Issue 13: April 4, 2021

Smile Jesus Y ”Loves” You!

I saw the above words on a tee-shirt posted on Facebook. Although it is absolutely true that Jesus loves you the gest of the phrase is that no matter what you believe the love of God will save you, and that reminded me of just how many people falsely are taught that His love is all that matters and as long as we believe we love Him, salvation is ours, just like a feel-good tee-shirt.

John teaches us that Jesus was there in the beginning and Jesus is God, He is eternal. By Him were all things made (John 1:1-3). So then, hearing His words are imperative. (Hebrew 1:2; Mark 9:7). The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit were all there and all love you, whosoever you are. So, the statement that Jesus loves you is eternally true as the scripture says, “…God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Certainly not one would argue that Christ died hating any man, yet many hated Him because of His message. And the truth is, most today who claim such great love for Jesus—still hate His message whenever it is spoken. Were people in the first century saved just because Jesus loved them, certainly not! In John 6:63 Jesus expounds on just how important His words are when He said, “…The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” and the record states, “But there are some of you who do not believe… ⁶⁶ From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:64, 66). They all believed in the existence of Jesus, they saw Him, they could touch Him and hear His voice, but like the vast majority today they were not going to be saved because they would not accept His words (Matt 7:13, 14; 21-29). Paul wrote, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Ro 10:17). When you cannot accept the word of God you cannot have faith, and if you do not have a love of the truth you cannot be saved (2 Thess. 2:9-12).

So many are deceived today because they have been falsely taught that the love of Jesus somehow saves them, and as a result we have a “different gospel” (Gal 1:8-9) called the “core gospel” which teaches us to worship the image of Christ, but not His words. Worship what He did, but not what He taught. Deceived because this different gospel teaches that man has no part in God’s plan of salvation other than uttering words like, “Jesus come into my heart or saying some sinner’s prayer”, neither of which can be found in the Bible. Look for yourself. He came down from glory, He died on the cross, was buried and three days later rose from the grave all because He most assuredly LOVES YOU, and that was His part.

But what about your part? Do you really love Him or do you love only an image of Him created by false teachers who by “wearing sheep’s clothing” (Matt 7:15) have fooled you in the name of Jesus (Matt 7:15; 2Cor 11:14)? Do you love Jesus or just the name? If you say you love Him remember this, loving Him means loving all that He taught and all that He commanded all that He is. Are you one of the “whosoevers that believes in Him” as named in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Now that same Son said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke6:46).

So, before you say with your mouth you love Him take this short test.

(Circle One)

• (Y/N) Do you love and obey the Master’s teaching allowing Him all authority in your life? Matt 28:18.
• (Y/N) Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved…” Mark 16:16. Do you teach this?
• (Y/N) Jesus said concerning communion partaking is proper worship, “This do in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19. Do you do this each Lord’s day?
• (Y/N) Paul said, “…the words I write are the commandments of the Lord” 1Cor 14:37. Do you believe this?
• (Y/N) Paul wrote, “Why are you waiting, arise and be baptized washing away your sins, calling upon the name of the Lord” Acts 22:16. Do you believe this, that baptism is the time when your sin are washed away?
• (Y/N) Do you believe that Jesus commanded baptism (Mk 16:16, Matt 28:19)
• (Y/N) Not scripture but false teachers say anyone can be saved just by asking Jesus into their heart?
• (Y/N) Peter wrote: “…baptism that now saves you also” 1Pet. 3:21 (NIV). Do you believe this?
• (Y/N) Every single conversion as recorded in the New Testament included faith and baptism. (Examples: Acts 2:38; 8:26-39; 9:1-13 22; 16:11-15; 16:25-33)
• (Y/N) Can one be led away by false teachers and fall from God’s grace? (Read 1 Peter 3:17)

If you answered no to any of the above, then you are either (1) refusing the truth (Rom. 2:8), or (2) you have placed your trust in “man” and your worship is in vain (Matt 15:8-9) or (3) you are an unbeliever (Rev. 21:8). Jesus loves you and can free you from your sins if you love Him back and obey His teaching. He said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” and Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt 7:21), and the scriptures above are part of God’s will. To those who won’t obey His will, He will say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matt 7:23). Lawlessness, simply put, is (1) not obeying the words of the New Testament the Word of God or (2) by going beyond them (1 Cor. 4:6) or (3) ignoring them altogether (2 John 1:9). Again, Jesus asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

These things were Taught by Jesus In His word:

• Hearing and Believing is required for salvation: (John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 6:45; Heb 11:6; Rom. 10:9, 17)
• Repentance of sin is required for salvation: (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30; Acts 2:38)
• Confessing Christ is required for salvation: (Rom. 10:9-10; Matt 10:32-33; Matt 16:16)
• Baptism is required for salvation: (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38, 22:16)
• Living obedient and faithful lives till death is required to remain saved: (Matt 10:22; Rev 2:10b; Rev 3:11)

Question: (Y/N) CAN YOU SAY YOU REALLY LOVE JESUS IF YOU DON’T KEEP HIS COMMANDS? (John 14:15; Luke 6:46)

Bottom line

You can wear a tee that says “Jesus Y ‘Loves’ Me” and that will always be true. But you’re horribly deceived and still lost in your sin if you think for one minute that His love alone saves you. Calling on His name, believing in Him means you will out of love for Him obey His commands and if you can’t do that—He still loves you just as God loved those in the days of Noah (Gen 6) who all died, just like He loved the children Israel who fell in the desert (Heb 3:17), or Nadab and Abihu who were consumed by fire for their “…profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (Lev 10:1-3) or “Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms” (Acts 12:23). God’s judgment will fall on all whom He loves, but His salvation will only apply to those who love Him back with obedient faith. Paul warned us all that Jesus will return, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8).

Last question: (Y/N) “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11) that was His part, now will you do yours?

In Love

dave