Expert: Phillip Senn - 1/15/2012

Question
Hello Mr. Senn,

I have a question regarding where keeping the commandments fit into our relationship with Christ. I ran into two web pages that state that keeping the commandments is necessary for salvation. One of the pages went so far as to say that under God's grace we are enabled to keep the commandments perfectly. This is website also talked about "mortal sins" that would separate us from God...and if we break any we fall from grace and are thus no longer saved. (1. http://gospelway.com/salvation/obedience.php and 2. http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/commandments.html).

Now I am confused on this point. If one does not keep the commandments perfectly, or near perfectly, is one not saved? And upon salvation are we really enabled then and there to keep the commandments perfectly? Does salvation rely on us keeping the commandments? Because if it does, I'm sunk. It is impossible for me to keep His commandments perfectly while on this earth.

Now I know that faith that results in no good works is a dead faith. And in I John it says that one who claims to know Him and yet does not keep His commandments is a lair. But how does that tie into grace? Is salvation dependent on us keeping His commands or the keeping of the commands of sign of salvation?

Thanks,
Tressa

P.S. I have a quick attach on question. I keep seeing people throwing this around "you can't have salvation until you take on God's terms." These people say that believing and then allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you is not enough. So just what are God's terms for salvation?

Answer
Tressa,

Thank you for your important question. Salvation is a free gift that cannot be earned through obedience to any law, not even God's law. We have already failed to obey the law perfectly, and are already condemned. All promises to God that we will begin to obey Him will not take away our sin. The only way we can stand before God again, is that the sin debt be paid. The Scripture says, the wages of sin is death. If we die owing that debt, we must go to a place called Hell. It is an everlasting death in a lake of fire.

The good news is that Jesus Christ has already paid that debt with His own blood. When we receive Him as our Savior, God counts our faith to us as righteousness. It is not by works of righteousness that we are saved, by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

We will not be perfectly obedient to God's law until Jesus comes in the clouds to receive us to Himself. It is only then that we will be like Him. It is only then that we will be changed, and made sinless. Until then, the Scripture says we all (all of creation) groans and travails waiting the adoption of the body. We do not possess the strength to be perfect, we only possess the desire, as the Apostle Paul stated, "The things I don't want to do, I find myself doing them, and the things I want to do, I don't find means to do them".

The Apostle Paul also dealt with the issue of the law when he wrote to the Galations, "Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect through the flesh?" It is not through our obedience, which the Scriptures declare are as filthy rags, that we can stand before a holy God. It is only through an imputed righteousness, which is His righteousness, counted to us through faith in His Son.

Our desire, after we become His children, through faith in Christ, is to always please our Heavenly Father. Those who seek to be justified by the law are fallen from grace. Those who recognize that we are justified through faith in our Lord Jesus, and not by the works of the law are walking in the light of His grace, and shall not come into condemnation.

The term "keep his commandments" means to embrace them. It does not mean to obey them perfectly.

I hope this helps you to understand the issue of grace vs. works.

With Love In Christ,
Phillip Senn