Many today believe or live their lives as if JEHOVAH is not truly concerned about obedience and because of grace will not punish anyone for disobedience. The Bible is quite clear that JEHOVAH demands, deserves, and exactly describes that obedience is absolutely required.
Smooth talking false teachers do not nullify HIS commands and demands. Regardless of all the songs you may sing, declaring your love of HIM, your deeds and fruit reveal the real love you give to HIM.
First, what does it mean to love HIM? Jesus made it very clear.
John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 14:24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.
Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 12:30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 12:31 "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these.
In order to truly love HIM, you must obey HIM. This is not partial obedience, temporary obedience, conditional obedience, or emotional obedience. What must you obey? HIS commandments, Laws, and statutes.
The apostle John, once again, reminds everyone to love JEHOVAH.
1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
He also defines sin.
1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 3:5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 3:6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
You can’t love HIM and sin. There are no little sins, white lies, or unimportant sins. There is no room for sin in the lives of any who truly love HIM.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
What has JEHOVAH told us about HIS view of sin and HIS righteous judgment of sin?
Ezekiel 18:20 "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
18:21 "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
18:22 "All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live.
First, you are only responsible to HIM for your own personal sins. Second, if you turn, confess, repent, and become obedient to HIS statures and practice righteousness, HE will grant you eternal life. So it depends on you and HIM.
18:23 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?
18:24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.
18:25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Hear now, O house of Israel! Is My way not right? Is it not your ways that are not right? 18:26 "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity and dies because of it, for his iniquity which he has committed he will die.
18:27 "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. 18:28 "Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
HE reveals both sides of human arguments. What about a righteous man who turns to sin? What about an unrighteous man who turns to obedience? HE knows the hearts, minds, and deeds of everyone. HE is merciful and will forgive all who repent.
18:29 "But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?
18:30 "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.
18:31 "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?
Mankind is always declaring that JEHOVAH is not just or righteous. In reality, this is exactly the opposite. You can declare to everyone that HE is not fair, but it will not get you anything but condemnation.
18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live. So HE once again closes with what HE revealed first.
HE takes no pleasure in condemning wicked people to Hell. HIS desire is for all to confess, repent, and seek HIS mercy. These are HIS unconditional terms of everyone’s individual surrender to HIS SON, our great High Priest, King, and Messiah.