FreeGrace2 said:
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You just said to believe in Him and in what He says. Now you've moved the goalposts and say "do what He says".
Well, He said a lot of things. But only a few things for salvation. So you need to get your story straight.
Listen, no one is able to follow His commands perfectly.
I tried to explain it the best way I can. To believe in something a person commands is to do what that person commands.
This equates with belief with obedience. They are not the same.
And here's why they are not the same. We are commanded to believe in Christ for salvation. And then believers are commanded to be holy, blameless, and worthy.
Wonder why? Because change in behavior is not automatic nor guaranteed. This is a fallacy, unfortunately perpetuated by many pastors and writers.
Consider these verses and why they were written to believers:
Worthy
Eph 4:1- As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Phil 1:27- Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel
Col 1:10 - And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
1 Thess 2:12 - encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
2 Thess 1:11 - With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith
Holy
Rom 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship
1 Cor 1:2 - To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours:
Eph 1:4 - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Eph 5:27 - and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless
Col 1:22 - But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
1 Thess 3:13 - May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones
1 Thess 4:4 - that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable
1 Thess 4:7 - For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life
2 Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of tim
2 Tim 2:21 - If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Titus 1:8 - Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined
Heb 10:14 - because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Heb 12:14 - Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord
1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
2 Peter 3:11 - Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
Blameless
1 Cor 1:8 - He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ
Phil 1:10 - so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ
Phil 2:14-15 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
1 Thess 5:23 - May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
2 Peter 3:14 - So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him
If there is a baker in town and he says the bread is very hot: "If you touch it you will get badly burnt!" If you then say: "Yes, I believe you", then you touch the bread and as the baker said you get burned. What does that mean?
It would mean I was stupid, or wasn't paying attention.
It means you never trusted in the baker, you never believed in him, if you did you wouldn't have touched the bread. It's exactly the same thing with faith.
Not really, as I have just explained.
There is a passage in the bible that describes this: Matthew 21
28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
You see, Jesus compares "believe" with "work in the vineyard".
Given the list of verses I am sharing, one must believe BEFORE obedience means anything.
In fact, an unbeliever who thinks that following the Law, commandments, or commands from the NT gets no closer to heaven than any atheist.