In practice, there is no difference between the individual who openly rejects God the Father and Jesus and the one who claims to accept them but refuses to obey Their powerful laws revealed in the Old Testament and in the four gospels. Both are headed for eternal death, the only difference is that the first is at least honest with himself. The second lives a dangerous illusion, believing that words can substitute for obedience. But the Father will never send to the Son a soul that despises His commandments. It was through obedience that the prophets pleased God, it was through obedience that the apostles followed Christ, and it will be through obedience that any gentile will be received into the Kingdom. Do not follow the majority, obey while you are alive. | “I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me; and they have obeyed your word [Old Testament].” (John 17:6)
During His days on earth, Jesus was impressed by the faith of some gentiles, but even so never called them to follow Him. He made it clear that He did not come into the world to lead the gentiles, but to be the perfect and eternal sacrifice for the sins of His people, Israel. This does not mean that God does not save gentiles, but rather that the salvation of all souls stems from the covenant of faithfulness He made with Abraham. The gentile who wishes to be saved by Christ needs to follow the same laws that the Father gave to the chosen nation for His honor and glory. The Father observes his faith and courage, despite the challenges, pours out His love upon him, unites him with Israel, and leads him to Jesus. This is the plan of salvation that makes sense, because it is true. | “Jesus sent out the Twelve with the following instructions: Do not go among the gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans; but rather to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5–6)
King Uzziah knew God’s Law very well; he knew that only the priests could burn incense, but he ignored the Lord and received the due punishment. Millions of Christians have preferred to listen to their leaders and ignore the powerful and eternal commandments of the Most High, which were given to us by the prophets. Just like Uzziah, their punishment at the Final Judgment is certain. Do not follow leaders; follow Jesus, who trained His apostles to obey the Law strictly. They all obeyed the Sabbath, circumcision, forbidden meats, the use of tzitzits, the beard, and all the other statutes of the Lord. The Blood of the Lamb does not cover rebels; obey while you are alive. | “You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.” (Psalm 119:4)
The defenders of the doctrine of “unmerited favor” claim that people can obey God, but not to attain salvation, for if obedience is with the purpose of being saved, they would be trying to ”earn” salvation, which, according to them, is ”rejecting Christ” and leads to hell. But why would anyone die to this world, not steal, not commit adultery, turn the other cheek, and follow all the orders of the Father and the Son, if all the while he must remember that none of this contributes to his salvation? And for what reason would the Lord give us these commandments? Jesus never taught such nonsense. No one will ascend without seeking to follow the same laws given to Israel, laws that Jesus Himself and His apostles followed. Do not follow the majority just because they are many. | “Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)
The most desperate people at the final judgment will be those who expected to be saved; those who heard the countless warnings about obeying God’s laws and still chose not to obey. It will not be the wicked, for they already know in advance what awaits them, but rather those who knew the commandments of the Most High in the Old Testament, but chose to follow the majority because it was more convenient. But there is still a little time. The gentile who wishes to be saved by Christ must follow the same laws that the Father gave to the chosen nation for His honor and glory, laws that Jesus Himself and His apostles followed. Salvation is individual. Do not follow the majority just because they are many. The end has already come! Obey God’s Law while you are alive. | “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
For centuries, the church has taught that the individual who decides to obey God’s laws is rejecting the Son of God and will be condemned at the final judgment. Without a drop of support in the Old Testament or in the words of Jesus in the four Gospels, they claim that by following Christ, the sinner cannot obey God’s Law, but also cannot intentionally sin (which is to disobey the Law). It is one contradiction after another, but no one cares, because what they really like about this doctrine is the illusion of being able to enjoy worldly pleasures and still ascend with Jesus. The truth is that we are saved by pleasing the Father and being sent to the Son, and the Father will never send declared disobedient ones to Jesus. | “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
The devil needed special permission to attack Job because he was faithful to God’s Law and pleased the Lord in everything. Nothing has changed today. When we love God and seek to follow His laws, given to the prophets of the Old Testament and to Jesus, the devil does not have free access to our lives. On the rare occasions when we suffer his attacks, it is because he presented his case to God, and the Lord allowed it, knowing that we would emerge victorious and stronger. But this special protection from God does not exist for those who know His laws and ignore them. Do not follow the majority just because they are many. The end has already come! Obey while you are alive. | “The Lord guides with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep His covenant and obey His requirements.” (Psalm 25:10)
Jesus harshly rebuked the Pharisees because they were replacing the powerful and eternal Law of the Father with human traditions. If obedience to the Law had been abolished for gentiles, as many churches teach, He would have made this explicit, but this heresy is not found in the four gospels, nor is there any promise of someone who would come after Christ with this mission. All the apostles, trained by Him, obeyed in everything: Sabbath, unclean meats, circumcision, tzitzits, beard, and all the other commandments, showing the only way to eternal life for Jews and gentiles. Salvation is individual. Do not follow the majority, obey while you are alive. | “The assembly must have the same laws, which will apply both to you and to the foreigner living among you; this is a perpetual decree.” (Numbers 15:15)
Starting with Abraham, God created a nation for Himself and sealed a perpetual covenant with the sign of circumcision, which would apply to Abraham’s descendants and to the gentiles in his household. History has shown that this covenant would remain in force even during long periods of rebellion. The coming of the Messiah did not change this covenant, the very Jesus stated that He came only for His people. However, any gentile can attain forgiveness and salvation in Christ, provided he joins himself to Israel. When a gentile decides to obey the same laws given to Israel, the Father receives him, honors him, and then sends him to the Son. This is the true plan of salvation, the only one revealed by God and lived by the apostles and disciples of Christ. Do not follow the majority, obey while you are alive. | “The assembly must have the same laws, which will apply both to you and to the foreigner living among you; this is a perpetual decree.” (Numbers 15:15)
God does not show favoritism, whether Jew or gentile; we must all walk the same path of obedience if we wish to ascend. In His wisdom, God chose the nation of Israel as the means by which all who desire may have access to His laws, the forgiveness of sins, and salvation. With the judgment and innocent death of Jesus, the Messiah, the symbolism of the sacrificial system was fulfilled. However, this does not change our obligation to follow the same laws given to the prophets in the Old Testament. As it has always been, only those who wholeheartedly seek to obey God’s laws benefit from the blood of the Lamb for the forgiveness of sins. The Father does not send the disobedient to the Son. | “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
