Salvation is free, but if you wish to know the deep abiding Joy of God that is conditioned on your obedience.
Salvation is the free gift of God, but as I read the New Testament, I am soberly reminded that God's gracious gift is accessed by a repentant faith in Lord Jesus demonstrated by denying self, and then listening to and following Jesus to be saved.
We access God's saving grace through faith:
Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have been
justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom
we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we
boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Faith always includes repentance:
Acts 20:29-21 (WEB) 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they
must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Therefore, a Gospel Faith in Christ Jesus is one in which we are disciples of Jesus, obedient to our rightful Lord and Master.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
19 Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Our faith must lead us to be Christ's disciples, to follow Him, or our faith is a lie.
1 John 2:4-6 (WEB) 4 One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. 5 But God’s love has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps his word.
This is how we know that we are in him: 6 he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.
That Gospel Faith (denial of self to follow Jesus) is represented in Baptism (Romans 6; Colossians 3:1-15), without which we will not be resurrected to be with Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:1-5 (WEB)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection
Therefore, we receive eternal life by an obedient faith demonstrated by denying self and following Jesus.
Romans 6:19-23 (NIV) Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 10:27-28 (WEB) 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Galatians 6:7-9 (WEB)
7 Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh
reap corruption. But
he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not be weary in doing good, for
we will reap in due season,
if we don’t give up.
Romans 8:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore,
brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but
if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
John 15:10 (WEB) 10 If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
Luke 9:23-24 (WEB) 23 He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me,
let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, will save it.
Matthew 10:38 (WEB)
38 He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me
is not worthy of me.
1 Timothy 4:16 (WEB) Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching.
Continue in these things, for in doing this
you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Revelation 3:1-5 (WEB)
1 I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
2 Wake up and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God.
3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent.
If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.
4 Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that didn’t defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5 He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Blessings,
Steven
