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Real Faith Means We �DO� Things
Posted : 4 Aug, 2011 08:36 PM
Believing in Jesus is something we must DO to be saved. But Jesus told us many other things we must DO and tells us that we will be judged by the things we DID or DID NOT Do. We are saved by Faith, that is for sure, however, once we enter the race for eternal life, we must endure to the end to stay saved. Salvation is not a one time event. Let�s look at what the Lord told us about things we DO or DON�T DO and their consequences.
Matthew 7:24-28 �Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26�But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.�
I continue to be saddened by the extent of Apostasy that has gripped Christianity. Through the traditions of men, handed down over the centuries and taught in seminary schools and preached from the vast majority of pulpits; �many� Christians falsely believe we do not have to DO ANYTHING beyond a simple belief to reap eternal life. Jesus never said this at all, and if one looks at the whole of the New Testament, Old Testament, the recorded words of Jesus in the Gospels and even the constantly twisted Epistles to the early church; it is quite apparent. Note that in the above passage, Jesus does not leave any wiggle room for other doctrines. He says EVERYONE who doesn�t heed His words is going to be destroyed. Entire doctrines have been built upon 1 or two verses in the Bible yet these doctrines ignore scores of passages to the contrary that if properly divided would put the false doctrine into proper context. The purpose of this post, is to document the actions Jesus Himself told us we need to be DOING if we plan on spending eternity with our God. Any passage that calls for an action on our part is a command. Jesus our judge is coming soon. Are you ready? Have you been living (practicing) a lie as Jesus warns us below?
Rev 22:12 �Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have DONE. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who DO His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. This says it clearly, if we do not DO (obey) His commandments, we will not be entering the narrow gate. There is no carve out for people that believe in Jesus but practice sin or otherwise do not obey. Everyone is everyone, God said what He meant and meant what He said. It is the precepts of man that has perverted the word of God.
I want make it very clear that FAITH is the foundation upon which a relationship with God is founded and is absolutely necessary. We cannot earn our way into Heaven period and we are told without any confusion that without faith, nobody can please God. This is what Paul speaks of in his often twisted passages in Romans and other Epistles. Peter warned that Paul�s teachings would be twisted by false teachers, Peter called it the error of the wicked. We are indeed justified by Faith as the grace of God who has called us, leads to a transformation that enables us to DO the works Jesus commanded us to DO. Call me a legalist if you want, but this is what the gospel says and I would rather go in front of my God knowing that I have aimed for perfection and strived to be Holy and that when I did sin, I hated it and did not take pleasure in it and came to his throne of mercy for forgiveness.
We are indeed not saved by works, we are saved by faith which sets us on the path of following Jesus. But then we must indeed follow Him and how we do that is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father on you: but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high. The famous passage in Ephesians (2:8-9) has been totally twisted by the Apostate church to negate the very truth spoken by Jesus. A true faith will be evidenced by the actions spelled out in Scriptures which I have outlined below. Our power to DO these things comes from God and His grace. We could never DO these things solely on our own power or initiative. Without the leadings of the Holy Spirit and the abundant Grace God gives us we could never stay on the narrow and difficult road to heaven. As Peter told is in Acts 2:38 (shown below); this enduing with power was not just for the 12 Disciplies it was for all men who seek God, repent and are baptized.
We are indeed judged by what we DO or don�t DO but God is faithful, He has given us the Helper. Heed the following words of the Lord.
John 5:26-29 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. �Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out�those who have DONE what is good will rise to live, and those who have DONE what is evil will rise to be condemned. Are you ready? Are you DOING good things? Time is indeed short to heed Jesus� words. But God is faithful, if you repent and trust in Him, you will be cleansed from all past evil and be equipped to go forward DOING good.
Jesus is the Judge: We will be judged by the words He has spoken. If we want eternal life, we must accept the words of Jesus. This means to DO the things Jesus commanded. He told us to DO many things: believe, obey, deny ourselves, forgive, lose our life, love one another, fear God, endure, hear, teach, make disciples, carry a cross, follow Him, repent, be baptized, purify ourselves, pray, seek Him etc. etc. These action verbs are His commandments.
John 12:47-49 �As for those who hear my words but do not keep them, I do not judge them. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for those who reject me and do not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. God is a living God, He is not dead with His words recorded in a book. He speaks to us today, every day if we are His and listen to the Spirit of Truth. The words Jesus has spoken include not only what is recorded in the Gospels but also and as importantly, the words given to us by His Spirit. Not doing what Jesus commanded is rejecting Him and the Father, we must accept His words, otherwise we will be condemned on the last day.
What Did Jesus Command? The actions He commanded are underlined in the passages that follow. These are things we MUST DO.
Matthew 28:18 �All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.� I wanted to start with the commandments Jesus gave us in what is called �the great commission�. True Christians will be doing these things; making disciples (bringing people to Christ), baptizing them (you don�t need a pastor) and teaching them the truth. The truth is that we must obey all the things Jesus commanded of the disciples as recorded in the gospels.
One might ask who is a true disciple? Jesus told us in John 8:31 If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. Abiding was the same word used in the parable of the vineyard and Jesus made it clear what happens to those who do not abide in Him.
John 15:5-6 �I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. This verse shows why it is so important to teach truth and not make false disciples that are deluded into thinking they are saved but they are not. A true disciple abides (obeys, follows, �..all His commandments) in Christ and bears fruit; a phony one is cast out and burned. Woe to the false teachers that teach this Easy Believism, OSAS and Eternal Security.
Luke 9:23 �If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. This passage contains three commands of the Lord. We must deny ourselves. This means to put Him first and seek to do His will, not our will. Few Christians deny themselves. Secondly we are told to pick up our cross every day. A cross is heavy, it is a burden to carry, we suffer by doing so. We must indeed suffer in the flesh and sacrifice our will and our wants to His will and His wants. Lastly, He simply says we are to follow Him. Following Christ is not a one time event. It is a walk of Holiness throughout our entire time in this body. We follow Him by knowing, listening and following His voice that He speaks thru the Holy Spirit. Those who are led by the Spirit of God, those are the sons of God said Paul in Romans 8:13. Why don�t pastors and new churches build doctrine around this profound statement by God? Because people love their sin and heap upon themselves preachers who tell them what their itching ears want to hear.
John 13:34 �A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Many Christians do most of the other commandments but forget this very big one and become evil judges. Just because we believe in Jesus does not mean we love one another so more actions are required unless we take the word �believe� to encapsulate ALL the words spoken by Jesus.
Matthew 6:14-15 �For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. You can believe in Jesus all day long but if you do not forgive others you will not be forgiven and will not be pure and spotless when He returns. It is even worse than that if you read the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor in Matthew 18.
Matthew 19:16-22 Now behold, one came and said to Him, �Good Teacher, what good thing shall I DO that I may have eternal life?� 17 So He said to him, �Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.� 18 He said to Him, �Which ones?� Jesus said, � �You shall not murder,� �You shall not commit adultery,� �You shall not steal,� �You shall not bear false witness,� 19 �Honor your father and your mother,� and, �You shall love your neighbor as yourself.�� 20 The young man said to Him, �All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?� 21 Jesus said to him, �If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.� 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. In answering this man�s question, Jesus could have said, you don�t have to do anything except believe I am the Son of God. But He did not because that never was the gospel. Yes, we must actually DO THINGS.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Repentance is the act of turning away from sin and towards God. We can come to God with our sins but unless we repent we will perish. The act of repentance has a special place in my mind as it relates to the rampant Apostasy in our church. It is not taught in error, it simply is not taught at all. I wrote a post on this, that has had some lively comments and discussion. If you have time check it out by clicking here.
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. As mentioned previously, God is a living God. He speaks to us today thru His Spirit. We must HEAR (not just read) His voice. The only way we hear His voice is to be Born Again. I have been working on a whole post just about what being Born Again entails, but it is simply what Peter told the crowd after the events of Pentecost.
Acts 2:38 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. If we do not have His Spirit we are not His said Paul. We must be led by the Holy Spirit. This one simple sentence is the key to DOING ALL that Jesus has commanded. If we follow our flesh or men or worse demon spirits we will not DO what we need to do. God is a living God, His word is not contained fully in any book, even the Bible. We must heed the Spirit of God and follow Christ. One role of the Spirit is to remind us of all Jesus has commanded.
Mark 13:13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who endures to the end will be saved. Jesus said this about 10 times, especially in Revelation, but we must indeed endure to the end. Salvation is not a one time event, we are not saved by saying a prayer or just because we believed for a little while.
Matthew 16:25 Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Jesus makes it clear we need to lay down our life to Him. We must surrender it (be willing to lose it) to find eternal life. Losing our life is just a different way of saying denying ourselves. We need to be focused on His will, not our will. Very few Christians are heeding the call of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They have become friends of the world and unwittingly enemies of God. Jesus told us many things we shouldn�t do and looking back is one of them. I wrote a whole post you may like on this one topic. Click Here DO NOT LOOK BACK.
Luke 9:62 �No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back (into the world), is fit for the kingdom of God.�
Luke 12:4-5 And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We must fear God and know what Godly fear is all about. Sadly the distorted false gospel of today�s church system has forgotten all about the Fear of the Lord. I wrote a post about this a while back. Click here to read it.
Mark 9:47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. In this example and many others where Jesus said cut off our hand, our foot, He is making it very clear that we need to STOP SINNING if we want to have eternal life. That means we must DO something. We must STOP SINNING. Is this really that hard to comprehend?
Ironically, the Apostate church that loves to teach that we do not have do anything besides believing Christ was God�s son, overlook the fact that the act of believing itself is in fact DOING SOMETHING. Here is the wonderful and famous verse, widely twisted into a perverted gospel of one passage.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. If people would read and meditate on His word themselves and take things in context and know the infallibility of the Scriptures, they would realize this verse does not negate the verses shown above. This passage does not say one SHALL NOT, it says they SHOULD NOT perish. That is because simple belief by itself is not enough. That doctrine makes a mockery of the rest of the gospels and the whole of Scripture. John clarifies it in His gospel a little later.
John 3:36 �He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.�
The writings of the Apostles are almost exclusively used by False Teachers to negate the words of Jesus and teach a different gospel. For Brevity sake, I am not going to add this proof into this post, but if anyone would like me to point them to the Epistle verse or passage that reinforces the gospel Jesus preached to the Apostles let me know. Jesus first taught the Disciples who then taught the early church. There was never a disconnect in their teachings.
Warnings About Being Deceived About DOING
Jesus gave us many parables and words to warn us and make sure we were not deceived about the requirements to enter eternal life. The New Testament Epistles also contain many warnings about deception regarding what we do. I have written about these warning extensively but I have picked out a few of my favorites as reminders to us all.
Matthew 7:21-23 �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. 22 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?� 23 And then I will declare to them, �I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!�
Matthew 13:37�The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. The church is full of tares, there are many more tares than there is wheat to be harvested.
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. We must take action, we must DO THINGS to be saved. It does not take away that salvation is a gift from God, because we do it thru Him.
Romans 2:13 It is not the hearers of the law who are just in the sight of God, but the DOERS of the law will be justified. The preceeding verse in Romans 2:12 tells us all that sin, even those apart from the law will perish. Practice sin and you still perish. Nothing Paul said changed that or contradicted the words of Jesus.
2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive what is due them for the things DONE while in the body, whether good or bad.
Gal 6:7-9 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. People reap what they sow. Those who sow to please their sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; those who sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Hebrews 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him
Jude 4 �For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.�
Remember we have free will. God does not force us to DO ANYTHING. Go read the verse in Luke 9:23 again �if anyone desires/wishes to come after me��. You don�t have to DO IT. You must choose and we are presented that choice every single day. We either choose to obey and reap eternal life or we choose to disobey which can lead to death. I hope this helps anyone practicing sin or without a real relationship with God or intimacy with His Spirit to examine themselves. Send me a message and I will pray for you, call you if requested or help you in any way I can.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father�s glory with his angels, and then he will reward everyone according to what they have DONE.
Remember, we don�t DO all these things on our power. Without God leading us it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. We can indeed DO ALL things thru Christ Jesus who strengthens us.
May God Bless You Richly!!!
John 15:14 You are my friends if you DO what I command
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