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Christ’s Standard of Discipleship

This is a non-WLC article. When using resources from outside authors, we only publish the content that is 100% in harmony with the Bible and WLC current biblical beliefs. So such articles can be treated as if coming directly from WLC. We have been greatly blessed by the ministry of many servants of Yahuwah. But we do not advise our members to explore other works by these authors. Such works, we have excluded from publications because they contain errors. Sadly, we have yet to find a ministry that is error-free. If you are shocked by some non-WLC published content [articles/episodes], keep in mind Proverbs 4:18. Our understanding of His truth is evolving, as more light is shed on our pathway. We cherish truth more than life, and seek it wherever it may be found.


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Yahushua makes uncompromising demands on us as disciples of his. There is no part-time or half- baked Christianity as Yahushua sees it. Today in our world of quick fixes and trite gimmicks we are sometimes exposed to “user friendly” ways of getting saved quickly and painlessly. Some preachers seem not to reflect Yahushua’ hard-hitting approach to the young nobleman who wanted “eternal life.” Just “put up your hand or bow your head and believe that I died for you.” But Yahushua said, “If you want to be saved, keep the commandments.” “Not everyone who says Lord to me will be saved.” Immediately we hear the rabbi and Savior issuing a tough order. Obedience to Yahushua is the essence of salvation. The young man had also to be willing to give up the idol of riches, which might have threatened his spiritual success.

“Yahuwah gives his spirit to those who obey him” (Acts 5:32). “Yahushua was made the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey him” (Heb. 5:9). “If anyone does not adhere to the health-giving words, namely those of the Lord Yahushua Christ,” he knows nothing (see 1 Tim. 6:3). “If anyone comes to you and does not bring the teaching of Christ...” (See 2 John 9, 10). “He who believes in the Son has life; but he who disobeys the Son.... the wrath of Yahuwah hangs over him” (John 3:36).

Obviously “believing” does not count as believing if it does not develop into obedience. Yahushua was quite clear on this point: “It is not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the Kingdom [be saved], but only those who do Yahuwah’s will. Many will say on that future day, ‘Lord, Lord, we preached as Christians in your name; we expelled demons in your name and we did wonderful works in your name.’” Then come the chilling words: “I never recognized you; leave me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt. 7:21-23).

The Philippian jailer too was given his instructions. He had asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” “Believe in the Lord Yahushua Christ and you will be saved,” was the apostolic reply (Acts 16:30, 31). But there is a lot to “believing in Yahushua” — obedience for the “long haul” and a life of discipleship in the steps of Yahushua, taking up the cross of suffering from hostile opponents, and persisting unwaveringly even to death.

sandingIt is all too easy to reduce (as theologians say) the Gospel, to sandpaper down its rough, tough edges — to forget the words of Yahushua and rest content in the fact that he died and rose. It is all too easy to quote a single passage (out of context) from Paul and completely forget the words of Yahushua about salvation. But that is to shrink the Gospel. Yes, one can find one’s comforting proof texts. I Corinthians 15:1-3 is often held out as a complete statement of the Gospel, although Paul deliberately said there that the dying and rising of Yahushua are “among items of the first importance [en protois]” in the Gospel, not the entire Gospel. Yahushua died and rose is certainly absolutely non-negotiable as Gospel. Belief in his supernatural origin as virginally begotten is also part of New Testament faith. Following him in obedience to his words and preaching is also indispensable. And that is where we should start.

Yahushua said, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will be saved.” Paul said, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” A contradiction? Of course not. Paul was Yahushua’ beloved servant. But can these verses be mishandled? Certainly. Mainly by quoting Paul out of his own context and not allowing Yahushua to be heard.

That is where the danger lies. Yahushua can be “reduced” and almost eliminated. How can this be done? It’s not difficult. You simply don’t preach much from the word and teachings of the historical Yahushua. You preach all the time from the letters of Paul, not realizing that Paul is writing to believers who already knew the faith from their earlier exposure to evangelists. The letters of Paul are designed to deal with special problems facing the churches. They assume a lot. They assume that we have fully grasped the Gospel as Yahushua preached it, the Gospel about the Kingdom of Yahuwah.

Yahushua had warned clearly enough. “He who hears my word and believes the one who sent me” is on the way to salvation (John 5:24). Let’s hear it again in a refreshing modern translation: “Truly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life” (BBE).

But what is hearing and believing his word? What does that innocent phrase mean? We are back to obedience of course. And that means intelligent understanding and obedient acceptance of Yahushua’ Gospel about the Kingdom. My word, said Yahushua, is the key to everything, the key to your obedience and salvation. The word in question is called “the word about the Kingdom” (Matt. 13:19). That word is like a seed (Luke 8:11). It contains the life-giving spark of immortality. It enters your life as the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is the agent of rebirth (1 Pet. 1:23-25). All this Yahushua summarized when he said, “You must be born again...born of the spirit” (John 3:5, 7).

The Gospel of the Kingdom word is planted as seed in your heart when you eagerly and intelligently embrace it. It must then grow in you and produce the necessary fruit of the spirit, the fruit born of the creative Gospel word. The “word of Yahuwah,” we must not tire of repeating, is not just “the Bible.” The word is the Gospel, the Gospel as Yahushua, the founding Gospel preacher (Heb. 2:3), preached it. The saving Gospel. The Gospel which is “energizing” in you,” as Paul said in I Thessalonians 2:13, or as the dynamic power, which transforms the dead sinner into a vital disciple: “I am not ashamed of Yahuwah’s Gospel” (the Gospel of the Kingdom, see Mark 1:14, 15). Why? Because that Gospel “is the power of Yahuwah leading to salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Yahushua was uncompromising when he stressed the importance of knowing his word and words for salvation: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his like for my sake and the sake of the Gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). Yahushua followed this up with: “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful society, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

Paul was well aware of Yahushua’ teaching when he said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of Yahuwah leading to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). What Gospel? Paul had defined it: “the Gospel of Yahuwah” (Rom. 1:1). And what is that about? Yahushua told us. He came “preaching the Gospel of Yahuwah and saying, ‘The Kingdom of Yahuwah is coming. Repent and believe that Gospel’” (Mark 1:14, 15).

There we have the secret. The Gospel of the Kingdom, including of course the essential facts about Yahushua dying and rising, is the driving force of the Christian life. No wonder, then, “the devil is ready to snatch away the word sown in the heart, so that he cannot believe [that Kingdom Gospel] and be saved” (Luke 8:12).

Salvation is inextricably bound up with the saving words of Yahushua summarized as the Gospel of the Kingdom. But do you hear that definition of the Gospel today? 


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The Same Kingdom Gospel Message for All

When the Jews became belligerent and hostile toward Paul and Barnabas, they closed their exclusive ministry to the Jews and turned to the Gentiles (Acts 13:50). Paul’s message to the Jews was right to the point. They needed to accept the Messiah Yahushua who had come: “Let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. And through him all who believe are justified [put right with Yahuwah] in regard to all things, in which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses” (Acts 13:38, 39).

“Eternal life” means “Life in the age of the coming Kingdom.” The Bible nowhere promises “heaven” to believers — much less for disembodied spirits or souls at death. The Bible promises only resurrection (of the whole person) at the future coming of Yahushua (1 Cor. 15:23) who will then reward Christians “at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14). These will be counted worthy of that coming age of the restored Kingdom on earth. “But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age [not ‘go to heaven’!] and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage” (Luke 20:35).

Why does one have to struggle to get churchgoers to believe these simple promises? “Inherit the earth.” Is that clear or not? How rarely if ever are these words promoted or heard among churchgoers? Are pew-sitters listening? Christians are destined not to go to heaven but to inherit the earth. Yes, their reward is currently held in reserve for them, with Yahuwah who is in heaven. But when Yahushua comes back that reward comes from heaven to the earth with the returning Yahushua. If I say I am keeping a beer in the fridge for you when you visit me, says the world’s leading biblical theologian, Bishop Tom Wright, does that mean you are going to have to climb into the fridge to drink it? Do you retire in the bank where you have been saving your money all those years?

Yahushua stated the Christian goal with complete clarity, but no one in church seems to resonate with his words: “Blessed are the meek; they will inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). “They will reign as kings on the earth” (Rev. 5:10). All this talk about “heaven” is a quick way to become confused in your Bible reading. 


Salvation Involves Our Choice

We have to cooperate with Yahuwah for our salvation. We cannot pass the buck and make Yahuwah and Yahushua entirely and exclusively responsible for our salvation. Otherwise why does Yahuwah address the human race by telling us to “choose”? If Yahuwah has already made an irrevocably predestined choice for us, He is playing verbal games with us. No, He instructs us to “choose life” rather than death (Deut. 30:19). Why would anyone choose death when he or she can choose to live, by listening and obeying Yahuwah’s Agent, the Lord Messiah? “Work out your own salvation,” comes the apostolic cry to us (Phil. 2:12). Yahuwah will help you indeed as He works with you and you with Him.

Ought not Yahushua to have said to the young nobleman, “No points in inquiring about eternal life, for you are not predestined for it”? Or he might have said, “You have no need to inquire, because you are already predestined to eternal life.” He gave neither answer, but invited the nobleman to make the responsible choice. Harmony between the “predestination” and “free grace” controversy is easily resolved. We choose our destiny and Yahuwah works with us to secure a successful outcome. All who want to come may come. Yahuwah wants all to be saved. The only way to come successfully is to yield to the attractive power of the Gospel of the Kingdom as preached by Yahushua and Paul (see Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:24, 25; 28:23, 31). There is no way to Yahuwah except through Yahushua and his Gospel. The Plan has been predetermined. It is our wisdom to get in line with the Plan and surrender our wills to it. The grace of Yahuwah comes to us in His gracious Gospel of salvation in the coming Kingdom. We must make the choice to accept the terms of salvation.

Yes, the less sophisticated or talented sometimes do a better job of receiving the Gospel. “Yahuwah has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and Yahuwah has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised Yahuwah has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before Yahuwah” (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

Once started, the race towards the Kingdom of Yahuwah is on and “through much tribulation we are destined to enter the Kingdom” (Acts 14:22). In Philippians 3:13, 14 Paul lays out the challenge to believers: “Brothers and sisters, I do not reckon myself to have reached the goal: but this one thing I do...I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Yahuwah in Christ Yahushua.” Paul wants to “know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death; if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:10, 11). It hardly sounds as if it is all inevitable in some fixed decree. Paul must struggle to endure to the end.

The idea of an unconditional (the condition is repentance and believing the Gospel) acceptance of sinners by Yahuwah both before they accept Christ, but also after they are converted, no matter how persistently they might continue in sin, constitutes a grave peril. It causes a false sense of security and can amount to carelessness about sin. If I am saved, say some, by an eternal decree that prevents me from ever falling away, why should I be bothered with striving for the prize? Peter knew nothing of a Calvinistic predeterminism. We are given “exceedingly great and precious promises, that by these you might partake of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:4). “My brothers, take all the more care to make your selection and approval certain; for if you do these things you will never fall” (2 Pet. 1:10). There is no trouble-free Christianity, nor a belief in an inevitable success, no matter what.

There is no trouble-free Christianity

There is no immortal spark or soul in us as human beings. Immortality has to be acquired by embracing the words of Yahushua, which are the words of Yahuwah who commissioned him. We are urged to seek immortality. We do not yet have it beyond all chance of losing it. Loss of salvation is hardly a topic on which the New Testament writers concentrate, but the threat is there nevertheless as a warning that “he who thinks he stands” (1 Cor. 10:12) should realize he can fall. Patient well-doing is the essential Christian task and we must persist to the end. “Salvation is now nearer than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11) — a verse which gets amazingly little airing in Christian circles or tracts.

The faith sounds like hard work: “With all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control patience; and to patience Godliness; and to Godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [love]. For if these qualities are in you, and abound, they ensure that you will not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Yahushua Christ” (2 Pet. 1:5-8).

This “tougher” teaching from the words of Yahushua and the apostles about salvation will be rejected by some who seem to have absorbed a sort of “mantra” to the effect that all you need do is “believe in Yahushua,” without further definition or explanation. The text usually appealed to and provided in tracts (which say nothing about the words of Yahushua relative to being saved) is Romans 10:9: “If you say with your mouth that Yahushua is Lord, and have faith in your heart that Yahuwah has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation.”

This beautiful text should be put in its own context. Paul had just been speaking about “the faith, which we are preaching” (v. 8). To find out what that was, one should consult the reports of Paul’s evangelistic activity in Acts 19:8, 20:24, 25 and 28:23, 31. Now note what else Paul says in Romans 10. Verse 14 reads: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

Paul insists that to be saved you must hear not just about Yahushua, but you must hear him, that is hear him preach his Gospel. Paul, properly translated here, teaches that hearing Yahushua is necessary for salvation. Hardly unreasonable, since Yahushua was the original preacher of the Gospel (Heb. 2:3). Now finally notice how Paul concludes his teaching in Romans 10. Verse 17: “So faith [true belief] comes from hearing, and that means hearing the word of Christ.” The word, Gospel, that is, which Yahushua preached for salvation.

So then the two verses often extracted unfairly, i.e. Romans 10:9, 10, easily misrepresent Yahushua and Paul. True faith is built on the one Gospel of the Kingdom brought by Yahushua, commanded in the Great Commission and preached always by Paul. Readers should be cautioned against a reduced or shrunk Gospel, based on a few verses pulled out of context. The key is to return to Yahushua and his Gospel of the Kingdom. Then, too, Paul will not be twisted.

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For more on this important subject, visit WLC's Content Directory: Yahuwah's Eternal Earthly Kingdom


This is a non-WLC article by: Focus on the Kingdom, Vol. 9 No. 10, July 2007.

We have taken out from the original article all pagan names and titles of the Father and Son, and have replaced them with the original given names. Furthermore, we have restored in the Scriptures quoted the names of the Father and Son, as they were originally written by the inspired authors of the Bible. -WLC Team