Jesus taught and preached God's word or Message, that is the Good News or the
Gospel of the
kingdom of God because this is the very purpose why God sent
Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ made
it clear that the Gospel is not His own doctrine or teaching
but it is the
doctrine of
God who sent Him because
it is the will of the God, the Father in heaven, that must be followed
to order enter the kingdom of God in heaven. Thus, whoever listens to
His
teachings and believes in God, who sent Him, is assured of
eternal life.
Listening to Christ's Teachings
1F.1
What was God's command to people when He
introduced His Son?
In Matthew 17:5, this is
written:
He was
still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed
them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my
beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to
him." (Matthew 17:5, RSV)
God in a voice from the
cloud, introduced Jesus, saying:
- "This is my beloved
Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
The Lord God wanted people to listen to His beloved Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
1F.2
How could anyone listen to Christ Jesus, when He is already in
heaven?
In the following verses these
are written:
and
that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2Tim 3:15, NKJV)
"And
truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of
His disciples, which are not written in this book;
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
you may have life in His name." (John 20:30-31,
NKJV)
The teachings of Christ
Jesus are written in the Holy Scriptures. These are written
so people may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and by believing one may have eternal life in His name.
That is why studying the teaching of Christ Jesus is like
listening to Him.
1F.3 Why should people listen to
the teachings of Jesus, according to John the Baptist?
In John 3:32-34, this is
written:
32. He
tells what he has seen and heard, but how few
believe what he tells them!
33. Those who believe him discover that God is
true.
34. For he is sent by God. He speaks God's words,
for God's Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.
(NLT)
John the Baptist said, that
people should listen to Christ's teachings because. . . . .
.
- Jesus speaks God's
words,
- Jesus tells what he
has seen and heard,
John also said "But few
will believe what Jesus tells them".
And, to those few who will come to believe in the teachings
of Jesus. . . . .
Jesus is the Son of God, He
speaks the words of God, for He is sent by God. He words and
deeds are written in the Holy Scriptures so people may come to
believe and have eternal life in His name.
The
basic teaching of Christ that means
eternal life
1F.4
Why should people believe in Christ's teachings?
In John 8:40, Jesus said this
about Himself:
"But now
you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth
which I heard from God. . . . . . . . . . . (John
8:40, NKJV)
People should believe in
the teachings of Jesus . . . . .
- because it is the
truth which Jesus heard from God.
1F.5
Why should believing in the teachings of Christ very important?
In John 12:44, 49-50, this is
written:
44.
Jesus declared publicly: Whoever believes in me believes
not in me but in the one who sent me,
49. For I have not spoken of my own accord; but the
Father who sent me commanded me what to say and what to
speak,
50. and I know that his commands mean eternal life.
And therefore what the Father has told me is what I
speak. (NJB)
Jesus
wanted people to understand that believing in Him means
believing in the Father who sent Him.
- Thus, believing in
the teachings of Jesus means believing in the commands
of the Father.
Why
are the teachings of Jesus, about the commands of the
Father, very important?
- because the commands
of the Father means eternal life.
1F.6
What, then, is the "Basic Teaching of
Christ" that would mean eternal life for its believers?
This is what Christ said in
His prayer to the Father in heaven,
In John 17:1 & 3, these are recorded in the Holy Bible:
1
After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven
and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to
your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you.
3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true
God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. (TEV)
The same verse in another
version of the Bible:
1WHEN JESUS had spoken these
things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven
and said, Father, the hour has come.
Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify
Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify
and extol and honor and magnify You.
3And this is eternal life: [it
means] to know (to perceive, recognize,
become acquainted with, and understand)
You, the only true and real God, and
[likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the]
Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah),
Whom You have sent. (Amplified
Bible)
The Lord Jesus Christ
clearly and unambiguously said this basic truth about God
and Himself, when He prayed to the Father in heaven. . . . .
And Eternal Life means
. . . .
-
to
know you (the Father), the "Only True God",
-
and
to know "Jesus Christ" whom You (the Father)
sent.
Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ In plain and
understandable words expressed this basic truth about God
and Himself. That is, the Father is the only true God and
Jesus was sent by the Father. Knowing this truth means
eternal life for believers.
Note: Because of a preconceived
notion about a different God and another Jesus, many people cannot accept the
clear and unambiguous words of Jesus, thus, in effect they
reject His words and refuses to accept His teachings.
On
rejecting and refusing Christ's teachings
1F.7
What is the warning of the Lord Jesus
Christ to those who rejects Him and refuses to accept His
teachings?
In John 12:48, Jesus gave
this warning:
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has
something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will
condemn him on the last day, (New American Bible)
The same verse in another
version of the Bible:
Whoever persistently rejects me and refuses to
accept my teachings<bb> has something to
judge him -- the very message I have spoken
will judge him on the last day. (Williams New
Testament)
The Lord Jesus Christ
explained it clearly, that those who rejects
and refuses to accept His teachings will be judged or
condemned on the last day by the very message that He
have spoken. And this is Christ's message or teaching that will judge
them:
And Eternal Life means
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
to
know the the Father as the "Only True God",
-
and
to know "Jesus Christ" whom the Father has sent.
(John 17:1&3)
Thus, whoever rejects Christ
and refuses to accept His teaching means condemnation or
judgment on the last day.
1F.8
What is the condemnation or judgment for
those who rejects Christ and refuses to accept His teachings?
In the following verses,
these are written:
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. These shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord
and from the glory of His power, (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9,
NKJV)
And the
devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.
And they will be tormented day and night forever and
ever (Rev.20:10, NKJV).
The judgment is very clear, in flaming fire God will punish
. . . . . .
-
Those
who do not know Him (God).
-
They are those who refuse to accept the basic
teaching of Christ Jesus with the very message which says
"eternal life means to know you, the only true
God, . . . . . . . . . ."
(John 17:3). They are those who
refuse to accept the truth that knowing the Father
in heaven as the "only true God" means eternal life.
-
And,
those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
They are those who refuse to accept the teachings of
Christ which is the gospel of the kingdom. Please
note that the purpose God sent Jesus is to preach
the
Gospel of
the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). The
Gospel of Christ is power of God to salvation for
everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).
Very clear indeed that
punishment, in the lake of fire and brimstone, awaits those
who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
____________________
God wants people to listen to His
beloved Son. The
teachings of Christ Jesus are written in the Holy Scriptures
(2Tim 3:15), thus
studying the
teaching of Christ Jesus is like listening to Him.
John the Baptist also said
that people should listen to Jesus
because He speaks God's words (Jn.3:32-34) which is
the truth He
heard from God (Jn.8:40). Thus, believing in the teachings
of Jesus means believing in the Father whose commands mean
eternal life (Jn.12:44, 49-50). Because of a preconceived notion
of a different God and another Jesus, many people cannot accept the clear and
unambiguous words of Jesus, thus, in effect they unwittingly reject Him and
refuses to accept His teachings. Clearly, those who rejects
Christ Jesus and refuses to accept His teachings will be judged or
condemned on the last day by the very message that Christ's have
spoken (John 12:48). And, the judgment is very clear, "in flaming
fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those
who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ". These
shall be punished with everlasting destruction (2 Thess.1:8-9),
And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever
(Rev.20:10).
_______________________________
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