Works-salvationists ignore
"servants of obedience unto righteousness" (Romans 6:16) and simply stress "obedience that leads to righteousness" as if works of obedience that follow saving faith in Christ are unto righteousness, as if we are saved by works. Unbelievers are not slaves of obedience unto righteousness no matter how much so called obedience that they attempt to conjure up through the flesh in a vain effort to obtain salvation by works.
There is a contrast here between servants/slaves. There are only two kinds of servants/slaves in this world, in the spiritual sense; servants/slaves of sin unto death, or servants/slaves of obedience unto righteousness.
When we place our faith exclusively in Christ for salvation/believe the gospel by trusting in His finished work of redemption as the all sufficient means of our salvation, we then become "servants of obedience unto righteousness."
Being slaves of sin is put in the past tense. Paul goes on in Romans 6:18 -
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
Notice in Romans 10:10 - For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness..
Notice in Romans 4:5 - But to him who does not work but
believes on Him who justifies the ungodly,
his faith (not works)
is accounted for righteousness. *God imputes righteousness apart from works. (verse 6)
In Romans 10:16, we read: But they have not all
obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has
believed our report?" We can clearly see that we
obey the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel. (Romans 1:16) We don't merit eternal life based on the merits of living a holy life. That is salvation by works. (Romans 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9)
Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption alone and not based on the merits of our works. (Romans 3:24-28) *When are you going to wake up and smell the coffee?
There are 3 tenses to salvation, which often get mixed up by works-salvationists. 1. We have been saved from the PENALTY of sin. (justification) 2. We are being saved from the POWER of sin -- "there is your process." (ongoing sanctification) 3. We will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin. (glorification)
Also, Unlike the english word "hope," the N.T. word contains no uncertainty; it speaks of something that is certain. - Strong's #1680 elpís (from elpō, "to anticipate, welcome") –
properly, expectation of what is sure (certain); hope. If we have saving faith then we have this hope.
Faith is the substance of things
HOPED for.. (Hebrews 11:1). So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the
HOPE of eternal life (Titus 3:7).
Here is how we get into His BODY: Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the
gospel of your salvation—having also
believed, you were
sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.
1 John 2:6 - the one who
says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. Walking in in obedience to his commands is the demonstrative evidence that we walk in love. Obedience is not forced or legalistic for those who are born of God. 1 John 4:7 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. We are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Works-salvationists place the cart before the horse.
So in Hebrews 5:9, who obeys Him? The saved or the lost? I've heard many works salvationists use Hebrews 5:9 to try and support salvation by works, including Roman Catholics and Mormons.
*Only believers have obeyed Him by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 1:16)
in order to become saved, and
only believers obey Him after they have been saved through faith by keeping (guarding, observing, watching over)
His commandments and practicing righteousness and not sin (1 John 2:3; 3:9,10).
*In either sense, believers obey Him.*
Unbelievers have not obeyed Him by refusing to believe the gospel (Romans 10:16) and without faith its impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), so unbelievers do not obey Him no matter how much "so called" obedience that they attempt to conjure up through the flesh in a vain effort to obtain salvation by works/based on the merits of their performance.
*So in either sense, unbelievers do not obey Him.*
Perverting the gospel by teaching salvation by works is not walking in obedience to His commands or walking in Love or walking as Jesus did. Stop confusing descriptive passages of scripture with prescriptive passages of scripture. Unbelievers are not in Christ, have not received the Holy Spirit and will not be saved (John 3:18; Acts 11:17; 15:8,9; Romans 8:9 etc..).