The Unshakable Foundation: Hearing and Obeying the Words of Jesus Christ

As a follower of Jesus Christ, if I read or hear something Jesus Christ has said, then that settles it for me. To be perfectly honest with you, what  actually grieves me to my spirit is when Christians say something like:  “ Yes, I know Jesus Christ said that, but Paul came after Jesus, and as Christians we are now to live in the Epistles”

I would challenge anyone who believes this to prove to me from the WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST where Jesus ever said there would be another gospel preached other than the Kingdom of God gospel that He preached.

The Father Himself commanded, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye HIM” (Matthew 17:5). That command alone should stir every believer to build their entire faith upon the words of Jesus Christ.

When the Creator of heaven and earth says, “Hear you Him,” we must understand that there is no other voice that carries greater authority than that of Jesus Christ.

The Rock of His Words

Jesus Christ has made it perfectly clear that the strength of our lives and salvation rests upon our hearing and of our obedience to HIS words.

Jesus said, “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock” (Luke 6:47–48).

Then Jesus gave the warning: “But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:49).

This is why, when we have the great joy and privilege of sharing the Gospel with someone, we must never tell them that saying the “sinner’s prayer” automatically saves them. To do so risks leading them to build their lives upon the sand instead of upon the solid rock of the Lord’s teachings.

This must become a revelation in the lives of every believer: Jesus Christ never said, “Say this prayer, and you will be saved.” He said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32).

Fear God and Give Him Glory

The body of Christ has preached grace. We’ve preached love. But where’s the fear of Almighty God in our message today? The early church didn’t water it down. They preached repentance, holiness, and the fear of God. It’s time that we in our generation preach it like they did, with truth, fire, and boldness.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:  but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

The fear of the Lord being in our lives as believers is not terror, but deep reverence for His holiness, justice, and mercy.  It keeps our hearts humble and our walk sincere before the Father.

The Message Jesus Came to Preach

Many people, when asked why Jesus came, they would rightly say He came to die for our sins. Indeed, He did. But there is a far greater expanse of the purposes of Jesus Christ stepping out of eternity and into time.  As one reads through the Gospels, there are several references that reveal the purposes of Jesus Christ’s coming into this world.

Jesus Christ Himself declared that  He came to preach the Kingdom of God.

He proclaimed, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

“And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43).

His message was not merely about escaping humanity escaping judgment, but about the essential need of entering into the rule and reign of Almighty God’s righteousness, peace, and truth. So if Jesus Christ said one of the purposes of His mission was to preach the Kingdom, then that is the foundation of the Gospel that we as believers must share.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:9-14.

Grace and Truth Together

It is imperative for believers to tell people about the wonderful grace of our heavenly Father in sending Jesus Christ. For “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Yet we must also speak the truth that Jesus Christ Himself spoke. He warned that not all who call Him “Lord, Lord “will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of His Father. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Grace is amazing, as believers we sing about it, but it is of vital importance that as believers, we must not use this grace as a license to ignore the commands of Jesus Christ; it is through the grace of the Father that we are given the power to obey these commandments.

Therefore, when we instruct people through sharing the words of Jesus, we must build their faith not on religious formulas or traditions of men but on the sure foundation of His Gospel.

Jesus has said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

This is of utmost importance; it is time that we, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, return to the words of the Master, for He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

The Words of Jesus: A Warning the Church Must Hear

This is of utmost importance, a truth that every believer must understand: Millions have been told to “repeat a prayer” and assume heaven is guaranteed, but Jesus Christ never said that.

He never told anyone to “say the sinner’s prayer.” He said, “Follow me.”Jesus’ words are not suggestions, they are the standard by which every soul will be judged.

Jesus has said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

We must return to what Jesus Christ actually preached, that this gospel of the kingdom is a message of repentance, surrender, obedience, and fruit.

Here is a truth that cannot be denied: Much of the gospel preached from pulpits today has been watered down until it hardly resembles that which Jesus Christ Himself preached.

But His words are still written, and they are not to be taken as just mere suggestions to be considered. Jesus  said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). 

Those words will judge us all, therefore it is of utmost importance that every believer take the words of Jesus Christ seriously.

“Whosoever” — An Open Door, Not a Blank Check

Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). 

But what does it mean to believe? Jesus Himself explained it: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (John 8:31).

True belief in Jesus Christ is not valid through a moment of emotion or the repeating of a single prayer; it is a life of continuing in His word. He also said, “Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

This is a truth that is vital to be embraced in our lives “Whosoever” means anyone can come, but only those who obey will remain. It is an open invitation, but not an unconditional guarantee.

Branches in Christ Can Be Cut Off

One of the most sobering things Jesus Christ ever said is in John 15. This is very important,  Jesus Christ was not speaking to unbelievers but to His disciples, those who were already “in Him.” “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman… Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away” (John 15:1-2).

Let that sink in. Jesus Christ has said, “Every branch in me…”Those already in Him can be taken away if they bear no fruit. He continued, “If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6).

To “abide” means to remain, to continue, to endure. Those who stop abiding are cut off. This is not a threat to scare us; it is the truth to awaken us.

Contrary to what some ministers will say, every believer must take the words of Jesus Christ as the bedrock of our faith and lives, and we must understand that Salvation can be forfeited not because the Father is unfaithful, but because a person turns away from the One who saves.

Jesus made it clear that those who refuse to bear fruit, who reject His words, and who choose disobedience over surrender, place themselves outside the life He offers.

This is of utmost importance; this must be firmly embraced in our lives as believers: A repeated prayer, or a moment of emotion, or a confession without obedience does not secure eternal life.

The sinner’s prayer alone will not save, but a life that bears the fruit of repentance, obedience, and abiding in Jesus Christ will reveal the reality of salvation.

Jesus Christ has taught that the true evidence of belonging to Him is not merely what we say but what our lives become under His lordship, fruit that remains, obedience that endures, and a faith that follows Him to the end. Jesus left no room for confusion: “Every tree is known by his own fruit” (Luke 6:44).

The Danger of a Shallow Gospel

In our generation, it is regrettable that multitudes have been told that all they need to do is “say the sinner’s prayer.”This shallow approach has reduced salvation to a formula of words rather than a transformed life.

Many have been led to believe that a single moment of recited confession guarantees eternal life, even while their hearts remain unchanged and their lives bear no fruit of repentance or obedience.

Jesus never said, “Repeat after Me.” He said, “Follow Me.”He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

Salvation is a free gift, but it is not a cheap gift. It cost the blood of the Son of God. And those who receive it must walk in that same obedience. Jesus Christ has warned that some believe for a while but later fall away. “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13).

If salvation could not be lost, these words would be meaningless. But Jesus said that because the danger is real.

Paul Agreed — Even He Could Be Cut Off

Some quote Paul’s words in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

But Paul never taught that salvation ends with confession. He taught that confession begins a life of obedience. He wrote, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Why fear and trembling if there is no danger?

Paul also warned believers, “Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee… otherwise thou also shalt be cut off” (Romans 11:20-22).

And concerning himself he said, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

A “castaway” is one rejected, disqualified, or cut off. Even Paul feared that fate if he did not continue in obedience. In truth, salvation is a race that must be finished, not a prayer that is repeated.

The Gospel of the Kingdom Is The Only Gospel Jesus Christ Endorsed

Jesus came preaching one message: “The gospel of the kingdom.”“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23).

He never preached “the gospel of easy belief.” He preached repentance, righteousness, and surrender. And He said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

“This gospel” not any watered-down version. The kingdom gospel calls people to repentance, holiness, and fruit. It is grace and obedience, love and lordship, faith and faithfulness.

When the Father said, “Hear ye Him,” He meant that everything we need for life, salvation, and godliness is found in Christ’s own words.

Therefore, for everyone who calls upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our safest and surest foundation will always be the living truth that Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, spoke through His spotless Lamb and His sinless Son.

If we truly hear Him, believe Him, and follow Him, then we are building on the rock that will never be moved.

“Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock”

Post Script: The references following are to be found in the New Testament on the subject of Fear in the lives of believers.

“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” Acts 9:31

But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”Acts 10:35
“Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.”Acts 13:16

“Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” Acts 13:26

“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.  Be not highminded, but fear:  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” Romans 11:20–21

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”Ephesians 5:21

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,  but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh;  not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” Colossians 3:22

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” Hebrews 4:1

“Wherefore we receive a kingdom which cannot be moved,  let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28–29

“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work,  pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” 1 Peter 1:17

“Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” 1 Peter 2:17

“While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.” 1 Peter 3:2

“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:7

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy:  for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”Revelation 15:4

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.” Revelation 19:5.