TITLE: Can You Have Salvation Without Obedience By ron kyker 12/13/14 |
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Charles Spurgeon said: “No man is really saved unless he is in his heart obedient to Christ." All of us struggle as Christians to be obedient to the Word of God. To rightly understand true obedience, we must first look at Godliness. It is there we find the impetus; the reason for our obedience. Those that are obedient to God in their actions, have been awe-struck, or God-struck, having an overwhelming urgent need to know God and obey Him. Godliness is not a pious action like the Scribes and the Pharisees. It results in the bowing of the knees in daily worshiping the awesome love and power of our Creator. In rising from this deep shock and awe of the undeserved mercy He shows us, it moves us to say to Him: “Here am I; send me”. Christ is the object of that worship. He lived in perfect Godliness. In His perfect life is it found. That Godliness being imparted to us; leads us to be obedient to Him in all things. In His perfect goodness is our obedience found: “And being made perfect , he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” (Heb. 5:9). Jesus is the path to Godliness. Our receiving it then leads to our obedience. If obedience is missing in our lives; Christ is missing. The mystery of who Christ is makes His Godliness possible in us. It must then lead to our obedience. If not, our professed salvation is a myth.
---Romans 6:16
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
---Romans 5:19
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
Paul gives a dire warning for us who live in these latter days: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” (1 Tim. 4:1). He warns that in these latter days, true Godliness will be perverted. He warned that those who would lead us, our pastors and teachers, would have only a form of Godliness. It would only be an outside show, a pretense; not having any true devotion to Christ or esteeming Him in any way. Many seek to live morally apart from Christ. They preach morality and God’s goodness, but do so to the detriment of the body of Christ. They attempt to be obedient to the laws of God, but without the power of Christ’s Godliness. They then lead others into their brand of ungodliness. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. It is important to note that these “ravenous wolves” are not without; they are within the “body of Christ”. This is the truth of God’s Word that we ignore and deny. They are in our churches.
I’ve heard it said that if you want to lose weight, you must reject bad food. If you want to find Godliness in Christ, you must reject only a “form of Godliness”. The Early Church of Paul’s day was inundated with false doctrine and heretical beliefs. Today’s Church is no different. This heretical notion that today’s Christianity has finally gotten Godliness right; is a lie. Heretical teachings and this “form of Godliness” are prevalent in our churches. We need to recognize it and seek true Godliness in Christ, for it is there obedience is found. Without obedience, having true Godliness is not possible. It is the evidence that Christ’s Godliness is in us. We must continually feed ourselves with a proper diet of God’s Word; not taking any man’s word on the matter. We must continue to study and labor to please only God to find ourselves approved: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15).
This overwhelming and all consuming desire to be found approved, to please God, must be found in anyone who professes to know Christ. Through our Godliness found in Christ, we will be moved to obedience. We need to be ready in season and out: (2 Tim. 4:2). All are called according to this purpose; to reprove, to rebuke, and to exhort. The Word of God must be spoken. A heart truly changed, regenerated by Christ’s Spirit, is given this power to spread His Word. True obedience is only found in Christ’s perfect Godliness. True Godliness is rarely found anymore because the body of Christ is not dining on good sound biblical doctrine. Our teaching has become as Paul warned it would. The result is what we see today; a lifeless and Godless religion that has no power to affect the world. vs,
False Believers
I don’t know just where to begin
The empty stares…They think their saved from sin
So dark are the doors to their soul
Living lives just playing a role
I don’t know what’s between the lies and the cries
Going back and forth from the lows to the highs
They are “false believers” that need their will to be broken
They’re taking the blame from His Word that is spoken
I don’t know what it will take to break through
False believers…It ain’t anything that is new
Their lives torn into a million pieces
The consuming fire…They’ll watch as it blazes
If only you could see
If you could see what Love can do
How Love died on a tree
False believers…Love should be changing you
Where there is a life that is truly living
There is a sacrifice that Love is giving
False believers…Love paid the price
Will it be Hell or will it be Love’s Paradise
False believers…Something should be changing you
False believers…Come see what True Love can really do
Vasquez Savage
vasquezsavage.com
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