Some leaders say that Christians should disobey God’s commandments about the beard, the Sabbath, circumcision, tzitzits, and others because the church in the first centuries did not obey. What a weak and deadly argument! Since when does the disobedience of others define the will of the Creator? Jesus obeyed everything, period. And His apostles and disciples, taught directly by Him and not by later men, followed every commandment revealed in the Old Testament. If some later rejected the Law, that’s their problem , not a call for us. Our standard is Christ. Salvation is individual. Obey while you are still alive. | “Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in the teaching of Christ, this one has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).
Some leaders say they teach disobedience because, according to them, after Jesus returned to heaven the early church began to ignore God’s laws and that we should do the same. Seriously? Since when did the Most High command us to imitate the rebellion of mere men? Is that what God instructed? That we imitate the disobedient? Never. The apostles and disciples who learned the gospel directly from the lips of Jesus faithfully obeyed every commandment revealed by the prophets in the Old Testament. If someone in history strayed, it is not for us to follow the deviation, but to follow the Master and His obedience. Do not follow the majority. Obey while you are still alive. | “He who says: I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:2-5
Jesus told Nicodemus that He was sent so that everyone who believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life. Believing in Jesus is not just believing that He existed, but recognizing that only His teachings lead to salvation. Most leaders in churches do not teach what Jesus taught in the four Gospels, but rather doctrines of men that arose years after His return to the Father. The apostles and disciples believed and obeyed Jesus and, like their Master, kept all the commandments of the Old Testament. If we want eternal life, we must live as they lived. Obey while you are alive. | “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God [Old Testament] and do it.” (Luke 8:21)
Few are the souls willing to obey all the laws that God gave us through the prophets in the Old Testament and Jesus in the Gospels. And few are those who find the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. As soon as Jesus returned to the Father, the devil inspired leaders to create a plan of salvation for the Gentiles that Jesus never taught. Based on this false plan, millions of Gentiles believe they will be saved, even while living in open disobedience. The Gentile who truly wishes to be saved by Christ must follow the same laws that the Father gave to the chosen nation. The Father sees the faith and courage of this Gentile, despite the difficulties, pours out His love upon him, unites him to Israel, and leads him to the Son for forgiveness and salvation. | The Gentile who joins himself to the Lord, to serve Him, thus becoming His servant… and who remains firm in My covenant, I will also bring them to My holy mountain. (Isaiah 56:6-7)
The theme that dominates the Scriptures is obedience to God’s commands. As a race, our suffering began when we disobeyed in Eden, and it will only end when, individually, we do the opposite: obey everything the Lord has commanded us through His prophets in the Old Testament. The Gentile who seeks a shortcut, a way to reach Christ without faithfully obeying God, is playing with his eternal future and will have a bitter surprise at the final judgment. Salvation is individual. Do not follow the majority just because they are many. The end has already come! Obey while you are alive. | “Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)
Anyone, including the apostles, who encourages us to disobey God is being used by the devil, regardless of their popularity in the churches. When Peter tried to convince Jesus to refuse His Father’s mission, Jesus referred to him as Satan himself, even though Peter was the apostle to whom He was most attached. The doctrine of “unmerited favor” teaches that, if we want to be saved by the Son, we will have to refuse the Father’s laws in the Old Testament and, therefore, just as happened with Peter, this doctrine also comes from Satan. From Eden to the present, the serpent aims to divert the human race from obedience to God. Salvation is individual. Do not follow the majority just because they are many. Obey God’s Law while you are alive. | “Ah! My people! Those who lead you mislead you and destroy the way of your paths.” (Isaiah 3:12)
In the encounter with the rich young man, Jesus revealed, simply and directly, the three essential steps for all who wish to inherit eternal life , and in the correct order. First, obey the Father’s commandments, revealed in the Old Testament. Second, die to this world, renouncing attachment to the treasures of this life that separate us from God. And third, follow the Son, who is the way that leads to salvation. This was the instruction of the Messiah Himself, and nothing has changed since then. The Father only sends to the Son those who obey His Law and live in holiness. This is how the apostles and disciples lived, and this is how we must also live. Salvation is individual. Do not follow the majority , obey while you are alive. | “Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)
God asks for obedience to His Law, but people in churches sing and play instruments; He asks for obedience, but they raise their hands, dance, close their eyes, and furrow their brows… all very beautiful and moving in human eyes, but that is not what God asked for. This “gospel” full of emotions and empty of obedience did not come from Jesus, but from men who arose years after His return to the Father. The Lord never changed His requirement: He wants faithfulness to His Law , not religious performances. The apostles and disciples, who learned directly from Christ, obeyed all of God’s holy commandments. So must we live. Do not follow the majority , obey while you are alive. | “Here is the perseverance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)
At birth, Jesus was already part of the religion of His parents and of many generations before them. As He grew up, Jesus remained faithful to Israel and never gave any indication that He would found another religion for the Gentiles. In fact, the reality in the Gospels is that there were few times Jesus even spoke with Gentiles. The possibility of a Gentile being saved by Jesus, outside the religion of Jesus, is nonexistent. Like it or not, in His ministry, He was clear in saying that He came only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 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. This is the plan of salvation that makes sense, because it is the true one. | “Jesus sent out the Twelve with the following instructions: Do not go to the Gentiles or to the Samaritans; but rather to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5–6)
The prophet Balaam knew God’s will and knew he could not curse the chosen people, but he ignored the Lord, rebelled, and had a tragic end. Millions of Christians do the same: they have a Bible at home, know that there are laws given by God, know what they are, and yet choose to ignore them, feeling safe by following the majority. Just like Balaam, their punishment at the Final Judgment is certain. Do not follow the majority or your deceitful leaders; follow Jesus, who trained His apostles to strictly obey the Law. They all obeyed the Sabbath, circumcision, forbidden meats, the use of tzitzits, 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)
