The Daily Word of Righteousness

Listening to Jesus, continued

Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'? Don't you believe I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." (John 14:9,10—NIV)

Jesus is the chief Cornerstone in the House of the Father. He is showing us what it means to be the Father's House. Now we are called to be living stones in the same house. It is to be true of us that we are crucified with Christ and the life we now are living is Christ living in us. This is the meaning of the saying, "In my Father's house there are many rooms." We are being created a room in the Father's House. This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15—NIV)

When we are speaking about listening to Jesus we mean listening so we may obey. We are to obey strictly the words of Jesus in the four Gospels, the words of Jesus through His Apostles in the Epistles, and His word spoken in our ear when we continually ask, "What are you saying to me right now?"

The mammoth, horrific lie prevalent in America is that we do not have to keep Christ's commandments because we are "saved by grace." The current understanding of Divine grace has very effectively destroyed the moral strength of the Christian churches.

I suppose most Christians would agree we ought to keep Christ's commandments. The Bible doesn't say this. The Bible says we have to keep Christ's commandments. If we do not keep His commandments we are proving we do not love Him but are trying to warp the Scriptures so we can escape Hell and go to Heaven.

The truth is, if we end up in Heaven with our disobedient spirit we will be cast down from Heaven as were Satan and the disobedient angels.

The first sin was disobedience, both in Heaven and on earth!

And yet we have deceived "ministers of the Gospel" claiming we are "saved" even though we do not keep the commandments of Christ.

God help us all!

No disobedient Christian will be saved unless it is by fire. If it is by fire that the rebel is permitted into the Kingdom of God (probably on the basis of a relative's prayers) it will be through a fire that burns long enough and hot enough to burn out the disobedient spirit.

Do these preachers actually believe God is going to have careless, disobedient people in His Kingdom? They are quite mistaken if they think so.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— (John 14:16—NIV)

Jesus went to the Father and has sent down to us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who makes it possible for us to be saved, to pray, to lead a holy life, to bear witness of Christ, and to do everything else necessary for our salvation.

It is through the Holy Spirit that the Lord speaks to us when we ask to hear His voice.

To be continued.