The Message of Jesus Christ

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah 1:11-15, God told the children of Israel that He did not require their religious obligations. Their sacrifices, and observance of new moons and the sabbaths.

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. Isa. 1:13-14

Instead God said to the children of Israel, and by extension all of us, come now, and let us reason together.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isa. 1:18

In other words God is saying, come now, let’s see where you went wrong and how we can make you right again, or how we can return you to righteousness.

How did we go wrong? We have all been deceived.

The scripture plainly states that the whole world have been deceived.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Rev. 12:9

Again speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God is saying that being deceived we are unable to find the way to salvation because we are unaware of the lie in our right hand.

He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Isa. 44:20

Clearly the first step is, we have to acknowledge that we have been deceived.

Until and unless we acknowledge that we have been deceived we cannot discover the antidote, “the love of the truth.”

It’s written:

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thess. 2:8-10

The scripture is saying here that Christ came to undo the works of Satan which have deceived us unto unrighteousness. It is also revealing the reason why many will perish, saying, it’s because they have not received “the love of the truth” that they might be saved.

During the days of vinyl records, when our favorite musician would release a new album, we would remove all distractions, dim the lights, sit, and listen to our new album intently as we followed the liner notes.

Today in the digital age most of us listen to music while we are doing something else, and unfortunately many of us have taken the same approach to studying the scripture.

We have chosen a version of the Bible that is an easy read, and many of us are even having the scripture read to us, while we are doing something else, by podcasts or some other digital means.

For maximum performance and long life of anything new in our possession, we all know that we have to study the operating manual carefully, and failing to do so could lead to it’s misuse and even the shortening of it’s life span.

Likewise, the Bible is the operating manual of our life itself, yet many of us approach it in the most casual manner, seemingly unaware that lacking in it’s knowledge will lead us to misuse of our life itself and to ignorance of it’s purpose.

Like the children of Israel in the day of the prophet Isaiah we ignore His counsel. We read the Bible purely as commentary, by the letter, exactly as we read the newspaper.

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: Isa. 30:1

Isa. 28:9-13 Through the prophet Isaiah God asked the question, who can He teach knowledge and who can He make to understand His doctrine, and He answered the question using an analogy saying: “them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.”

He is speaking here of those who are weaned from the literal or outer interpretation; and drawn from what makes sense to their human understanding. Those who look to His spirit for a higher understanding.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. Isa. 28:9

Further He’s revealing the true depth of a full understanding, the multi-layered nature of the scripture and the approach necessary to attain it.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isa. 28:10

He’s telling us, here is the answer, we can rest now, this is how the word of the Lord in all it’s fullness is received, but most of us will not hear.

As if He stammers or speak in another tongue.

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Isa. 28:11-13

Whether we realize it or not, we are defining the purpose of our lives everyday by what we do.

It’s written:

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. Job 33:14-17

The scripture is saying here that God speaks to all men, but why do some hear His voice while others do not? It is explaining that our pride prevents us from hearing the voice of God, and our pride is the reason why we seek our own purpose and do not follow His instructions.

Jesus warned: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

He is saying, we are either serving our pride or we are serving God, but we cannot do both. In other words we are either seeking our own purpose or we are seeking “THE ONLY TRUE PURPOSE OF LIFE,” the will of God.

Most of what we pursue in our daily lives, our education, our careers and our finances are to satisfy our pride, our position in the world. This is the meat that perishes, the temporal things of this life.

Jesus warned us against this:

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:27

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a call to labour, it requires singleness of purpose, and a total commitment to whatsoever it takes.

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Luke 14:27-28

In His message to the churches Jesus also warned those of us who are neither true believers nor outright nonbelievers. Those who believe but who are not all that enthusiastic.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Rev. 3:15-16

And here Paul is commending those who show their love for God through their commitment to His purpose.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Rom. 8:28

God is love and it’s the will of God that none should perish. Nevertheless the fact remains that many will.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Rom. 5:12-14

Clearly Paul is telling us here that the problem is Adam’s transgression. Notice he is saying that even though sin was not imputed before the law, death reign from Adam to Moses anyway. And he’s also saying, even though we ourself haven’t actually committed Adam’s transgression, sin and death reign over us as well.

The problem is the original sin.

Unfortunately many of us has misinterpreted “the original sin” as disobedience, believing that God was testing Adam, as if there was anything about Adam that God did not foreknow.

The scripture says: that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, has deceived the whole world: but most of us have failed to recognize that the original sin is “the deception” through which sin and death entered into the world and which is the cause of our sinful nature.

God had already instructed Adam saying:

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. 2:16-17

As we have learned in the book of Job; in order to withdraw man from his own purpose and to prevent him from ignoring God’s instructions, pride must be hidden from him.

Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. Job 33:16-17

By trusting in his own understanding and ignoring God’s instructions, the scripture says Adam is like a god himself, but the consequence is, he was deceived into knowing good and evil.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Gen. 3:4-5

Now knowing good and evil, the whole world has been deceived into a reality of good and evil. A reality based on a lie; the belief in dualism.

The scripture tells us that the deceived heart is not aware that it is deceived, and he with a deceived heart cannot deliver his soul.

He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there
not a lie in my right hand? Isa. 44:20

The deceived heart believes a lie and not the word of God.

The book of Job refutes the belief in dualism saying:

With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. Job 12:16

But being deceived we cannot receive this wisdom, nor can we accept “the truth” that God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Gen. 1:31

Many of us interpret the scripture by the letter, or at face value.

Like Adam, we are like gods trusting our human understanding and ignoring God’s instructions that we need an interpreter.

If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness: Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. Job 33:23-24

Not only is it wise that we heed the Proverb which said:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Prov. 3:5

But being deceived we cannot afford to trust our understanding.

From very early, Jesus alerted those that believed on Him that He came to deliver us from a lie.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

Until we acknowledge that we are deceived, we cannot recognize the importance of the truth.

Jesus could not have emphasized the importance of the truth more forcefully.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24

Many of us believe that because we have been called to Christ, we are among those whose names are written in the book of life. But Jesus forewarned us that few will find the way to life and that many are called but few are chosen.

It’s written:

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:7-8

The scripture is saying that all whose names are not written in the book of life shall worship him. It’s speaking of all those who remain deceived, even the saints, who have been called to Christ but who have not believed the truth.

Here Paul is speaking to those who have been chosen:

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:13-14

God foreknew who will be sanctified by the Spirit and believe the truth and He has written their names in the book of life.

We have to be sure that we are not worshiping Him in vain.

Jesus said:

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matt. 15:8-9

If He didn’t say it, then it’s not His word, it’s doctrine, “which He called the commandments of men”.

And if our faith is in doctrine we worship Him in vain.

Jesus taught His disciples for over three years, and at the end of His ministry He told them: “that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” Matt. 16:21

His disciples were distraught by this news.

Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. Matt. 16:22

There is a paradox here that is hidden from most of us because we have abandon His message.

Jesus disciples held firmly to His teaching and struggled with His death, while many of us have discarded His teaching and are focused on His death.

Remember He said that His words, they are spirit, and they are life.

Jesus said: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

x141 said:

If those who are written in the lamb's book of life are his habitation, are the ones not written (which both were settled/written as end before it ever began (even a name blotted out had to not be there when it was first written as an end declared from the beginning) the cost God was willing to pay to build his habitation?

If you love only those who love you, what have you done. This is a raised standard ...

Who sets the standard must also meet it.

Click to expand...

I think it’s easy for us to run into trouble when we forget that God is omniscient or all-knowing. We interpret the word from our perspective as if the outcome is pre-decided, which would mean that there is no such thing as free will.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8

“The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” indicates the Father's omniscient perspective; His knowing the ending from the very beginning.

However, this does not mean that any of us do not have the opportunity to receive “the Message of Jesus Christ.”

It’s saying that God already knows who will and who won’t.