I saw this comment this afternoon on my Facebook. It's something to think about.
If not keeping His commandments were to deny us the right to the Tree of Life AND keep us from entering through the gate into the city I would want to know about it.
Now I know we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. In James he says that he will show his faith by his works. So are those works just any ol' works? Or are they the works of His commandments? I think it's the works of keeping His commandments. The commandments that we are aware of and are able to keep. Not all the commandments are meant for any one individual to keep. Even Jesus could not keep them all (some were for just women, some were for just Levites, some were for just priests, etc.).
I tend to think that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. However, as proof that we are saved, in keeping His commandments we are showing that we are saved. When we show up at the pearly gates we can enter because we are trusting in Jesus alone for our salvation and the proof of that is that our robes are washed from the automatic action of a heart change that shows forth by doing His commandments.
Jesus narrowed all the law to "love your neighbor as you love yourself". If we do that we are keeping His commandments. Our robes are washed and we will eat from the tree and enter the city.
Revelation 22:14 (New KJ) " Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
So, why does the church insist that we should NOT keep His commandments? And why are there some translations that instead of "do His commandments" say "wash their robes". There is a big difference in this day and age between "Keep His commandments" and "wash your robes".
If not keeping His commandments were to deny us the right to the Tree of Life AND keep us from entering through the gate into the city I would want to know about it.
Now I know we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. In James he says that he will show his faith by his works. So are those works just any ol' works? Or are they the works of His commandments? I think it's the works of keeping His commandments. The commandments that we are aware of and are able to keep. Not all the commandments are meant for any one individual to keep. Even Jesus could not keep them all (some were for just women, some were for just Levites, some were for just priests, etc.).
I tend to think that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. However, as proof that we are saved, in keeping His commandments we are showing that we are saved. When we show up at the pearly gates we can enter because we are trusting in Jesus alone for our salvation and the proof of that is that our robes are washed from the automatic action of a heart change that shows forth by doing His commandments.
Jesus narrowed all the law to "love your neighbor as you love yourself". If we do that we are keeping His commandments. Our robes are washed and we will eat from the tree and enter the city.