would FOREVER (vs 16) identify His people (Exo. 31:12-18) who today are called His “church”–“the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16).

GOD’S PEOPLE ARE SPIRITUAL ISRAELITES because they obey His Law that He wrote on stone, to which He “added no more” (Deut. 5:22) because that Law (vss 6-21) was perfect in its original form. This is the same Law that, thousands of years later, the Apostle Paul called “holy, just and good” (Rom. 7:12). God’s Edenic Law was in effect in the Garden. Breaking it “brought sin into the world”–not into man. As did Adam and Eve, mankind has a choice of whom to believe and obey. God’s more extensive, Ten Commandment Law has been in force since and continues to define righteousness and sin. Righteousness is the opposite of sin. The Lord defines sin as the breaking of His Law (1 Jn. 3:4); therefore righteousness is keeping His Law.

Jesus set the holy standard by which all salvation seekers must measure themselves as to their standing with God. What Jesus demands of us the same walk that His Father demanded of Him–obedience to His Law. Note what Jesus said about the connection between the believer’s love for Him and the Father, Their Love for the believer and THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. In John 15:9,10 Jesus tells us that, as the Father has loved Him, so He (Jesus) loves us. Then He says that IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS WE WILL ABIDE (REMAIN) IN HIS LOVE (CONTINUE TO BE LOVED BY HIM), EVEN (IN THE SAME WAY) AS HE (JESUS) HAS REMAINED IN HIS FATHER’S LOVE BY KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS. That no one is exempt from these rules of engagement is make clear in verses 13 and 14 where He tells His chosen disciples that He will die for them (us) IF, and only IF, they (we) obey Him. We obey Him BY KEEPING HIS TEN COMMANDMENT LAW, INCLUDING #4. THE MAN JESUS OF NAZARETH HAD TO OBEY THE FATHER’S LAW LIKE ANY OTHER MAN IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN HIS (THE FATHER’S) LOVE. Yes, you read that correctly: JESUS HAD to OBEY GOD’S LAW IN ORDER TO REMAIN IN HIS LOVE. BEING A MAN, HE HAD TWO CHOICES, AS DO WE. Read Revelation 3:14-20 for Christ’s opinion of the modern-day church’s “Christian walk.” Is this the PRODUCT He paid the ULTIMATE PRICE to purchase?

Loving God and Christ is also involved in Their “knowing” us intimately (“owning” us). The Godhead (Father and Son) know and love all human beings because They created them. This is the general love spoken referred to in John 3:16,17.. However, there is a “knowing” and “loving” aspect to man’s mutual relationship with The Godhead that goes beyond general, humanity-wide “knowing” and “loving.” For example, I know my neighbor’s wife, but I do not “know” her in the special way that I “KNOW” my wife. God loves the world, but has another, totally different level of love for those who obey Him. Read Leviticus 26. Understand that His general love for mankind remains in effect for those who do not obey Him whom He addresses in verses 14 through 46. We decide which group we want to be in, either the group described in verses 1-13 or the group described in verses 14-46.

Nowhere is the love-obedience-“knowing” rule made clearer than in First John 2:3-5 where the apostle tells us that we “know” we are “in Him” (Christ) “IF WE LOVE HIM ENOUGHT O KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.” Anyone who says he “knows” (and loves) Him but does not KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS “IS A LIAR AND THE TRUTH (GOD’S WORD–JN. 17:17) IS NOT IN HIM” (vss 3,4). Verse 5 tells us that GOD’S LOVE IS PERFECTED IN US AND WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN HIM ONLY “IF WE KEEP HIS WORD (LAW),” THEREBY PROVING OUR LOVE FOR HIM. In verse 6 we are told that, by obeying His Law we will “walk as He (Jesus) walked,” which is the only “walk” that will result in our salvation upon Christ’s return. Read Hope and Salvation and Born Again. Key words–Hope and Born respectively.

In First Peter 1:15,16; 2:9 the Apostle Peter proclaimed the caliber of life’s “walk” (deeds, words and thoughts) that is required in order to receive salvation at the return of Jesus Christ. Here we are commanded to BE HOLY AS GOD IS HOLY. Following that command will bring us into the Christ level of obedience to the Father which will make us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people who show forth the praises of Him who calls us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.” These characteristics make us “the people of God.” The Lord’s true saints are as different from the world and its religions as light is from darkness. Recall that darkness hates light (Jn. 3:20; 15:19).

Jesus said on several occasions that He is God’s light (WORD/LOGOS–SPOKESMAN) to the world (Jn. 9:5). it is God’s Word (light) which exposes the world’s darkness (Jn. 3:19-21). The church world walks in that same darkness as the world in which we all live. God’s light (Word) exposes her darkness and worldliness. For this reason the church world despises Him, His Father (Lk. 10:16) and those who proclaim Their Word. He tells us that the religious world hates us because we are His darkness-exposing light in both word and deed (Mat. 5:14).

If we are accepted by the church world, we are not putting forth God’s light as did Jesus and the apostles, all but one of whom was martyred for carrying His light. And recall that they were killed at the request of the religious hierarchy. Paul spoke to this Truth, writing: “ALL WHO WILL LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION” (2 Tim. 3:12) because their light (God’s Word) exposes the darkness of all darkness dwellers, including those within our own families (Mat. 10:36).

Jesus voiced the answer to the question asked by this series: DOES THE END PRODUCT OF CHRIST’S SUFFERING AND DEATH EQUATE TO THE SACRIFICE HE MADE? In other words, DID HE GET WHAT HE PAID FOR? The obvious answer is a resounding NO. L.J.

Life After Death/ The Resurrections/ Hypocrisy: Our National Sin/ Will Worship/ God’s Royal Law/ “Ye Are Gods“/ The Line/ Church Generosity/ Christmas–Darkness Approaches/ Christmas–Darkness Arrived/ Christmas–Birthday of the Gods/ The Trinity/ Why the Holy Bible?/ The Importance of the Holy Bible/ John’s Baptism/ The Doctrine of the Lord/ The New Man/ The Olive Trees/ The Pit/ The Escape/