1 John 2:3-6 ESV
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 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.”
Many people today who profess faith in Jesus Christ,
including many pastors, are teaching that God does not require obedience
anymore of his people. So, if we are teaching
that we must repent of our sin and obey the Lord and his commands, then they
consider that to be teaching “works-based salvation.” But how do they get
around all the Scriptures in the New Testament that teach that we must obey the
Lord and his commandments?
Jesus and his NT apostles all taught that we must obey the
Lord and his word. For, Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must
deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him.
And he said that if anyone keeps (obeys) his word that he will never see death.
And he said that if we love him, that we will keep (obey) his commandments, and
we will abide in his love (Lu 9:23-26; Jn 8:51; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:10).
As well, Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord,
Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does (is doing, obeys)
the will of the Father who is in heaven. For on the day of judgment many will
say to the Lord, “Lord, Lord,” and then they will list off the things they did
in his name. And then Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from
me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:21-23).
John taught obedience, as well. He said that the way in
which we know that we have come to know the Lord is if we keep (obey) his
commandments. And, if we say that we know the Lord, but we do not keep (obey)
his commands, then we are liars, and the truth is not in us. And he said that
whoever keeps (obeys) the Lord’s commands abides in God, and God in him. And
then he said that the way we know that we love the children of God is if we
love God and we obey and we walk according to his commandments.
[1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:24; 1 Jn 5:2-3; 2 Jn 1:6; cf. 1 Jn
2:15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
We read in Hebrews 5:9 that Jesus became the source of
eternal salvation for all who obey him. And we read in 1 Peter 1:2 that we who
are in Christ are the elect of God for obedience to Jesus Christ. And we read
in James 1:22 that we are to be doers of (obeying) the word and not hearers only,
deceiving ourselves. And in 1 Corinthians 10 and in Hebrews 3 & 4 we learn
that God still regards faith as obedience and disobedience as unbelief.
Then, in the book of Romans we read that we are slaves of
the one we obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads
to righteousness and sanctification, which then results in eternal life with
God. And we read that God will render to each one of us according to our works,
and for those who are self-seeking and who do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury (Rom 6:16; Rom 2:6-8).
And we read that Jesus died that we might die with him to
sin and live to his righteousness, and that we might no longer live for
ourselves but for Jesus who gave his life up for us, and that his blood was
shed for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so we would now honor God
with our bodies. And we read that the righteous requirement of the law is
fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit
(1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15,21; 1 Co 6:19-20; Rom 8:4; cf. Eph 2:10; Tit 2:11-14;
Php 2:12-13).
Then we read in Galatians 5:16-24 that we are to walk by the
Spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh. And then it lists a
whole bunch of works of the flesh, such as sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality, idolatry, strife, fits of anger, drunkenness, orgies and things
like these. And then it states clearly that those who practice such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God. And then it describes for us the attributes of
the fruit of the Spirit that should be in our lives if we are truly of the
Spirit of God.
All of this is about obedience and disobedience. If we obey
the Lord, in practice, then we have eternal life with God. But if we disobey
him in practice, then we will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Scriptures
do not teach “Once saved always saved,” and that we can continue living in
deliberate and habitual sin and still go to heaven when we die. The Scriptures
teach progressive salvation which will not be complete until Jesus returns, but
which is conditional based on our walks of obedience to our Lord and providing
that we continue in that faith steadfast until the very end.
[Rom 8:24; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1
Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Jn 8:31-32; Jn 15:1-12; Rom 11:17-24; 1
Co 15:2; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 3:6,14-15; 2 Pet 1:5-11; 2 Pet
2:20-22; 1 Jn 2:24-25]
So, we need to take this to heart. Many of you are counting
on heaven as your eternal destiny who may hear the Lord say, “I never knew you.”
Don’t be one of those. Walk in obedience to the Lord and you’ll have life
eternal.
Do
Not Fear
An
Original Work / June 2, 2013
Based
off John 14
Do not let your hearts fear.
Trust in God. Trust in Christ.
“In My house you will find
Many rooms I have
Prepared for you,
And I will come back
And take you to heav’n.”
“I will take you to be with Me;
You’ll be where I am.”
“I am the way and
The truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father,
Except he comes through Me,
So put your faith in Me,
And do all of what I command.”
“Whoever has My commands
And obeys them loves Me.”
“I did not leave you as orphans.
I sent you the Counselor;
The Holy Spirit to live in you.
He teaches you all things,
And He reminds you of Me.”
“My peace I give to you,
So do not fear, trust in Me.”
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