"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand."' 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.'"
Matthew 7:21-26
A truly clever person can nearly always find justification to exempt himself from doing what he ought to do, especially with the help of the Prince of Darkness. The brilliance of the Evil One is seen today in the belief that those who are scrupulous in obeying the Lord are the wicked Pharisees, and those who intend to honor Him, but actually don't, are the righteous.
God, in His revealed Word, has given us His laws and instructions, as well as His authority to do what He wants us to do. Therefore, it must be done. If God has not granted authority for an action, we must not do it at all. Most of us prefer to play games with God. We make up our own rules as if we were wiser than our Lord. In the end, we fall short of completely obeying what He has commanded and find ourselves condemned by our own foolishness.
Nowadays, when one says that God requires absolute (i.e., strict) obedience to God's Truth and all of His commands to be saved, many disagree, denying that strict obedience is essential to eternal life. Many of our friends in the religious world claim that baptism is not essential to salvation but that it is essential to obedience since Jesus, our Lord commanded it. Indeed they admit baptism as necessary to obedience but reject it as not being essential to salvation. Their conclusion is that obedience is not necessary to salvation. What they don't want to admit is that obedience to God's commands is vital to salvation, that is, eternal life.
It is true that no man is sinless. So, of course, no man will be saved by living a perfectly sinless life (Rom. 3:23). Though no man's obedience deserves eternal life (no man is saved without grace and faith); it is also true that because of sin, there are things man must do (besides grace and faith) to obtain forgiveness of sins. The blood of Jesus is the power to forgive sins. Once man sins, there is nothing that he can do to compensate for his sins except the blood of Jesus. However, the Word of God instructs us that obedience is essential to benefit from the cleansing power of Jesus' blood. Jesus' doctrines are essential to salvation. Obedience to Jesus' Lordship is vital to receive eternal life. He is the only Lord, Master, Ruler, and the One who exercises all authority in heaven and earth. So to accept Him as Lord demands that we obey His rules, laws, and commands. We must submit completely to Him and to His authority with complete and reverent obedience.
The purpose of my study is to determine whether or not reverent obedience is vital to receiving eternal life, salvation. God demands one hundred percent obedience from all mankind. There are only two pathways: to obey all that God has commanded us to do and receive eternal life, or obey Satan and his kingdom of darkness and be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity.
I. OBEDIENCE TO JESUS, AS LORD, AND HIS LORDSHIP:
- What does it mean to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord?
So to accept Jesus as Savior implies that one must come to Him for the forgiveness of sins. By the same token, if He is Savior of our lives, one must submit to His commands. He is the One who dictates whom He will save and what one must do to obey Him and be acceptable to Him. To be acceptable to Him, one must fear Him (respect and revere His authority) and work righteousness (obey His authority), Acts 10:35. One cannot claim to accept Jesus as Lord without reverent obedience to Him and all of His commands, laws (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 12:47f; 17:9f; 1 Cor. 7:19; Col. 3:23f; Heb. 13:20f; John 8:31). That simple!
In Hebrews 5:9, we read that "having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source (author) of eternal salvation." So to receive salvation, one must obey Him since He is the only source of salvation. To claim to have accepted Him as Lord and Savior imply that one obeys the conditions and commands that He requires in His Word to receive eternal life. To be made free from the bondage of sin and become slaves of righteousness, one must obey His delivered teachings (doctrines). We are made free from sin when we obey all His teachings or doctrines. We purify our souls when we obey the Truth without reservations. Jesus' doctrines require obedience because He is Lord and Savior. We cannot accept Him without complete and reverent obedience. Jesus said,
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 24 'Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.'" (Matthew 7:21-27)
II. OBEYING GOD'S LAWS (INSTRUCTIONS, COMMANDS) IS ESSENTIAL TO ETERNAL LIFE:
When it comes to strict and reverent obedience, many, even some of our brethren, have the wrong attitude. Why do I say that? Because they think that strict obedience to God and His commands, laws, is not really necessary for salvation, eternal life. They claim that as long as one is doing what's right, it does not matter how strictly he adheres to all of Jesus' teachings of the "perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25). As a consequence of this, they give the label of "legalists" to those of us who suggest that kind of adherence to Jesus and His Lordship. But guess what? God has always demanded strict obedience (100% obedience) to all His commands. No matter what law from God man was under, man was expected to diligently learn and know His law, in order to do or obey the will of God. Take, for instance, Noah, who explicitly followed God's instructions about how to build the ark to save his family. Cain disobeyed God's law when he offered a sacrifice that was not pleasing to God. He did not obey God's instructions when making his offering. And though Cain believed in God and offered what he thought was best, he still did not do what God commanded him to do. His works are called evil (1 John 3:12). Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, Canaan, and lead the children of Israel because he failed to honor God before the people. They all failed to comply with God's instructions, His laws (Heb. 11:4). God under no circumstances will accept any worship from any man that is not acceptable and pleasing to Him. Take heed!
Partial obedience to God is not enough! God demands one hundred percent obedience, complete submission to His will. When one obeys partially, he is disobedient to God. Period!
- Adam and Eve in The Garden of Eden:
God gave Adam a way of living that was defined by the Word of God. He gave him, at least, one law. He commanded him not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God said,
“You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”(Genesis 2:17)
Adam and Eve were permitted to do anything they pleased in that beautiful garden except to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They would die! God did not give them a long list of prohibitions. He only forbade them one thing that is recorded in Scripture. It was something that was not essential to sustain life. Sadly, Adam and Eve violated God's law when they were tempted and surrendered to that temptation.
Adam and Eve died that day. Although they continued to live physically, they died spiritually, being separated from a close fellowship with God, their Creator. Why? Because they had sinned and rebelled against God's will. In Isaiah 59:12, we read of this separation (death).
“Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Our iniquities or sins separate us from our Creator. They build a wall of separation between Him and us because God hates lawlessness (sin). “Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” (I John 3:4) Sin is lawbreaking. It is breaking God's Law!
Jesus, our Lord, brought peace between man and God when He died on the cross, drawing us near to His Father through His precious blood. We were children of wrath because of our disobedience which had separated us from our God.
It is undeniable that God has had law from the beginning of mankind. From Adam to Moses, all men had a law system, laws (rules) to keep and obey. Therefore, they were accountable to God!
Take note that from Moses to Christ, it is easy to see a complete set of laws and commands, frequently referred to as the Old Testament (the Law of Moses). God gave the Law of Moses to the descendants of Abraham, the Hebrews. The purpose of the Law was to prepare them for the Messiah’s coming (Galatians 3:24-25). It also kept sin (lawlessness) under control, until the fullness of time had come (Galatians 4:3-4). Thus, the Hebrews that lived before Christ were responsible and accountable to God as well. They had to obey laws!
By the same token, the Gentiles, living at that time before Christ, were also under some form of divine law, though we know little about it. God also loved them and expected them to live according to that standard defined by law.
- What does the word “law” mean?
“Blessed are they that are perfect in the way, Who walk in the law of Jehovah. 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart. 3 Yea, they do no unrighteousness; They walk in his ways. 4 Thou hast commanded us thy precepts, That we should observe them diligently. 5 Oh that my ways were established To observe thy statutes! 6 Then shall I not be put to shame, When I have respect unto all thy commandments. 7 I will give thanks unto thee with uprightness of heart, When I learn thy righteous judgments. 8 I will observe thy statutes: Oh forsake me not utterly. 9 Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee.”Consider the following verses that are used to refer to “the Law of God.”
- “His testimonies” (verse 2).
- “His ways” (verse 3).
- “His precepts” (verse 4).
- “His statutes” (verses 5, 8).
- “His commandments” (verse 6).
- “His judgments” (verse 7).
- “Thy word” (verses 9, 11).
Therefore, the word “law” is clearly the same as the “Word of God.” It is vital that we be careful when we speak of the “law.”
For the majority of the religious world, there is no distinction between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ. For them, law is law, and commandments are commandments. They refuse to distinguish between the two (the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ). They prefer not to make any distinction between the Ten Commandments of the Law of Moses and obedience to the Gospel of Christ, e.g., the Law of Christ. Notice what James 1:25 says in regard to this,
“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
As a tragic result of their confusion for not understanding well these two concepts (Law of Moses vs. Law of Christ), the primary target of their attacks against “being under the law” is baptism. They willfully ignore those Bible passages that confirm that baptism is essential for salvation (the forgiveness of sins): Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:4, etc. They immediately start attacking and accusing us of being “legalists” who seek to be saved by obeying the Gospel (which they call "works") rather than being saved by grace and faith alone (which they define as doing nothing).
On the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2, all men were bound by the Law of Christ, i.e., the New Testament. Today all people must obey the teachings of the Law of Christ (this new covenant) and submit to God the way He demands we do it. Notice what the apostle Peter said in Acts 2:22,
“Men of Israel, hear these words.” Which words? The words of the Holy Spirit. Also, in Acts 11:14, the angel said to Cornelius that the apostle Peter would “speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house.”
The Word of God clearly and directly teaches that we are under:
- The “Law of Christ,” “the law of faith” (Romans 3:27).
- The “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2);
- "Being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21).
- "The perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25).
Notice that one of the specific commands of that law is baptism. It is given as a condition for the forgiveness of sins. “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” is the Gospel, the law that requires baptism so that we might be saved from sin.
Those who teach error about the word “law” misuse the Truth and do not handle it well (2 Timothy 2:15). They twist the Scriptures to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). Each verse that speaks of “law” must be studied carefully in its context. About which law is the text speaking? What does the word “law” mean in each text?
Since the beginning of mankind, God has always “spoken” to man. Notice what Hebrews 1:1-2 says,
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”
Indeed, God spoke to the patriarchs (Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.), and then later He spoke to the people of Israel (by the Law of Moses) and now He speaks to all by “His son” (by the Gospel of His Son, the New Testament, the Law of Christ).
It is crucial that we understand what Paul is implying in Romans 6:14 when he says, “since you are not under law." The apostle Paul is not saying that we are not under any law whatsoever since he himself affirms that we are under the Law of Christ in 1 Corinthians 9:21, “not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ.”
So the question is: Why is Paul saying that “you are not under law but under grace?
Notice that the article “the” is missing. Even though, it is missing the article “the,” it is still referring to the Law of Moses. The absence of the article “the” calls attention to the quality of the word in context. It does not intend to shift to a discussion of the quality of all other laws in general. So it is not important if the article “the” is missing or not since it is also missing in several verses when it is, of course, talking about the Law of Moses. Take note of those texts: Romans 2:12, 17, 25;3:21. Notice that in Romans 3:19-20 it says “the law” and not “law.”
So, the contrast between the law and grace in Romans 6:14 is exactly the same as that of John 1:17,
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
In Paul’s writings, the verses that speak of “law” are referring to the Law of Moses. The grace of God that Paul is speaking of relates to the Gospel of Christ, His Law (Titus 2:11).
Therefore, those who cite Romans 6:14 to teach that we are not under the Law of Christ are false teachers. They are teaching error!
Undoubtedly, mankind has always had laws from God. If there were no laws from God, then there could be no sin whatsoever (Romans 3:15). And all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). However, regardless of the differences in God’s laws from one age to the other, we can clearly see (if we look at the Bible examples) that God has always required or demanded one thing of man. He requires man to love Him with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-38).
III. OBEDIENCE AND LOVING GOD:
- What does it mean to love God?
- “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
- “And His commandments are not burdensome” (I John 5:3).
Therefore, to love God means to obey Him completely (100%). It sounds simple. Right? The problem is that man has always had trouble with simple things. Take, for instance, what Adam and Eve did back in the Garden of Eden, or what Nadab and Abihu did when they disobeyed what God had commanded them to do. God commanded them to use an explicit fire when burning incense in the tabernacle. They instead chose to use a different one. They disobeyed God by offering unauthorized fire before Him (Leviticus 10:1-3). Let’s not forget Jonah, Ananias and Sapphira, and many others.
"If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed." (1 Cor. 16:22)
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor. 13:1-3).
Indeed, almost everybody recognizes the importance of love, but when one suggests obedience, some will always say, "I don't think it matters how one serves the Lord or what one does in His service. What really matters is if you love Him." But is it possible to love the Lord without obedience to Him and His commands? You see, love is a form of obedience. According to Matthew 22:36-39, the two greatest commands are to love God and love our neighbor. Thus, if one believes that love is vital to salvation, then one must also believe and accept that love is a command that we must obey!
"This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you" (John 15:12; 13:34).
Love is fundamental to salvation. But wait! Love is a command. So, obeying commands, and laws is essential to salvation, for all agree that love is a command necessary to salvation. Thus, whoever claims that obedience to commands is not essential is indeed saying that love is not essential. For love is a command. It is the greatest of all commands! (John 15:13f; 1 John 3:22-24; 4:21; 2 John 5; 1 Tim. 1:5; Jas. 2:8).
Love requires us to obey other commands. In John 14:15, 21-24, Jesus said,
"If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my words: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me."'
One who claims to love Jesus must also keep His commands (v. 21, 23). One who does not love does not keep His commands either (v. 24). Therefore, whoever says that obedience is not essential, is indeed stating that one can please God and be saved without loving Him! For to love God is to keep His commands (1 John 5:2). We must love in deed and truth (1 John 3:18). Our actions show our love. Therefore one who claims to love God must obey His commands. True love demands obedience. So obedience is a requisite of love. Love is vital to salvation. Obedience is essential to salvation, and eternal life. The Bible doctrine of love proves that obedience is required! (Rom. 13:8-10; 1 John 2:5; Rev. 2:4-5; 1 Thess. 1:3; John 15:10; Luke 6:27-36).
Obedience is often viewed negatively. Some believe that obedience is a force applied to bring about the desired result. But the truth is, that the kind of obedience that pleases God originates from a heart of trust, devotion, and love. A heart that is willing, humble, and compliant, is obedient to God carefully and scrupulously. Obedience to God is our expression of love to Him. Obedience to Him shows respect, and reverence for God's love (1 John 5:3). Respect for God demands our obedience (Deut. 11:18-23). Our obedience to God reflects how we honor Him (1 Peter 3:15).
IV. BELIEVING IN JESUS AND OBEDIENCE:
One must have faith to be saved (Heb. 11:6; Mk. 16:16; John 8:24). Some claim that faith makes obedience unnecessary. They say, "We are saved by faith alone. And as long as you believe in Jesus, it does not matter whether or not you do these other things." When one tells them about the need for obedience, they start giving all kinds of excuses as though that is all that is necessary to receive salvation. But is this correct?
In John 3:23-24, God commands us to believe in Jesus and keep His commands to abide in Him. So to accept the importance of faith, one must also accept the importance of obedience. Why? Because faith itself is a command from God that we must obey. In John 6:28-29 the crowd asked Jesus what they must do to do the works of God. Jesus replied saying, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." Thus, faith is essential to salvation. Faith is a command, a work. It is something that is required as obedience to God. Then, obedience is essential to salvation. For this is an act of obedience vital to salvation. Whoever claims that works of obedience are not essential to salvation is willfully implying that faith is not necessary either. If he says that faith is necessary, then he is contradicting himself!
Saving faith demands obedience to God's commands. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). Faith without works is dead as the body without a spirit (regarding the salvation of the soul) (James 2:14-26). To complete one's faith (make it perfect), works are essential. Without obedience, faith is dead and incomplete. The kind of faith that justifies is the one that leads to works of obedience.
God's grace teaches us obedience (obedient living), Titus 2:11-14. Grace impacts our manner of living: soberly, righteously, and godly. Obedience demonstrates our assurance and trust in all the blessings of God's grace. Obedient faith shows our reliance upon God's grace (Rom. 5:1-2; Gal. 5:1, 4-7). Obedience shows responsibility of faith in God. Obedience trusts in God's ways as right and perfect (Heb. 11:8-10). Obedience makes sacrifices that please God (Heb. 11:17-19). Obedience says, "I will suffer the loss of everything to gain Christ." Obedience chooses the reproach of Christ (Heb. 11:23-26). Through obedience, we share in the sufferings of Christ (Phil. 3:10). Obedience defies everything that might hinder God's purposes, receiving glory (Col. 3:4). Christ can only save all those who obey Him completely,
"And having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation." (Heb. 5:9)
In Hebrews 10:39 and 11:8, 30, etc., we read of the kind of faith we must have to save our souls. We read of a great number of examples of men who received God's blessings after they had obeyed God and His commands because of their faith. So, faith that does not obey is faith that does not save (Heb. 11:7, 33, 4, 17, 24f). The Bible doctrine of justification by faith is the same as the doctrine of love. Why? Because instead of proving that obedience is not essential, it proves the opposite. It shows that faith will not save one until it compels us to obey. We cannot ignore that justification by faith includes obedience rather than excluding it. The truth is that we are saved by faith when that faith compels us to obey the terms of salvation. We cannot have a saving faith without obedience!
V. REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION AS ACTS OF OBEDIENCE:
Repentance and confession are essential to salvation. Repentance requires obedience. It is a divine command from God that one must obey to be saved. God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). All humanity must come to repentance, or they will all perish (Lk. 13:3,4; 2 Peter 3:9).
On the day of Pentecost, the crowd that was gathered asked Peter what they should do about their sins. Peter taught them and instructed them to repent to receive remission of sins that their sins may be blotted out (Acts, 2:38-38; 3:19). Godly sorrow produces repentance unto salvation (2 Cor. 7:10). As with love and faith, repentance is also a command that one must obey to obtain salvation. It is an act of obedience that's essential to salvation. To say that obedience is not vital to man's salvation is the same as saying that repentance is not necessary to salvation. Therefore, repentance is a command that must be obeyed just like other commands given by God.
In Matthew 21:28-32 we learn about the parable of the two sons. One of the sons refused to obey what his father had commanded him to do but afterward regretted it (repented) and went. Surely he did the will of his father. In Acts 26:20, those who heard the gospel were commanded to repent, turn to God, and do the works worthy of repentance. Otherwise, those who reject or refuse to do this will be cast into the lake of fire.
Hence, repentance is a choice and a change of mind and heart, in which one resolves to turn away from all sin and starts obeying God steadfastly. Like love and faith, repentance is an act of obedience in and of itself. It also requires that we obey other commands. So whoever denies that obedience is essential to salvation, has indeed not repented of his sins. For if he sincerely had repented, he would acknowledge that obedience is necessary.
V. CONFESSION OF CHRIST DEMANDS OBEDIENCE:
Again confession of Christ is another act of obedience that is necessary to salvation or eternal life. To be saved, one must believe in Jesus Christ in his heart and confess Christ with his mouth (Rom. 10:9-10). Notice that faith is done in one's heart while confession is made with one's mouth as an outward act. Yet, confession is made to salvation.
When Jesus walked here on earth, some who believed in Him were rulers who refused to confess Him. They loved more the praise of men than the praise of God. Again, confession here is separated from faith. Why? Because though they believed in Jesus, they refused to confess Christ as the Son of God. Were they saved? What do you think? (Matt. 10:32; 1:15-18; John 1:49; 4:42; 9:35-38; 11:27; 12:42-43; Acts 8:36-38; 1 Tim. 6:12-13; 1 John 4:15).
So those who deny that obedience is necessary to man's salvation are mostly objecting to baptism. They ignore that the Gospel explicitly commands baptism as essential to salvation just as repentance and confession (Mark 16:15; Acts 2:38; 22;16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27; 1 Pet. 3:21). Confession and Baptism are outward acts of obedience. So repentance and confession are necessary to salvation, and so is baptism.
VI. OBEDIENCE, JUDGMENT DAY, AND ETERNAL LIFE:
"Who will render to every man according to his works: 7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: 8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, 9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good" (Romans 2:6-10).
Indeed, humanity must be concerned about Judgment Day and eternal life. It is important that I stress the connection between these things and obedience. All mankind will be judged according to their deeds, works, and obedience. God will render to each man according to his works (Rom. 2:6). Those who continue patiently in doing good will receive eternal life (v. 7). Those who do not obey the Truth but prefer to obey unrighteousness, working evil, will receive tribulation and anguish (v.8-9). Glory and honor await those who work good (v. 10). All the things we do now (our works) will determine our eternal reward. All things will be manifested before the Judgment seat of Christ so "that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). Those who teach that there is nothing for us to do to receive salvation (because are saved only by the grace of God), are abusing the Word of God and at the same time are jeopardizing the souls of men. Why? Because the Word of God explicitly says that our eternal destiny is determined according to the things we do, our works of obedience. Every man will be judged according to his works (Rev. 20:12-13; 22:12). Is there any Scripture that states that we will be judged based on our faith or love without regard to how we have lived our lives? Is there any Scripture that says that we will give an account only for these? I challenge you to find it for me! Take heed!
Our works include our faith and love. Obedience is the test and measure of our faith and love (John 14:15; Jas. 2:18). Thus, eternal life is for those who obey God one hundred percent and not partially. We all will be raised to life or condemnation according to our works, whether we did good or evil. Only those who do the will of God will abide forever (i.e. will receive eternal life, 1 John 2:17). Those who reject the Gospel of Christ will receive vengeance in flaming fire. They will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of our Lord and Savior. Eternal life is for those who are patient in doing good, in doing righteousness. Therefore, our eternal destiny (the destiny of our souls) depends greatly on whether or not we have obeyed all of God's commands or instructions. It demands complete obedience, and we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12f).
VII. SO, WHY IS IT THAT MAN HAS SUCH A HARD TIME OBEYING GOD?
The reason man has so much trouble obeying what God has commanded him to do is that he likes to do things in his own way rather than God’s way (laws, commands, rules, etc.). Man thinks his own ways are better than God’s ways! You see, this was King Saul’s biggest problem. If you turn the pages of your Bible to I Samuel 15, you will find that God had explicitly commanded King Saul to destroy the Amalekites because of the wickedness they had done to the people of Israel. Saul was to destroy (kill) everything: both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. Destruction was to be complete (1 Sam. 15:3).
But Saul thought he had a better idea. I don’t doubt Saul was sincere in what he thought was best. In I Samuel 15:8-9 we read that,
"He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction."
Indeed, God was not pleased by their actions! Saul deceived himself when he thought he had a good reason for not killing all the animals since he planned on offering them to God as a sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:15). Do you suppose that was not a good reason? It sounds like one to me! But, Saul forgot one thing. God commanded him to destroy all the animals since they were under God’s ban (prohibition). Saul violated what God had commanded him to do. Like Saul, many prefer to ignore the most important thing: to obey what God has commanded them to do. Man cannot please God in his own way. God takes it personally when we violate His will. God was very disappointed in Saul's disobedience. Saul's disobedience was not acceptable to God.
In Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel explains this idea to Saul:
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
So, to obey God (all His system of laws, commands, etc.) is better than sacrifice! Complete (100%) obedience to God is doing everything He has commanded us to do rather than doing things our own way, just because we think it is better. Lest we forget, we can never please God if that involves disobeying Him! No matter how noble our intentions might be. Saul’s problem was to justify himself, not knowing that one can never justify any action that is contrary to the will of God, regardless of how well one may “rationalize” it. It will not work with God. Period!
This problem of trying to rationalize things our way was the same for:
- Nadab and Abihu. It was presumptuous to offer profane fire (their way) rather than the sanctified fire to God (Lev. 10). And though Nadab and Abihu offered worship to God, they were still not acceptable because they did not worship God the way He had commanded. God expected the priests to obey the Law completely, exactly. God's silence does not authorize a practice or activity. to God (Lev. 10). God expected the priests to obey the Law completely, exactly. God's silence does not authorize a practice or activity.
- Moses also had this same problem when he struck the rock with his staff twice (in a fit of anger). God had commanded him to just speak to the rock (Num. 20). Because of this, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. He disobeyed God’s command and paid for it.
- Adam and Eve violated God's law when they disobeyed Him back in the Garden of Eden.
- Lot’s wife. The angel of God told her not to turn and look back at the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but instead, she disobeyed and looked back (Gen. 19).
- David did not take the time to research the proper manner of transporting the ark of the covenant. Placing the ark on a cart was a violation of the Law. The Law (the Old Testament) required that the ark be carried by the sons of Kohath (Exodus 25:14-15; Numbers 3:30-31; 4:5-8; 7:9). David's actions were like those of the ignorant Philistines (1Sam. 6:7, 10). Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the Ark but was struck dead by God because of his irreverence. He violated God's will, God's command.
- The Pharisees, whom Jesus condemned because of their hypocrisy. They failed to do both the weightier things and those that were not so weighty. They did not keep all the Law. God demanded obedience to all His precepts.
God's laws cannot be violated, no matter how unreasonable they might seem to us. God has not changed His commands or precepts and still demands that we obey Him, without adding to or subtracting from His Law, His Word. God must be obeyed! One cannot obey just a portion of what He has commanded and still please God and receive eternal life.
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all" (James 2:10).
Today, we have many who willfully ignore and disobey, violating the requirements (the obedience to the Gospel of Christ) to be saved. Most people understand that salvation is by grace, i.e., that man cannot save himself (have his sins forgiven) but through the blood of our Lord and Savior. However, the same people who acknowledge that salvation is by grace also must admit that salvation is not universal. Jesus said,
“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14).
"And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18)
Also,
“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Heb. 5:9).
God has been very specific about the requirements that man must obey to be saved. This is what it means:
- “To obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (Romans 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).
- It is also “obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
- And “obedience to the Truth” (1 Peter 1:22).
- The Bible (the Book of Acts) is full of examples of those who obeyed the Gospel of Christ, (Acts 2:37-41; 8:12; 8:35-39; 9:18; 11:14; 10:48; 16:30-34; 18:8; 19:5 and 22:16).
Many stubbornly insist on teaching error, saying that salvation is by “faith alone.” They ignore what the jailer asked Paul and Silas:
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house”' (Acts 16:32).
Take note that the “word” they spoke to him and his family was the Gospel of Christ which included baptism. After they had heard the Gospel, they wanted to obey it and were baptized at once (Acts 16:33). Therefore, there is only: one baptism and one plan of salvation, and man must obey the Gospel to be saved, be forgiven, be justified, and have the hope of eternal life (salvation).
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven… Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
Jesus says it is foolish not to obey His words, His Law, His Gospel. The apostles also insisted that we must obey the Gospel (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thess. 1:7-8).
The truth of the matter is that many want to obey God partially, not completely (100%). Therefore, they disobey completely. Perhaps they are confused and do not understand certain things (such as salvation, worship, etc.) or see the need for obeying. Thus, they obey God’s Law (Word) partly to whatever suits them better. They prefer to trust their own judgments, ways, and concepts rather than the Word of God. May this never be our case!
To obey God completely is essential because it is what frees us from the bondage of sin that we may be servants of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). That is exactly what James is saying when he speaks of “the perfect law, the law of liberty.” It seems that for some, “law” and “liberty” are different concepts because they ignore that the Holy Spirit unites both in the same phrase.
The truth is that there can be “liberty” only where there is “law” since law means to restrict. Restrict what? Sin. When sin is not restricted, hopelessness and total slavery abide. Take, for instance, one who is a drug addict. He rejects all law, living in despair without any restriction whatsoever. Likewise, those called “pastors” and evangelists that are bound to their creeds are only striving to eliminate law and obedience to baptism from God’s plan of salvation, thus becoming victims of their own error. Their interpretation of Acts 2:38 puts them in the same category as the Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormons, as well as others who twist the Scriptures to their liking (2 Peter 3:16). They dare to deny the need of baptism for the forgiveness of sins. If baptism is not essential for the forgiveness of sins, neither is repentance or confession. It is tragic that Satan has deceived so many religious teachers and has taken many captive souls!!
These false teachers can denounce “law” and “obedience” until they get tired but can never change the divine plan of salvation. Today according to the Scriptures (Christ’s Law), for one to be saved, one must:
- Hear first the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 10:17).
- Believe it (John 8:24).
- Be willing to repent of his sinful ways (Luke 13:3).
- Confess his faith in the Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
- One must be willing to submit to immersion (baptism) for the forgiveness of his sins (Acts 2:38).
- And finally, one must remain faithful unto death (Matt. 7:13-14; Matt. 25:31-43; Romans 2:7, 10; 2 Timothy 4:7; 2 Peter 1:10; Rev. 22:12; James 1:27; Rev. 3-11-12; 2 Tim. 2:5; I Cor. 9:24-25; Rev. 19:8; Rev. 2:10; 1 John 1:7-10).
To some, these steps are reasonable except for the last two (5,6). They appear to understand the need to believe in God, to turn away from their sins, and confess one’s faith as a rational process of salvation. However, when they get to the last two steps of the process of salvation (baptism and faithful living), they refuse to view these things as essential for salvation. They see it as not reasonable since they cannot comprehend how such obedience could be demanded for salvation.
Therefore, those who claim that God’s “plan of salvation” is “legalism” must acknowledge that they are actually accusing Jesus Christ of being “Legalist.” And even though salvation is a gift of God, such a gift has its own conditions appointed by the Savior Himself. Faith itself is a condition or requirement!
True and faithful obedience is doing what God says or commands us to do, and we must acknowledge it! We must obey God precisely in the way He commands and precisely for the purpose He specifies. Obedience to God is not just something that we do for the pleasure of doing it when we agree with God that we need to do it or see the need for it. As a matter of fact, God requires us to do certain things whose logic often escapes us. Even so, God is testing our hearts to see if we will submit to His commands or laws. An obvious example of this is seen in the New Testament plan of salvation. I honestly don’t understand why God specifically chose immersion in water to be the culminating act of one’s forgiveness of sins. I know from Romans 6 that there is a powerful symbolism to baptism, yet why baptism? Why not something else? Yet, the only thing I acknowledge is that God has commanded baptism for the forgiveness of sins. It is as if God was asking: Will you obey me completely (100%) even though you don’t see the need or purpose of being baptized for the forgiveness of sins?
CONCLUSION:
God has always demanded complete (100% ) obedience, and He still requires it today. Obedience to Him does not negate His grace and mercy. And though we can come to Him when we fail to live up to His expectations and stumble or fall (praying and confessing our sins to Him, 1 John 1:9), His grace will not indulge us or give us license to continue in sin, doing as we please. It is a sin to neglect to submit to Him and to all that He has commanded us to do (Rom. 6:1-4). We must seek to do His will in all things. We must submit to His Son's Lordship! "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:22-23).
Our obedience to God and doing His will are vital to eternal life. Jesus spoke and did the will of the Father (John 7:16-17; 8:28; 12:49-50; 14:24; 14:31). To enter heaven, one must do the will of God and do all that He has commanded us to do.
All true Christians must obey Jesus because He is Lord, King, and Master. He has taught us all that pertains to entering the kingdom of heaven and being saved. Our salvation, eternal life is connected to our obedience to Him and His commands. There is no other way to heaven!
Our obedience to God reflects our wisdom, our love for God, and our abiding in Him (Psalm 111:10; Matt. 7:24-25; John 14:15; 23; 1 John 2:3-5; 1 John 3:24). In the Old Testament, many of God's blessings toward His people depended upon their obedience to Him (Ex. 20:6; Psalm 25:10; 103:17-18; Ex. 15:26; 23:22; 1 Kings 2:3; 3:14; Prov. 19:16; Deut. 7:12-15). Today is no different. Many of our blessings depend on our obedience to God (Matt. 12:50; John 15:14; 1 John 3:22; Rom. 6:17-18; Heb. 3:6; Col. 1:21-23; John 8:51; Matt. 7:21; Lk. 11:28; John 13:17).
Moses said in his farewell address to Israel in Deuteronomy 4, to hear the voice of God means to obey Him and live. It naturally follows that we must not add or take from the words that we hear. God commands, and man must obey, even if he does not understand why! We must completely accept the reasoning behind God’s commands. This will eventually make it easier to follow Him whether or not we understand the reasoning behind it.
Even though we have been made in God’s image, this does not mean that we are His equals! May we never forget this truth!
Hebrews 11 is a chapter that is dear to my heart since it speaks of those “heroes of faith” who were justified by faith and whose faith was demonstrated in their acts of obedience to God. We have the example of Noah, who obeyed completely according to what God commanded him to do (Genesis 6:22). Noah followed entirely (100%) and not just partially in the construction of the ark. Abel, by faith, offered God a more acceptable sacrifice in complete obedience. Abraham, by faith, obeyed entirely to go to a certain place God had commanded him to go to receive an inheritance. And when tested, Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God without questioning Him. The list of these beloved heroes is long! They all walked by faith (obedience) and did not try to rationalize or justify doing something different than what God had commanded of them. They did not question God. They simply obeyed 100%. They demonstrated their faith through their actions!
Partial obedience to God is not enough! God demands 100% obedience, and complete submission to His will. When one obeys partially, he is disobedient to God. Therefore we must unite our voices with the people of Israel and say, "All that Jehovah hath spoken will we do, and be obedient" (Exodus 24:7). The consequences of disobeying God and the Gospel of His Son, Jesus are terrible (Matt. 5:19-20).
The Law of Christ consists of rules, requirements, and commandments. It demands 100 % obedience. In Matthew 7:21, 24, 26, Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven… Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
Jesus says it is foolish not to obey His words, His Law. The apostles also insisted that we must obey the Gospel (Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thess. 1:7-8). Therefore, obedience (100%) is essential to salvation, and one must be a doer of the Word; one must keep His commands, His Word. We cannot claim to know Him and still not do His will. He will not abide in us, and we in Him. We must practice righteousness to receive eternal life. Those who practice sin are of the devil. Those who do not practice righteousness are not of God (1 John 3:24). Obedience to God demands love, faith, repentance, confession, baptism, and faithful living (1 Cor. 15:58).
Those who willfully despise and reject any of God’s laws or commandments must carefully read and meditate on what Deuteronomy 28:1-68 declared. Moses explicitly stated the blessings of obeying God’s commandments (verses 1-14) and the curses and punishments for disobeying God (verses 15-68).
Today we have the Law of Christ (the New Testament), which demands the same obedience to God altogether. Disobedience to God was not, nor ever has been, tolerated under any of the two systems. Under both systems, obedience has always received the blessings of God.
Sadly, many choose to obey only a portion of the Bible they believe fits them well. I will then leave you with these questions:
Have you obeyed the Lord?
Are you willing to obey Him and everything that He has commanded us to do?
Do you suppose that we can make it to heaven without knowing and obeying our God? We cannot know God if we do not walk in the same way in which Jesus walked, completely obedient to His Father's will.
Do you honestly believe God’s Word?
Do you obey God 100% or only when you agree with the logic behind God’s laws or instructions?
"But whoever keeps His word, in Him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked" (1 John 2:5-6).
May we always do our very best and be like Noah and all those heroes of faith and not like Saul and all those who chose to disobey God following their own ways and reasoning. May we walk in total obedience (faith) according to all that God has commanded us to do. May our faith (obedience) be demonstrated by the way we walk, that is, by our actions. May we obey God 100% even when we disagree and cannot understand the rationale behind His instructions or commands. May we be willing to hear His Word and become doers of the same, that we may enter the kingdom of heaven and receive our eternal reward.
Luci
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