BELIEF - FAITH - LAW - OBEDIENCE - JUSTIFICATION - GRACE - REPENTANCE
It all fits together! We cannot discuss one without discussing the others and expect to understand.
Isaiah 28:10 For
precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept, Line
upon line, line
upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
Many people sincerely believe that all one has to do is “believe on Jesus” to be saved. Jesus says this to those who believe but do not do the things He says:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven...’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)?
“But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).
Belief and Obedience AND Faith are Connected
Many today seek to disconnect belief from obedience, and faith from works BUT the scriptures show the WHOLE picture of HOW they connect.
The law does not justify us. It teaches us the reason we need justification. It teaches us what sin is (1 John 3:4). Once we have sinned by breaking that law, it is through faith in the sacrifice of Christ that justification—forgiveness of past sins—takes place. The law defines sin. Faith in Christ’s sacrifice brings about justification.
This is summarized in
Galatians 2:15–18: “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and
not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Paul also said, “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the
doers of the law will be justified” (by Christ) (Romans 2:13). We are justified to God
by Christ having paid the penalty for our past sins, but the Bible teaches that we should become diligent in keeping the commandments and (strive to) sin no more.
(James 2:19) James says “You believe that there is one God. You do well.
Even the demons believe—and tremble!” . “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that
faith without works is dead?” (v. 20). Then, using the example of Abraham offering up his son Isaac, he says: “Do you see that
faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (v. 22).
And to whom did He swear that they
would not enter His rest,
but to those who did not obey?” (Hebrews 3:14–18). Then Paul sums up this passage by saying:
“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (v. 19). He connects Belief with Obedience
Hebrews 11 is known as the “faith chapter” because it records example after example of men and women who exercised faith in the face of trials and stress. “But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him” (v. 6).
Some conclude that the Apostle Paul taught against commandment keeping, but as Peter said,
many have misunderstood some things Paul wrote: "as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are
some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" (
2 Peter 3:16).
Paul never contradicted Jesus by teaching commandment breaking.
Paul never contradicted Jesus by teaching commandment breaking.
Paul, in a letter to uncircumcised Gentile Christians said
, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcised is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters" (
1 Corinthians 7:19). Even the Apostle to the Gentiles taught commandment keeping!
If we truly love God, we will begin keeping His commandments,
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (
1 John 5:3).
God's Grace
Grace is a “gift from God.” But, is this grace a
permanent state, such that “once saved, always saved”?
An often-misunderstood verse in Scripture.
Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (KJV). The phrase “are ye saved” uses a
present-progressive verb. A “present-progressive” verb describes an ongoing action. Any good Bible concordance will verify that the
KJV correctly renders the tense of the original Greek verb. The most precise translation of
Ephesians 2:8,we
“are being” saved through faith.
To sum up, Christians
have been saved from our past sins by the blood of Christ (justification); we are now “being saved” through faith (
Matthew 24:13), and we “shall be saved by His life” (
Romans 5:10).
Repentance
Many preach and teach - "Just believe, and you will be saved!" BUT God tells us to repent of sin and be baptized - is THAT "salvation by works"?
What is repentance? The Greek word translated
"repent" is metanoeo, which means to "think differently." One must repent of—think differently about—one's sin.
But what is sin? "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (
1 John 3:4). The
King James Version puts it plainly—
"sin is the transgression of the law."
When we repent of sin, we are deeply sorry for having transgressed God's law. We no longer have a hostile attitude toward God and His law of liberty. We no longer have a carnal attitude that is enmity against the law of God (
Romans 8:7). After repentance, we want to be in harmony with God's law of love—the Ten Commandments. Repentance brings a deep change in our thinking, and a commitment to live by every word of God. As Jesus said:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (
Luke 4:4).
On the day of Pentecost in 31ad, in the first inspired sermon of the New Testament Church,
the Apostle Peter spoke in Jerusalem to several thousand people, after which they became convicted for their part in killing the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Thousands asked Peter and the other Apostles:
"Men and brethren, what shall we do?"(
Acts 2:37).
Here was Peter's opportunity to tell them that they did not need to do anything more than "believe." Did he tell them so? No! What did he actually say? "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:38). Peter proclaimed wonderful news—that they could be forgiven of their sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this to occur, he insisted on two points—that they repent (of breaking God's Spiritual Law - The 10 Commandments), and that they be baptized.
A Defense Of God's Spiritual Law
"Christians Are Required to Keep God's Law!"
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/85fa28aa-ec90-48bc-a7af-7d84aafb3da7
Videos
"Did Paul Do Away With the Law?"
Will You Follow Christ or Paul?
Who Says?
The effects of God's Law "done away with" in society.
BILLIONS WEREN’T EXPECTING THIS AFTER DEATH
What happens to faithful, repentant Christians? What happens to those who lived bad lives during this life? What happens to those who Don't keep God's law?