There are many wonderful and uplifting concepts in scripture.
They are quite wonderful, and people should know about them, and place their hope in these promises.
What many people do not realize, though, is the conditional nature of many promises in scripture.
If we go back a few verses before a promise is made, we often find the words, “If you…”
While the promises are great, they often require something of us.
Christian leaders often refer to this idea as blasphemy!!
They tend to teach that not only do we not have to do anything, but that we SHOULD NOT do anything.
However, if we ACTUALLY read the words of Yehova (God), Yeshua Messiah (Jesus), and the prophets (who spoke on Yehova’s behalf) we do find conditional IF-THEN scenarios regarding promises and blessings.
Not only that, we also find IF-THEN scenarios in place regarding very harsh warnings.
DO THIS – experience the blessings and promises of a loving God
DON’T DO THIS – experience severe consequences of a fair and just God.
While this idea may sound harsh to those who only know what their church leaders have taught them, it is backed up by countless direct quotes of Yehova, Yeshua, the prophets, and other scriptures.
Churches teach the opposite of what Yehova said.
Churches teach people to disobey God [and therefore Yeshua Messiah, since He taught what the Father taught].
Church going Christian pastors and congregants all fail the Deuteronomy 13 test.
Deuteronomy 13:6-11
“When your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own being, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other mighty ones’– which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the mighty ones of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth – do not agree with him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pardon him, nor spare him or conceal him, but you shall certainly kill him. Your hand is first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people, and you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage. “And let all Yisra’ĕl hear and fear, and not again do any such evil matter as this in your midst.
Imagine this:
In a covenant nation governed by Torah [the instruction of God], church going Christians would be stoned to death according to the Words of Yehova, even if they are beloved family!! While this might sound absolutely crazy to you (as it did to me), these are the VERY words of the God we all serve.
Does this mean that God of the bible has some serious character flaws?
No, not at all.
He cares for us so much that He gives harsh warnings with VERY serious consequences.
He wants us to walk in His ways SO MUCH [because they bring life and blessing] that He requires the death penalty for anyone trying to teach us to stray from Him.
That is LITERALLY how much He loves us, that He will go to unimaginable extremes to protect us and keep us in His fold.
And yet, we live in a society and church culture so far removed from His truth and His Character, that this merciful and loving warning is considered a flaw of God’s Character.
People are so comfortable with their own disobedience and the disobedience of others that a warning like this is offensive to them.
They do not recognize the incredible love behind this warning.
He wants us so badly that He is willing to require death for those who try to steal us away from Him.
Do you find this very hard to believe?
I did when I first began studying the warnings in scripture.
Jeremiah forewarned us of what we see today in Christianity:
Jer 16:19-20
O Yehova, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things. ” Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods?
Jeremiah tells us ‘religions of the world’ will have it wrong, and as a result they serve a made up god of their own imagination. And if their god is made up, then they cannot be saved by their non-existent god.
I do not share these words to be critical of lawless Christians, but simply because it is the Word of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I share this and other difficult ideas because people need to know. I share these harsh ideas in scripture out of love, because people need to know, especially if they fall into the category of not heeding these warnings.
Yehova (God) and Yeshua Messiah (Jesus) have established some standards of truth in scripture, and They say these standards of truth are for all time, forever, never-ending, and for all generations.
The following scripture is a direct quote of Yeshua/Jesus.
In this statement, Yeshua Messiah is not speaking to non-believers, atheists, evil people, etc.
He is speaking to people who called Him Lord/Master, and these people claim to have served Him.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’
What is the disqualifier among these self-proclaimed believers and followers of Messiah?
“Lawlessness”
What is the result?
Depart from Me [not good].
I never knew you. [Even worse].
Why is it worse for Yeshua to not know them?
Another direct quote of Messiah explains why this is so very bad:
John 10:27-28
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. “And I give them everlasting life, and they shall by no means ever perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.”
Messiah knows His sheep.
If he does not know you, then you are not His sheep.
Let that sink in…
Not His sheep.
This should be a scary thought.
His sheep follow Him, which means obeying the things He said and walking just as He walked.
Lawless Christians do not.
What does Messiah give to His sheep, the people He knows?
Eternal life.
If He does not know you, then you will not receive eternal life [according to Him, not me].
If you are not His sheep, then you will not receive eternal life [according to Him, not me].
His sheep follow Him, and this is good.
What happens to those in Matthew 7 — the lawless?
“Depart from Me.”
They do not follow Him, nor are they allowed to follow Him.
They are sent away by Yeshua Messiah (Jesus).
This is sad and tragic for billions of people riding a religious train that is completely off the rails.
Yehova and Yeshua Messiah have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.
How does Messiah continue in Matthew 7?
He reiterates what He had just spoken in verses 21-23.
He speaks of people who heed His words, and those who do not heed His words.
Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, “and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them, shall be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.” for He was teaching them as one possessing authority, and not as the scribes.
He again tells us the outcome of the lawless, those who do not heed His words:
“…and great was its fall.”
And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I pray for the many churches of today’s religious systems.
There are many who claim to know and serve Jesus.
But according to the words of Jesus, they are disqualified.
He does not know them, they are not His sheep, and He sends them away.
If this study has offended you, please don’t be angry with me.
Take these scriptures I’ve shared and read them.
Study them.
Pray about them.
Learn the Voice of God and the Voice of Jesus.
Know the things They say, and not just the good things.
Find out if any of these harsh warnings apply to you, because your eternity depends on them.