Word (Mt. 22:29). There are those who refuse to do God’s revealed Will (Jn. 7:17). Some mistakenly try to understand what is not written and revealed in God’s Word (Deut. 29:29). Some do not understand God’s Word because they allow the conflicting doctrines of men to confuse them (2 Pet. 3:16).
The Answer Requires Obedience
Some teach salvation requires neither God’s Law or obedience. Many teach we do not have to obey to be saved and we certainly do not have to obey law to be saved. While we are not under the law of Moses today, we are under the law of Christ. But Christ’s answer to the lawyer refutes this error. Christ’s answer is from God’s law. Christ’s answer teaches God’s law must be obeyed for eternal life to be received. Obedience to God’s law through Christ is essential to salvation. We cannot have salvation without obedience. Christ “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9). We cannot enter into heaven without obedience, doing the will of God. Christ said, “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. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” (Mt. 7:21-27).
The Answer Can Be Obeyed
There are many who believe that we must obey God’s Word but we are not able to obey God’s Word. For the denominationalist this goes back to the belief that men, due to their sinful nature, are unable to do good or obey God’s Word. But Jesus’ answer clearly teaches us we can obey God’s command to be saved (Lk. 10:28). Jesus told the one who asked to do what God commanded. If he did what commanded, he would live. If he could not obey or do God’s command there would be no eternal life. Jesus did not believe or teach that men are unable to obey God’s commands, instead he simply taught, in the words of the Nike commercial, “Just do it.” Jesus said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk. 11:28).
The Answer
“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” is the question each of us must ask recognizing that we must do something to be saved and receive eternal life. The answer is found in God’s Word; the answer
is understandable, requires obedience to God’s Law and I can obey it. I must hear the Word of God. For “the gospel of Christ…is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” and “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 1:16; 10:17). “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Paul and Silas spoke the Word of the Lord to the Philippian jailer so the he might believe on the Lord (Acts 16:32). I must believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16). For “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6). The Philippian jailer was told to “believe on the Lord
The Answer Requires Obedience
Some teach salvation requires neither God’s Law or obedience. Many teach we do not have to obey to be saved and we certainly do not have to obey law to be saved. While we are not under the law of Moses today, we are under the law of Christ. But Christ’s answer to the lawyer refutes this error. Christ’s answer is from God’s law. Christ’s answer teaches God’s law must be obeyed for eternal life to be received. Obedience to God’s law through Christ is essential to salvation. We cannot have salvation without obedience. Christ “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:9). We cannot enter into heaven without obedience, doing the will of God. Christ said, “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. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” (Mt. 7:21-27).
The Answer Can Be Obeyed
There are many who believe that we must obey God’s Word but we are not able to obey God’s Word. For the denominationalist this goes back to the belief that men, due to their sinful nature, are unable to do good or obey God’s Word. But Jesus’ answer clearly teaches us we can obey God’s command to be saved (Lk. 10:28). Jesus told the one who asked to do what God commanded. If he did what commanded, he would live. If he could not obey or do God’s command there would be no eternal life. Jesus did not believe or teach that men are unable to obey God’s commands, instead he simply taught, in the words of the Nike commercial, “Just do it.” Jesus said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk. 11:28).
The Answer
“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” is the question each of us must ask recognizing that we must do something to be saved and receive eternal life. The answer is found in God’s Word; the answer
is understandable, requires obedience to God’s Law and I can obey it. I must hear the Word of God. For “the gospel of Christ…is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” and “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 1:16; 10:17). “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Paul and Silas spoke the Word of the Lord to the Philippian jailer so the he might believe on the Lord (Acts 16:32). I must believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16). For “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:6). The Philippian jailer was told to “believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31). Some want to stop at belief, but God’s Word does not stop here and neither did Paul and Silas stop with belief only with the Philippian jailer. I must repent of my sins. This means I turn away from sin and turn to God (Acts 14:15). Peter preached, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19). The Philippian jailer gave evidence of his repentance by taking Paul and Silas “the same hour of the night and washed their stripes” (Acts 16:32). I must confess Jesus Christ before men. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). The Ethiopian eunuch confessed Jesus as the Christ (Acts 8:37). I must be baptized for the remission of my sins. Those who asked on Pentecost, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?“ were told by the apostle Peter, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:37-38). It was “the same hour of the night…(the jailer) and all his family were baptized. …and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household” (Acts 16:33-34). The Philippian jailer’s belief and salvation were not complete and his rejoicing begun until he had been baptized in obedience to the Lord for the remission of his sins. In the words of Jesus, “Do this and you shall live.” Won’t you do what God commands you to do and be saved
today?.
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