Yes. God knows you and every person on earth better than we know ourselves. He takes a personal interest in every human being and sees all that we do. Not one word, thought, or deed is hidden from Him.

No. Scripture is very clear on this. Salvation and the kingdom of heaven are for those who obey the Lord’s commands. God does not promise eternal life to those who merely profess faith or are church members or are baptized, but rather to those who do His will, which is revealed in Scripture. Of course, this obedience is possible only through Christ (Acts 4:12).

Because only one path leads to God’s kingdom. All roads do not lead to the same place. The Bible is the map — a guidebook with all the instructions, warnings, and information on how to safely reach that kingdom. To disregard any of it leads us away from God and His kingdom. God’s universe is one of law and order — natural, moral, and spiritual. Breaking any of these laws has fixed consequences. A person cannot live any way he wishes and still become Christlike, any more than a builder can ignore the blueprints for a house without running into trouble. There is no other way to become like Him, and no other way to true happiness.

God will not destroy sin until everyone has been fully convinced of His justice, love, and mercy. All will finally realize that God, by asking for obedience, is not trying to force His will upon us, but rather is trying to keep us from hurting and destroying ourselves. The problem of sin is not settled until even the most cynical, hardened sinners are convinced of God’s love and confess that He is just. It may take a major catastrophe to convince some, but the horrible results of sinful living will finally convince all that God is just and right.

Yes. The disobedient, including the devil and his angels, will all be destroyed. This being true, surely it is time to abandon all fuzziness about what is right or wrong. It is not safe to depend on our own notions and feelings of right and wrong. Our only safety is depending on God’s Word. (For the destruction of sin, see Study Guide 11; for Jesus’ second coming, see Study Guide 8.)

God promises to keep you from error and lead you safely to all truth if you will (1) pray earnestly for guidance, (2) sincerely study God’s Word, and (3) follow truth as soon as you are shown it.

If you have had no opportunity to learn a certain Bible truth, God does not hold you accountable for it. The Bible teaches that you are responsible to God for the light (knowledge of right) you have. But don’t be careless with His mercy! Some refuse or neglect to study, seek, learn, and listen — and they will be destroyed because they have rejected knowledge. To play the ostrich in these crucial matters is fatal. It is our responsibility to search diligently for truth.

Indeed He is particular. God’s people in Old Testament times learned this the hard way. Those who left Egypt for the Promised Land were a multitude in number. Of this group, only two — Caleb and Joshua — fully followed the Lord, and they alone entered Canaan. The others died in the wilderness. Jesus said we are to live by every word of the Bible. There is not one commandment too many or one too few. They are all important!

No. Once you are clear on a Bible truth, it is never good to wait. Procrastination is a dangerous trap. It seems so harmless to wait, but the Bible teaches that unless a person acts immediately upon light, it quickly turns to darkness. Obstacles to obedience are not removed while we stand and wait; instead, they usually increase in size. Man says to God, “Open up the way, and I’ll go forward.” But God’s way is just the opposite. He says, “You go forward, and I will open up the way.”

None of us can obey in our own power, but through Christ we can and must. Satan, in order to make God’s requests appear unreasonable, invented the falsehood that obedience is impossible.

The Bible leaves no room for doubt. The answer is sobering, but true. When a person knowingly rejects light and continues in disobedience, the light eventually goes out, and he is left in total darkness. A person who rejects truth receives a strong delusion to believe that falsehood is truth (2 Thessalonians 2:11). When this happens, he is lost.

Not at all! The Bible actually teaches that true love to God doesn’t exist without obedience. Nor can a person be truly obedient without a love and appreciation for God. No child will fully obey his parents unless he loves them, nor will he show love to his parents if he does not obey. True love and obedience are like conjoined twins. When separated, they die.

No. True freedom means freedom from sin (Romans 6:18), or disobedience, which is breaking God’s law (1 John 3:4). Therefore, true freedom comes only from obedience. The citizens who obey the law have freedom. The disobedient are caught and lose their freedom. Freedom without obedience is a false freedom; it leads to confusion and anarchy. True Christian freedom means freedom from disobedience. Disobedience always hurts a person and leads one into the cruel slavery of the devil.

Most assuredly! We must give God credit for being wise enough to require some things of us that we might not understand. Good children obey their parents even when the reasons for their commands are not clear. Simple faith and trust in God will cause us to believe that He knows what is best for us and that He will never lead us down a wrong path. It is folly for us, in our ignorance, to distrust God’s leadership even when we don’t fully understand all His reasons.

The devil is responsible. He knows that all disobedience is sin and that sin brings unhappiness, tragedy, alienation from God, and eventual destruction. In his hatred, he tries to lead every person into disobedience. You are involved. You must face the facts and make a decision. Disobey and be lost, or accept Christ and obey and be saved. Your decision regarding obedience is a decision regarding Christ. You cannot separate Him from truth, because He says, I am … the truth (John 14:6). Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15).

Praise God! He promises that just as He worked a miracle to bring us the new birth, He will also continue to work needed miracles in our lives (as we gladly follow Him) until we are safe in His kingdom.