“You are »the God who sees [me].” Genesis 16:13 “O LORD, you search me and know me. Whether I sit or stand, you know it; you understand my thoughts from afar. You watch me whether I walk or lie down, and you are familiar with all my ways; indeed, there is not a word on my tongue that you, O LORD, do not fully know.” Psalms 139:1-4 “...the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Luke 12:7
Answer: Yes, God knows each and every one of us (every person on earth) better than we know ourselves. He has a personal interest in every human being and carefully observes everything we do. No word, thought or deed is hidden from him.
“Not everyone who says to me, ”Lord, Lord,“ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17 "and having come to fulfilment, he has become the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him." Hebrews 5:9
Answer: No! The Holy Scriptures are very clear on this point. Salvation and the kingdom of heaven are for those who observe and obey the commandments of the Lord. God does not promise eternal life to those who merely make a profession of faith, who are church members or who have been baptised, but to those who do his will as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. Of course, this obedience is only possible through Christ (Acts 4:12).
“For strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:14 “But he who misses me does violence to his soul; all who hate me love death.” Proverbs 8:36 “And the LORD has commanded us to keep all these statutes, that we may fear the LORD our God, and that it may go well with us always, and that he may preserve us alive, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 6:24
Answer: Because there is only one narrow path to godlikeness, and therefore to his kingdom. Not all paths lead to the same place. The Bible is the roadmap that contains all the necessary instructions, warnings and information for us to reach this kingdom safely. Ignoring even one part leads away from God's kingdom. The universe of God is a universe of law and order. These are natural laws, moral laws and spiritual laws. Breaking one of these laws always has certain inevitable consequences. If the Bible had not been given to us, people would sooner or later have discovered (through trial and error) that the great biblical principles exist and are true. These biblical principles are engraved in our nervous system, in our cells and in our minds. If these are disregarded, the result is broken nerves, illness and suffering of all kinds. Thus, the words of the Bible are not merely advice that we can accept or disregard without consequences. The Bible tells us about these consequences and explains how to avoid them. A person cannot live as he pleases and still become God-like, just as a builder cannot disregard the building plans for a house without getting into trouble. That is why God asks us to follow the guidelines of the Holy Scriptures. There is no other way to become like him and thus be ready to take a place in his kingdom. There is no other way to true happiness.
“Behold, the Lord has come with his holy tens of thousands to judge all, and to punish all the wicked among them for all their wicked deeds in which they have transgressed, and for all the harsh [words] that wicked sinners have spoken against him...” Jude 14:15 “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Romans 14:11
Answer: God allows disobedience and sin to continue until all people everywhere have finally been fully convinced of God's justice, love and grace. In the end, everyone will realise that God does not want to force his will on us through the obedience he demands, but rather wants to save us from self-destruction. The problem of sin will only be solved when even the most hardened sinners have been convinced of God's love and confess that he is righteous. It may take a great catastrophe or something even worse to convince people of God's righteousness. And then, only then, can sin and disobedience be wiped out by the Lord.
Answer: There is no doubt about this. The disobedient will be destroyed along with the devil and his angels who have sinned. Because this is the case, it is high time to separate ourselves from everything half-hearted about right and wrong. People would do well to separate themselves from their own lusts, whims and selfish ideas in order to pay attention to God's book. Preferably right away, because there is not much time left!
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find.” Matthew 7:7 “Strive diligently to prove yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine of God.” John 7:17 “Walk while you still have the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you.” John 12:35
Answer: God does not leave us in uncertainty. He promises to keep me from error and guide me into all truth if I: (1) earnestly ask for guidance, (2) sincerely study God's Word, and (3) live by the truth as soon as it is shown to me.
“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, “We have sight! - Therefore your sin remains.“ John 9:41 ”Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.“ James 4:17 ”My people perish for lack of knowledge; for you have rejected knowledge, therefore I will also reject you.“ Hosea 4:6 ”Seek and you will find." Matthew 7:7
Answer: If I have never had the opportunity to learn certain biblical truths, God does not hold me accountable for them. However, the Bible teaches that I am accountable to God for all the light (knowledge of what is right) that I possess and could have! Many who refuse or neglect to seek, study, learn and hear will be destroyed by God because they have “rejected knowledge”. To play ostrich in these very important matters is fatal. It is my duty to diligently search for truth.
“the men who came out of Egypt ... they shall not see the land that I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because they have not fully followed me, except Caleb ... and Joshua ... because they have fully followed the LORD.” Exodus 32:11.12 “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:14
Answer: In fact, God takes it very seriously. The Old Testament people of God learnt this through bitter experience. 603,550 of them left Egypt to go to the promised land of Canaan. And of these, there were only two who obeyed the Lord completely (Caleb and Joshua); and only these two were allowed to enter Canaan. The other 603,548 perished in the desert. Jesus says that we live by “every word” of the Bible. There is no word too many, and none too few. They are all important.
“Walk while you still have the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you.” John 12:35 “I hasten and do not delay to obey your commandments.” Psalms 119:60 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Answer: No. Once you have gained clarity about a biblical truth, it is never good to wait to accept it. Procrastination is the devil's most dangerous trap. Waiting may seem harmless, but the Bible teaches that light turns to darkness if a person does not immediately follow the light they have received. Obstacles that stand in the way of obedience are not removed by waiting. Instead, they get bigger and bigger. Man says to God: “Smooth my path and I will go ahead.” But God's way is exactly the opposite. He says: “Go ahead and I will smooth the way.”
“With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me, Christ” Philippians 4:13 “But thanks be to God, who always makes us triumph in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 “He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 ”If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” Isaiah 1:19
Answer: None of us can obey in our own strength, but through Christ we can and must become obedient. In order to make God's demands seem unreasonable, Satan circulated the lie that obedience is simply impossible.
“For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a dreadful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the rebellious.” Hebrews 10:26.27 “Walk while you still have the light, so that the darkness does not overtake you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.” John 12:35
Answer: The Bible leaves no doubt. The answer is sobering and shocking - but true. If a person knowingly rejects the light and persists in disobedience, the light will eventually go out and he will be abandoned to total darkness. A person who rejects the truth will believe “strong delusions” and mistake error for truth (2 Thessalonians 2:11). When this happens, the person is already lost.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word... He that loveth me not keepeth not my words.” John 14:23.24 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3
Answer: No, not at all! The Bible teaches that true love for God cannot be separated from obedience, nor can a person be truly obedient without love. A child will not be completely obedient to his parents if he does not love them, nor will he love his parents if he does not obey. True love and obedience are like Siamese twins. If you separate them, they die.
“If you abide in my word ... you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” John 8:31.32.34 “But thanks be to God that you were slaves of sin, but have now become obedient from the heart to the model of teaching that was delivered to you. And having been freed from sin, you have become servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:17.18 “I will keep your law forever and ever. And I will walk in broad places, for I seek your commands.” Psalms 119:44.45
Answer: No. True freedom comes through obedience alone. It means freedom “from sin” (Romans 6:18) or from disobedience that transgresses God's commandments. Those citizens who obey the law enjoy freedom. The disobedient are caught and lose their freedom. Freedom without obedience is like the false freedom of a balloon that escapes or a driverless car. Such freedom leads to chaos and anarchy. True Christian freedom means liberation from disobedience. Disobedience always causes people harm and leads to a cruel dependence on the devil.
“Listen to the voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and you will prosper and live.” Jeremiah 38:20 “He who trusts in his heart is a fool.” Proverbs 28:26 “It is better to seek refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” Psalms 118:8 “...as high as the heavens are above the earth, so much higher are my ways than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and how unsearchable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?” Romans 11:33.34 “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, and guide them in paths unknown to them...” Isaiah 42:16 “You will show me the path of life.” Psalms 16:11
Answer: Most certainly! We must trust God that in his wisdom he can demand something of us that we cannot understand. Good children obey their parents even when the reason for the demand is not clear to them. Faith and trust in God cause us to trust that he knows what is best for us and will never lead us down the wrong path. To question God's guidance in our ignorance when we do not understand his reasons is folly.
“Whosoever committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God.” 1 John 3:8.10 “... that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” Revelation 12:9
Answer: The devil is the author. He knows that all disobedience is sin, that sin brings misfortune, suffering and alienation from God and ultimately leads to destruction. With bitter hatred, he desperately seeks to tempt every person to disobey. You are one of them. You must face this fact and make a decision. Either to disobey and be lost, or to accept Christ, obey him and be saved. Your decision regarding obedience has to do with Christ. You cannot separate him from the truth because he says, “I am ... the truth.” John 14:6 “Choose you therefore this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.“ Philippians 1:6
Answer: Thanks be to the Lord! Having performed the miracle of rebirth on us, he promises to continue to work miracles in our lives (as we joyfully follow him) until we arrive safely at our destination - in his kingdom.
