“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day”
(John 12:48 NKJV)

to receive Jesus is to obey His words

Observe the connections —

1. Jesus connects Himself with His word. He who rejects “ME” . . . “does not receive MY WORDS.”
2. Jesus connects the rejection of His word with the rejection of Himself. Jesus is the author of eternal life to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8). But we cannot obey Him without knowing His gospel. “…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” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
3. Jesus connects these rejections with the coming Judgment in the last day. Our destiny then depends on our response to His word now. We must heed what He ‘has spoken.’
4. Jesus connects Himself with His plan of salvation. These facts forever destroy the false choice of those who advocate preaching ‘the Man not the plan.’

-- Rick Duggin