• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1. Perverting the Gospel - The Ultimate Sin Against Humanity
• CHAPTER 2. The Gospel of Salvation - Part I - Faith and Obedience
• CHAPTER 3. The Gospel of Salvation - Part II - A Righteous Life by Faith
• CHAPTER 4. Regeneration: God's Creation of the Righteous
• CHAPTER 5. Sanctification: Set Apart for Righteousness
• CHAPTER 6. The Neccesity of Coming Under the Lordship of Christ - Part I
• CHAPTER 7. The Neccesity of Coming Under the Lordship of Christ - Part II
• CHAPTER 8. We Walk By Faith - Part I - Every Believer Overcomes the World
• CHAPTER 9. We Walk By Faith - Part II - Every Believer Takes up Their Cross
• CHAPTER 10. The Fallacy of the "Carnal Christian"
• CHAPTER 11. Bear or Burn: The Fate of the Fruitless in the Parables of Christ
• CHAPTER 12. Righteousness vs. Self-righteousness
• CHAPTER 13. Saint or Sinner?
• CHAPTER 14. Can a Christian Backslide?
• CHAPTER 15. Sin and the Misinterpretation of Romans 7
• CHAPTER 16. Examine Yourselves as to Whether You Are in the Faith

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross

Grk/Heb Fonts

Over 75 Online Commentaries

by James P. Shelly

CHAPTER THREE

The Gospel of Salvation

Part II - A Righteous Life by Faith

As we established in Part I, to "believe" and "obey" are often used interchangeably in Scripture and are interrelated terms. As we now consider each of the various and diverse conditions set forth in God's word, in reference to the reception of the gift of eternal life, the inseparable relationship between faith and obedience becomes clearly evident in our salvation.

As stated in the previous chapter, passages such as John 3:16 which states that "whosoever believes in him [Christ] should not perish but have eternal life" are not to be taken in isolation from other passages of Scripture that have the same promise. When Jesus says in John 6:54, "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" He states it as no less a condition as the "believe" of John 3:16, i.e., whoever does not feed on His flesh and drink His blood does not have eternal life. He then says in v. 56 "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." In other words, if only those who feed on His flesh have eternal life, then it is equally true that only those who abide in Him have eternal life. What is the evidence that a person abides in Him? We find the answer in 1 John 3:24, "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in God and God in him" and in 1 John 3:6, "No one who abides in him keeps on sinning." Therefore, when we interpret Scripture with Scripture, we find that the "whosoever believes" in John 3:16 is indistinguishable from the whosoever that feeds on His flesh, drinks His blood, abides in Him, keeps His commandments, and does not keep on sinning. We discover in these passages that obedience is an inseparable consequence of believing.

In John 8:51 Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death [i.e., has eternal life]." Here, the condition of the promise is "if anyone keeps My word." What does He mean by keeping His word? He uses the phrase of Himself in John 8:55 in reference to His obedience to the Father, "I do know Him and keep His word." He uses the same term in John 14:23, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word." The NIV translates it as "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching." Two verses earlier, in v. 21, He says, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me." Plainly, "keeps my word" is synonymous with "has my commandments and keeps them." John 8:51 is interpreted in "The New Living Translation" as "I assure you, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!" In other words, when Scripture states that "whoever believes in him should not perish" it is equivalent to saying "anyone who obeys my teaching will never die." So again, we find a direct correlation between faith and obedience. The Pulpit Commentary states,

It implies upon the part of his followers a reverent, loyal, and affectionate obedience. They keep, i.e., they retain in memory and observe in practice, the word of their Master. As a faithful servant keeps the word of his lord, as a diligent scholar keeps the word of his teacher, as a loyal soldier keeps the word of his officer, his general, as a reverent son keeps the word of his father, so the Christian keeps the word of his Saviour. ¹

We read in Romans 10:9, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 1 John 4:15 says that "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God" (emphasis added). The one who confesses in Romans 10:9, i.e., every believer, is one and the same with "whoever confesses" in 1 John 4:15 of whom it is further stated, "God abides in him and he in God." Here, John states unequivocally that those who confess Christ also abide in Christ. As we have shown the one who abides in Him is said to be obedient to His commands. Again, if we interpret Scripture with Scripture, we discover that "whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God," "that Jesus is Lord," is inseparably joined with the one who feeds on His flesh and drinks His blood, keeps His word, and does not keep on sinning.

Hebrews 5:9 states that "He [Christ] became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him." Again, we read in The Pulpit Commentary,

This, of course, does not mean that we merit salvation by obeying the Savior. But those who have merely some doctrinal knowledge of Christ and his salvation, those who have only a dead faith in him, a mere intellectual assent to the great facts of his history and teaching, are not partakers of his salvation. As he attained his mediatorial perfection and glory by complete and hearty obedience to his Father, so must man obey him if we would attain unto 'eternal salvation.'²

Joseph Benson in his commentary writes:

To all those that obey him — The expression is emphatical: the salvation belongs only to those that obey him, and it belongs to all such. And as the Greek term here used imports to obey upon hearing, the obedience intended is, 1st, Faith, which cometh by hearing. 2d, The subjection of the heart, of the will and affections to him, in consequence of faith; and, 3d, A uniform complying with the will of God as far as it is known to us, (Matthew 7:21,) or a conscientious, steady, and persevering obedience to all the precepts of the gospel….Thus, as Macknight observes, 'obedience to Christ is equally necessary to salvation with believing on him' (emphasis added).³

We find this same truth again in Matthew 7:21 as we discover that it is only those who do the will of the Father that will enter the kingdom of God. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Some have stripped this passage of much of its power by taking in isolation passages such as John 6:40, "this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life." They argue that anyone who professes to believe in Christ has met this condition of doing the will of God and are therefore saved. Ironically, Christ is refuting that very argument in Matthew 7:21. He says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' which means they did indeed profess to believe in Him, however, that was not sufficient. "The one who does the will of my Father" in v. 21, is contrasted with workers of lawlessness v. 23, and those who hear the words of Christ but do not do them, v. 26. We read in Matthew 12:50, "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." The parallel passage in Luke 8:21 says, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." The NIV renders it, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." This is obviously not in reference to a one-time act of faith, but rather the continued course of obedience of everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him. We have the same truth in 1 John 2:17 "But whoever does the will of God abides [lives] forever" in contrast with those who love the world, v. 16, i.e., those who indulge the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. We read in 1 Thess. 4:3-5,

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God (emphasis added).

And in 1 Peter 2:13-16.

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God (emphasis added).

It is said in Hebrews 10:36, "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." What is the promise? The preservation of the soul, v.39. Surely, the writer is not suggesting that we are in need of endurance to profess to believe in Christ, but rather of the endurance necessary to live out our lives in accordance with His teachings, particularly during times of persecution. Charles John Ellicott writes of this passage,

To do the will of God (Hebrews 13:21) is the necessary condition for receiving the promised blessing and reward (see Hebrews 11:39); for both 'endurance' is necessary. In these words we have an echo of Matthew 7:21, where our Lord sums up His requirements from those who call themselves His in words which express the purpose of His own life (Hebrews 10:7; Hebrews 10:9; John 4:34).⁴

The Pulpit Commentary states,

Doing the will of God includes each and all of these things—faith in Christ, confession of Christ, and continuance in Christ. Moreover, the Christian accepts the will of God as the authoritative and supreme rule of his life. This will is sovereign, gracious, and universally binding. Let us endeavor to do it willingly, patiently, and cheerfully; for in so doing it our duty will become our freedom, dignity, and delight. We must do this will if we would receive the recompense of reward.⁵

According to these passages "doing the will of God" is synonymous with hearing God's word and putting it into practice, which clearly lines up with the passages that follow Matthew 7:21 wherein Christ speaks of a wise man as "he who hears these words of Mine and does them" (Matt. 7:24). In other words, when Christ says "believe in Me," it is with the expectation that those who do so would obey Him in everything He teaches (Matt. 28:19, 20). It is even as Christ says to those in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"

We read in verse 22, that the Many are seemingly doing good things, "did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' So, what was their downfall? Again, we are told in v. 23, they practiced lawlessness. Their profession was nothing more than empty rhetoric. It was with these even as it was with the Pharisees, "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matt. 23:27). The Greek word for lawlessness here is anomia – Meaning contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness. We find a similar description in Matthew 13:41-43 also ending in condemnation;

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers (anomia), and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear (emphasis added).

The distinction here is between law-breakers and the righteous. The disobedient and the obedient. The angels are not depicted here as gathering them out of the world in general, but rather out of His kingdom on earth. He does not say here that law-breakers will simply lose rewards in heaven but that they will be cast into the furnace of fire which is the second death, i.e., eternal death (Rev. 20:13, 14). This same term, anomia, is also used in 1 John 3:4-6, "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness" (anomia); "sin is lawlessness" (anomia). "You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him." So then, it is clearly evident that those who continue in sin do not know Him, nor does He know them, and therefore will not be the recipients of the eternal kingdom of God. When Jesus says, "I never knew you," v. 23, He is saying in essence, "I have no relationship with those who are not obedient to the things that I teach." They are not members of His family. They are not His brothers and sisters. This is echoed by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:19, "'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'" Matthew 7:21 teaches that not everyone who says they believe in Christ will be in the kingdom of heaven, but those alone whose belief is evidenced by living in compliance with His teachings, as this is the will of the Father.

Jesus says to the unbelieving Jews in John 10:26-28,

But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (emphasis added).

In contrast with those of whom Christ says "I never knew you" in Matthew 7:23, here He says, "I know them." They are His sheep that naturally follow Him. Following Him requires discipleship, looking to Him as their Shepherd, Teacher, and Master. They have faith in Him and therefore follow His teachings and do what He tells them. "They hear the word of God and do it." Therefore, in the Judgment, the sheep are called the righteous in Matthew 25:46 and are distinguished from the goats, i.e., the unrighteous. They are called righteous, not in a forensic or an imputed sense, but on the basis of their behavior as is written in Matthew 25:32-36;

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

Why were they blessed with the inheritance of the kingdom? Because they believed in Christ and were, therefore, abiding in Christ, which is evident by their love and compassion in doing good to their brethren in accordance with the teachings of Christ.

In John 12:25 we read, "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (emphasis added). Here the condition of the promise is the hating of one's life in this world. Read antithetically, those who love their life in this world will not keep it for eternal life. This is stated by Christ as a necessary requirement of those who would receive eternal life. It is as those in Revelation 12:11 who "have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death" (emphasis added). Those who genuinely believe in the promise of a new, restored and eternal creation, will, in comparison, hate their life in this fallen and temporal world and live accordingly (Rom. 8:19-23). They will be as strangers and exiles on the earth…seeking a homeland…they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one (Heb. 11:13-16). The world has been crucified to them, and they to the world (Gal. 6:14) and thus no longer "love the world or the things in the world" (1 Jn. 2:15). They have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer they who live but Christ who lives in them (Gal. 2:20). Their "citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20) and now live in light of the "new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Pet. 3:13). Those who thus hate their lives in this world will keep it for eternal life. Those who lack such faith will naturally love their lives in this world more than the promised life in a future Kingdom, the reality of which they have doubts. Matthew Henry writes,

It is required of the disciples of Christ that they hate their life in this world. A life in this world supposes a life in the other world, and this is hated when it is loved less than that. Our life in this world includes all the enjoyments of our present state, riches, honours, pleasures, and long life in the possession of them these we must hate, that is, despise them as vain and insufficient to make us happy, dread the temptations that are in them, and cheerfully part with them whenever they come in competition with the service of Christ, Rev. 12:11.⁶

It is written in Luke 14:25, 26,

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple' (emphasis added).

Christ says in John that one must hate his life to keep it for eternal life and here in Luke that one must hate his life to be a disciple. Therefore, those who teach that the requirement for becoming a disciple differ from that of salvation, and tragically there are many, directly contradict the teachings of Christ. Not every disciple is a Christian (Judas, etc.), but every Christian is a disciple (see Chapter 6). When Jesus tells us to count the cost of becoming a disciple, Luke 14:28ff, it is not the cost of forgiveness and reconciliation that He refers to, but rather that which is required subsequent to receiving it. Forgiveness is freely given through faith, but the way of faith is costly. In other words, entrance into the narrow gate is free, but the narrow way that leads to life is, not only compulsory, but hard (Matt. 7:13, 14). It could be likened to a person who joins the military. There is no cost of admission, anyone can freely come and join, but one should first sit down and count the cost of that which follows for it can be costly indeed. They must be willing to forsake their family, possessions, etc., and their life if necessary. They will no longer be their own (1 Cor. 6:19, 20), but must now live according to the dictates of the military authorities. Their old civilian life is over and a new military life has begun (2 Tim. 2:4). It is those who neglect to adequately count the cost of military service that are most tempted to go AWOL, seeking to return to the civilian life they initially renounced. Even so, those who freely come to Christ must sit down and count the cost of joining themselves to Christ. They must come under His authority as their supreme Lord and Master, renouncing the sinful pleasures of this world, willing to forsake family, possessions, and their own life, if necessary, for His sake (Luke 14:26). "Lest they endure for a while, but when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, they fall away" (Matt. 13:21). Throughout human history we find that multitudes have been willing to give up their lives for the sake of their temporal and earthly country; How much more so will those who truly believe in Christ be willing to do likewise for the sake of their eternal and heavenly country? (Heb. 11:16).

Christ says in Luke 14:33, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." So here, we come to understand that the believer of John 3:16 is also a disciple that hates his life in this world and renounces all that he has, i.e., his love and desire to please His Lord and Master, the One he believes in with all his heart (Acts 8:37, NKJV), takes precedence over every other object of his earthly affections and desires. This sincere belief in Christ will result in an allegiance to Him that is willing to obey Him at the possible expense of being despised and rejected by unbelieving relations; father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, friends, colleagues, and all other relationships. The recipients of the kingdom of God must love Christ more than anything in this present life that would be an impediment to their service and commitment to Him; Seeking first and foremost His kingdom and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33).

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:9, gives a warning to those who might be deceived in thinking that believing in Christ somehow diminishes the necessity of living a righteous life. He says,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

In Ephesians 5:5, 6 we read,

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

And in Galatians 5:19-21,

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(Emphasis added in all the above). [Note, some have erroneously taught that entering the kingdom and inheriting the kingdom are isolated terms. See footnote].⁷

Here again, we are taught in these passages that "believing in Christ" has as a necessary consequence a life lived in righteousness.

We read in Romans 2:6-8,

He will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation (NASB, emphasis added).

Here it is said that only those who persevere in doing good, in a course of righteousness, are given eternal life. Some have argued that Paul is using hypothetical language here8 but this is no more than what Jesus says in John 5:28, 29,

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done (poieo) good to the resurrection of life [to those who by perseverance in doing good…eternal life], and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment [to those who…do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation] (emphasis added).

He says explicitly that only those who have done good will receive eternal life. The Greek word for doing good is ἔργον (er'-gon) meaning "that which anyone is occupied, that which one undertakes to do."⁹ This is not speaking of one who has achieved perfection and is without sin, but rather of one who, in Christ, is occupied with the pursuit of righteousness. One walking by faith; in the substance of things hoped for (Heb. 11:1), "glory and honor and immortality," who persevere in doing good, which is what we find in numerous other passages in Scripture. Peter says in Acts 10:34, 35, "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." Even when Paul says in v. 13, "For it is not the hearers (akroatai) of the law who are righteous (dikaios) before God, but the doers (poietes) of the law who will be justified," it is no more than what James says in James 1:22, 2:24, "Be doers (poietes) of the word, and not hearers (akroatai) only, deceiving yourselves" "you see a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." God says of Zechariah and Elizabeth, "they were both righteous (dikaios) before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord" (Lk. 1:5, 6). He says of faithful Abraham, that he "obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" which "denote constant obedience to all the revelations and instructions of God."¹⁰ Or of David whom God says, "kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes" (1 Ki. 14:8), and Hezekiah who did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done… He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses (2 Ki 18:3-6). Again, we read in Ezekiel 18:21, 22,

But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live.

All these, despite their shortcomings, were "doers of the law" "and not hearers only." Would any of these have been justified if they were not doers of the law but hearers only? Impossible. It is Jesus Himself who describes the believer as "those who hear the word of God and do it" (Luke 8:21), "who hears these words of mine and does (poieo)¹¹ them" (Matt. 7:24).

This is what John says throughout his epistle in passages such as 1 John 3:7, "Whoever practices (poieo) righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." These passages are not speaking of the perfect righteousness that could earn a man His justification, but rather of a faith that is justified by its works. A faith that presses on in righteousness notwithstanding any failures along the way. In other words, these are justified, not by the works as Abraham did, but by a faith that does the works as Abraham's did. There is a great fixed gulf between the two. When we find men and women throughout Scripture who are said to be righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord, what possible excuse is there for those of us under the new covenant to not do likewise? The answer is, there is none, as Christ "has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises" (Heb. 8:6).

These verses all speak of the true and sincere "doers" of the word and they alone will be justified. This is in contrast to the legalistic righteousness of the Pharisees which was a mere mechanical observance of the law stemming from an uncircumcised heart that is naturally hardened and opposed to it; A righteousness which is as "filthy rags" in the sight of God (Isa. 64:6). The law was given to expose this hypocrisy of the heart, but with these it was ineffectual and contrarily resulted in self-righteousness. It was not that they had any illusions of being justified by moral perfection, as no one under a system with such numerous ritual cleansings, washings, and bloody sacrifices could possibly be so ignorant. Rather, thinking they were of the seed of Abraham, the chosen people of God, entrusted with the oracles of God, outwardly observing the "works of the law" according to the flesh, they were confident that they would be justified before God. However, in truth, they were the opposite of what they imagined themselves to be — they were not the true seed of Abraham (John 8:39) — they were not the true people of God (Rom. 2:29) — they did not truly obey God's law but were hypocrites (Matt. 23:23). The Family Bible Commentary states;

When the question is, What is the ground on which sinners, who have broken God's law, can be justified? Paul always answers, By faith, and not by the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16, etc. But when the question is, What character will God accept? he answers with James, 'Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified': Romans 2:13, compared with James 1:22-25; James 2:14-26. True faith in Christ always makes men such 'doers of the law.' The faith that is without works is dead, James 2:26, and will be disowned by Christ at the last day. Matthew 7:21-27.¹²

In Matthew 5:19, 20 Jesus says,

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (emphasis added).

It is as Jesus says of the Pharisees to his disciples, "Do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice" (Matt. 23:3). In other words, be doers of the word, and not hearers only as the Pharisees, deceiving yourselves (Jas. 1:22). The righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is further clarified by Christ in what follows in verses 21-48. It is a righteous behavior that springs forth from a circumcised heart as opposed to that which is merely external. Jesus said, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good" (Luke 6:45). Unless a person exhibits this righteousness of the heart, he will never enter the kingdom of heaven. To accomplish this Christ's advice to the Pharisees, as to all people, is, "First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean" (Matt. 23:26). "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezek. 18:31). It is the righteousness that stems from this new heart, the gift of God in salvation (Ezek. 36:26), that exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees. Without this new heart, through a new birth, resulting in a righteous life (see Chapter 4), we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ says in vv. 21, 22,

You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.

John echoes this teaching in 1 John 3:15, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" and in 1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death." Only those who love the brethren are here stated as having eternal life. Scripture tells us how we can know if we meet this condition of love for the brethren in 1 John 5:2, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments." These passages present a righteous character, the product of grace, as a necessary condition if the promise of eternal life is to be obtained; a righteousness which surpasses that of the Pharisees. Jesus says in Matthew 5:27, 28,

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent [Grk. epithumeo, long for, to lust after, covet, to set the heart upon] has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

It is reasonable to assume that when John echoes Christ's statement about hate or anger being equivalent to murder in 1 John 3:15, that he would also say, "Whoever looks at a woman with lustful intent is an adulterer, and you know that no adulterer has eternal life abiding in him." In fact, Jesus says as much in Matthew 5:29;

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Jesus uses graphic imagery to show how a believer will strive, to whatever extent they must, against the temptations of the eye that they might overcome their sin. He leaves us without option as He says unequivocally — if this is not done the whole body will be thrown into hell. In other words, those who believe in Him will come to understand that such lustful intent is incompatible with being in union with Christ and must be conquered. The Apostle Paul expresses this same truth in Colossians 3:5, "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience" (NKJV, emphasis added). In other words, such fleshy passions and desires as God's word reveals as shameful and evil, with a Spirit wrought recognition that they are indeed destructive to ourselves and others, must be overcome; Being put to death by the renewing of the mind whereby they are replaced with Spirit induced passions and desires which alone have the power to render them incapable of governing the members of the body. Even those legitimate, God given passions, which have been corrupted by the flesh, will be restored to their proper aim and purpose. Without this renewing of the heart and mind, the result of genuine faith, we fall to the idolatry of serving the flesh rather than God. This is contrary to love, and thereby incites His wrath which will come upon all those, without exception, who are not putting to death the sinful passions and evil desires of their members.

These are among those texts many like to ignore or water down "which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (2 Pet. 3:16). "They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! (2 Pet. 2:14). Arthur W. Pink writes,

Christ here emphasizes the fact that lustful looks and wanton dalliances are so disastrous and destructive to the soul that it is better to lose an eye than to yield to this evil and perish eternally in it. This, as we have pointed out, is in reply to the objection that heart adultery is something no man can prevent, that it is beyond his power to resist temptations to gaze with longing eyes upon an attractive woman. Rightly did Matthew Henry point out: 'Such pretenses as these will scarcely be overcome by reason, and therefore must be argued against with the terrors of the Lord, and so they are here argued against.' Alas, that this powerful deterrent to evil and incitement to holiness is so rarely made use of in our degenerate times, when little else than honey and soothing-syrup is being handed out from the pulpit.¹³

Adam Clarke writes,

If voluntary and deliberate looks and desires make adulterers and adulteresses, how many persons are there whose whole life is one continued crime! Whose eyes being full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin, 2 Peter 2:14. Many would abhor to commit one external act before the eyes of men, in a temple of stone; and yet they are not afraid to commit a multitude of such acts in the temple of their hearts, and in the sight of God.... The right eye and the right hand are used here to point out those sins which appear most pleasing and profitable to us; from which we must be separated, if we desire ever to see the kingdom of God.¹⁴

We read in Revelation 22:14, 15,

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life [eternal life], and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie (NKJV).

The earlier manuscripts read, "Blessed are those who wash their robes" rather than "those who do His commandments." However, either way it is read, the meaning is the same. Those who wash their robes are those "clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" (Rev. 19:8). And what does the fine linen represent? — "for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." There will be no dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, or those who love and practice a lie, inside the gates of the heavenly city. In other words, those living unrighteous lives are excluded from having access to the tree of life. So, we see again that the reception of eternal life is directly joined with obedience.

We read in John 3:3, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." and in John 3:5-8,

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

In these verses, we find the key to open our understanding as to how salvation by grace, apart from works, can be reconciled with the necessity of obedience. Scripture calls it regeneration (the subject of Chapter 4). It is a spiritual birth brought about by nothing less than a supernatural act of God Himself. Like the wind, you cannot see where it comes from or where it goes but the effects of it will be evident. It is only by this mystical act of grace that all the requirements of salvation can come to fruition. Those born of the Spirit now have their eyes opened to the Spiritual reality of the kingdom of God. Christ came "to open the eyes that are blind" (Isa. 42:7) and through His word they can perceive the splendor, beauty, glory, righteousness, and majesty of His kingdom. Thus, being "fully convinced" of its promise (Rom. 4:21), along with a steadfast hope of obtaining entrance into it, they are ready and willing to forsake all known sin and any earthly pleasures and endeavors that would be in conflict with, or a distraction to, their eternal pursuits in preparation for their inheritance of the heavenly city; "now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (Heb. 11:16). For God to begin the work of conforming the believer to the character and likeness of His Son (see Chapter 5), He must first equip them with this predetermined mindset that they would be willing to forsake all that would be a hindrance to this sacred work. We read in Acts 2:38, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It is this gift whereby every believer is endowed with this necessary mindset. "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" (Rom. 8:5). The word used for "set their minds" in the Greek is frone/w phroneo [fron-eh'-o]. "Paul uses this word with striking frequency and usually expresses with it single-minded commitment to something and the conditions for such commitment…. Dependence on sa/rc [flesh] or on pneu=ma [spirit] determines the nature of the whole person, including all of a person's thoughts and aspirations."¹⁵ It is what one is intent on, stemming from a conception or apprehension of the world from a spiritual and eternal perspective rather than that of the fleshly and temporal. "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him" (Rom. 8:9). But "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24) and are now therefore preoccupied with the spiritual passions and desires of Christ. In other words, in their pursuit of the spiritual, they have willingly and excitedly forsaken their pursuit of all that is fleshly and earthly with a newfound comprehension of the inferiority of such pursuits in light of the eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). This does not mean that we do not still war with the flesh (1 Pet. 2:11, Gal. 5:17) or that battles will not be lost in the conflict, however, those born of God are assiduously, and unremittingly, ever winning the war (1 John 5:18).

The passages most often used in arguing against this necessary relationship between faith and obedience are Ephesians 2:8, 9, Titus 3:5, and Chapters 3 through 5 of Romans. However, when taken in context, we find the opposite to be true. We read in Ephesians 2:8, 9;

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

In the preceding verses Paul says:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved (emphasis added).

He says "you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked" [past tense]. In other words, you were, prior to your salvation, walking in trespasses and sins, but you do not walk in them any longer. You were, "following the course of this world," but you are now following the spiritual course of another world; the kingdom of heaven. Before receiving the gift of grace, you were "following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." But now, in your present state, you are following the Spirit of God, Romans 8:14, as sons of obedience, Romans 6:16-18. "We all once lived [past tense] in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind," but now "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." By the mercies of God, you have been saved and delivered from how you lived in the past and are now, therefore, no longer children of wrath — by grace you have been saved. In other words, this stark change in your course and direction in life is not a result of the "works of the law," what you have done, but by what He has done in you. Thus, "by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." He then says in vv. 9, 10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." In other words, we now live righteous lives as a result of His work, not ours. A righteousness that has nothing to do with our justification, however, if we are still "walking in trespasses and sins," "in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind," as "sons of disobedience," we have not yet been justified, as no one can be justified without also being "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life (NRSV). Paul makes it clear that saving grace changes one's entire course of life, being made alive unto God, and therefore walking in faithful obedience to Him.

We read in Titus 3:5:

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.

Again, in the preceding verses, Paul speaks of their former behavior prior to their salvation. He says in verse 3,

For we ourselves were once [past tense] foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

We were once living this way, Paul says, but something had dramatically changed their whole course of conduct, and he reveals in verse 4 and 5 the cause of this striking transformation of character. It was "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior." Without this washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit we are not justified. Therefore, it not possible to be justified and yet remain as slaves to various passions and pleasures, etc. (Rom. 6:16). So again, we find a direct correlation between saving grace and an obedient life.

We can see this same transforming power in salvation in 1 Cor. 6:9-11. In verse 9 and 10 Paul gives a list of various sinful behaviors and then follows in verse 11 with these words;

And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (emphasis added).

Paul says some of you once walked in sins such as these, sexual immorality, thievery, greed, etc., "But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified" and are therefore no longer living that way. It is clear from these passages that when one comes to Christ, through the work of the gift of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of that union is a complete change of course and the way in which one conducts their life. And it is equally clear that it is not by what we do in our own power by means of moral reformation, because of works done by us in righteousness, but by God's work in us, "by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" which is the effectual cause of this great change. It is the washing and renewing of the heart, cleaning "the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean" (Matt. 23:26).

Romans chapters 3 through 5 is Paul's most extensive exposition of justification by faith. He says in Romans 3:28 "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." He then says in v. 31 "Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law." What is the design and purpose of this faith but that "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4); Who walk, not according to the letter of the law written on stone, but according to the spirit of the law written on the tablets of the heart; Who "walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:6)? For "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb. 11:6) but with faith we can and do. "For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). Paul says in Romans 8:7-9,

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, [who live by faith] are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.

He says in Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" His answer is an emphatic, "By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Paul says that to die to sin and yet still live in it is a contradiction in terms. He asks again in v. 15, "Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace?" His answer in v. 16 needs to be heard by multitudes who have fallen prey to this fallacy that being under grace negates the necessity of obedience in our salvation. He says,

By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

He says that those who continue to obey sin are slaves of sin and will consequently perish. But he says of those under grace "thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin [past tense] …have become slaves of righteousness" (Rom. 6:17, 18). Paul says we can determine if we are under grace by whether or not we serve sin. So then when the question is asked, because a believer is not under law but under grace can they still live in sin? The answer is, absolutely not! Paul argues that it is actually the complete opposite. It is those in the flesh under the law that are unable to keep the law and it is those under grace through faith that can and do. As he says to the Galatians in 3:2, 3; "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" You began in the Spirit by faith but you now suppose that external law keeping is the means of your progression in holiness? That by it you can put to death the sinful deeds of the body? How foolish. The law may momentarily suppress such deeds but has no power to subdue and defeat them. "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Rom. 8:13). Barnes writes;

Either your sins must die, or you must. If they are suffered to live, you will die. If they are put to death, you will be saved. No man can be saved in his sins. This closes the argument of the apostle for the superiority of the gospel to the Law in promoting the purity of man. By this train of reasoning, he has shown that the gospel has accomplished what the Law could not do - the sanctification of the soul, the destruction of the corrupt passions of our nature, and the recovery of man to God.¹⁶

We begin putting the deeds of the body to death by the washing of water with the word (Eph. 5:2), cleansing the heart by faith (Rom. 8:13, Phil. 2:13, Acts 15:9). Crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). It is faith in God, not law, that equips us with the power to obey His will and do those things which are pleasing to Him. Hebrews 13:20-22;

Now may the God of peace…equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight.

Martin Lloyd Jones referring to this expression "By no means!'," "God forbid!" as it is rendered in the King James, writes:

What it really means is 'by no means', 'let it not be', 'it is unthinkable', 'it should never even be suggested'.... Why does the Apostle put it as strongly as that? Clearly for this reason, that to put that question, or to raise that matter at all, simply shows a complete failure to understand everything that he has been saying about justification by faith only. If a man raises this question about continuing in sin, it means that so far he has not grasped what the Apostle has been saying in chapters 1 to 5. That is why it is unthinkable, that is why it should not be mentioned for a moment. Such a man has not only misunderstood justification, he has entirely misunderstood the doctrine of our union with the Lord Jesus Christ.... What is the business of grace? Is it to allow us to continue in sin? No! It is to deliver us from the bondage and the reign of sin, and to put us under the reign of grace.... But I want to put it more strongly. A man who is justified, and who is under the reign of grace, cannot think like that, still less act like that.¹⁷

We find then that even those verses used by many to argue against the necessity of obedience in our salvation, when read in context, actually argue to confirm it. The truth is, we would search the Scriptures in vain to find any such notion of a faith that does not result in righteousness or of salvation apart from obedience to God. It is not found in the Old Testament, in the teachings of Christ, in the epistles of Peter, John, James, or Jude, etc. Nor are they found in the teachings of Paul if read in their proper context and meaning. For he is the one who clearly states "that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" (1 Cor. 6:9). No wonder Peter says, "the ignorant and unstable twist" Paul's writings "to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (2 Pet. 3:16).

But does it not say in Romans 10:13 that I am saved by simply calling on his name? "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" In context, Romans 10:8-15 is not speaking of how one is saved but rather of who can be saved as v.12 shows; "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him." Paul is revealing the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy as he quotes Joel 2:32. God's covenant people, the Jews, were distinctly defined as those who call upon the name of the Lord. However, salvation is not confined to the Jews alone for whosoever calls on the name of the LORD, peoples of all nations, Jew or Gentile, can be saved. "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord" (Zeph. 3:9). Notice, those who call upon the name of the Lord are those who serve Him. We are not saved by calling on His Name as if to say that an utterance of the lips would save us. Rather we are saved by a faith that naturally calls on His Name; seeking His ever-present grace in assisting us in our endeavor to serve and worship Him. Whoever calls on Him must first believe in Him with all the implications thereof. "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?" v. 14. Matthew Henry writes,

Calling upon the name of the Lord is here put for all practical religion. What is the life of a Christian but a life of prayer? It implies a sense of our dependence on him, an entire dedication of ourselves to him, and a believing expectation of our all from him. He that thus calls upon him shall be saved.¹⁸

Charles Hodge states;

To call upon the name of Jesus as Lord is therefore to worship him. It is to look to him for that help which God only can give. All Christians, therefore, are the worshippers of Christ. And every sincere worshipper of Christ is a true Christian. The phrase expresses not so much an individual act of invocation, as an habitual state of mind and its appropriate expression¹⁹(emphasis added).

So then, according to Scripture, the following criteria are descriptive of those who have received the gift of eternal life;

These are the beliefs, attributes, and character traits of those born of the Spirit and regenerated in heart. "Who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised" (Rom. 4:12). We find, even with the thief on the cross, the faith of a renewed heart and change of character as evidenced by the words that he spoke (Lk. 23:40-42, Matt. 12:34). He was justified by the faith Abraham had which would have resulted in "doing the works Abraham did" (John 8:39), yet having not the opportunity to do so, he was nevertheless justified. Thus establishing the doctrine of justification by the nature and character of the faith Abraham had and not by the works that it naturally produces.

It is undeniable, that countless souls have been deceived by understanding the words, "we are not justified by our works" as though they meant that one can be saved though they remain as "sons of disobedience." The church in our day is inundated with such and their shepherds are often the blame. They preach of justification as though it were the sum and substance of salvation; As though one could receive imputed righteousness, without necessarily being sanctified, without the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, withoutbeing circumcised in the heart,which is no salvation at all. We hear, "Christ did it all on the cross" as though the powerful work of the risen Lord had little to no significance in our salvation, when, in fact, there is no salvation or Christian life apart from it (John 15); As though our salvation consisted of merely entering the narrow gate while the narrow way was optional. We hear the constant drumbeat that "we are not saved because of works done by us in righteousness" but seldom do we ever hear, "whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 Jn. 3:10). How many millions will experience eternal death because of this unbalanced, deceptive, preaching of the gospel? God only knows. It is certainly a glorious truth that we are justified by faith and not by works, however, it is equally glorious that "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Eph. 2:10); That His unmerited grace teaches us,

To renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:12-14).

Therefore, the notion that the necessity of obedience in salvation is contrary to grace, or is legalistic, is based on a biblical misunderstanding of both faith and grace. True faith, throughout Scripture, is always joined with obedience; not of the letter, but of the heart. Even as works without faith are dead works (Heb. 6:1, Matt. 7:22), faith without works is dead faith (James 2:20). What a glorious and powerful grace it is that transforms the heart of man from slavery to sin to that of righteousness (Rom. 6:18) — From one of hate to that of love — From malice and envy to kindness and goodwill — A heart zealous for good works. It is this grace alone that is of such power as renders itself worthy of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; The only source in the universe with the power to set us free from sin and this He accomplishes in everyone who believes in Him without exception (John 8:36). The Pulpit Commentary states;

In the history of nations we see the gospel proving itself to be the power of God. The moral miracles of Christianity…are the strongest evidence of its Divine origin and power…Men who have sunk so low beneath the power of degrading vice that their friends despaired of rescuing them, by the power of the gospel have been brought from death unto life. Jesus, and Jesus only, can cure men of sin's power. If we but touch his garment, we shall be made whole. No one has any reason to be ashamed of the gospel. Its purpose is a high and noble one, the highest and noblest mission ever undertaken. Its power is not the power of a feeble or a puny arm. It is the power of the living God. ²⁰

This is the power of God in salvation experienced by every true believer in Christ. On the other hand, those who have received a so-called salvation resulting in nothing more than a pitiful, feeble, lifeless grace, that forgives a man and then leaves him with a heart of rebellion that continues to wallow in the muck and mire of sin, is the salvation of a religious myth. It is that which Scripture speaks of in 2 Tim. 3:5, "having a form of godliness but denying its power." And what advice does Paul give us? "Avoid such people!" They teach an impotent grace that is of no more power than any other man-made religion that is practicable even if God were not to exist. It is not the grace of God found in Scripture, but a disgrace found only in the imagination of sinful man.

Misunderstanding the nature of true and saving faith has led many to erroneously teach as optional that which Christ taught as imperative. Twisting the plain meaning of the words of Christ to fit the spiritual inertness of the unfaithful who claim to be His; "They have received Christ as Savior but not as Lord" — "They are believers but not yet disciples" — "They have the Spirit but are still walking in the flesh." — "They have not yet received the 'second blessing'" — "They have not yet received the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit'" — "They are carnal Christians" — "They are in need of revival" — "They have not yet entered into sanctification" — "They are backslidden" etc. It is rarely considered that they are not yet believers and were never truly converted by the Spirit of God. The Biblical explanation for their true spiritual state is found in Matthew 15:8, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me."

It is written in Luke 13:23-28,

And someone said to him, 'Lord, will those who are saved be few?' And he said to them, 'Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.

Here, all "workers of evil," as contrasted with those who "work righteousness" (Acts 10:35), will see those who walked in the footsteps of Abraham in the kingdom of God, while they themselves will be cast into outer darkness. Abbott's Illustrated New Testament says of the passage;

The sentiment plainly is, that many persons will be disappointed in their expectations of admission to the kingdom of heaven at last, because, although they may have been professed friends of the Savior, they never really imbibed his spirit or obeyed his commands.²¹

Charles Simeon, a fellow of King's College in the 1700s wrote,

The way of God's commandments is that to which the godly are confined: and the entrance upon it is by conversion. A man must have seen the evil and danger of his former ways: he must have come to Christ who is 'the door' and, renouncing every other hope, he must cleave unto Christ with full purpose of heart. Having thus entered, he must go forward in an uniform course of dependence upon Christ, and devotedness to him. This is indeed a strait and narrow way. A partial repentance, a divided trust, a reserved obedience, will not suffice: our contrition must be deep, our faith unfeigned, and our dedication of ourselves to God entire, or we shall only deceive our own souls. To enter upon this path is our bounden duty — God never intended that men should follow the imagination of their own hearts. He calls us to himself, and invites us by every argument that can affect a rational being. Nor will he leave us to fail for want of strength. If we will exert ourselves in earnest and cry unto him for help, nothing shall be impossible unto us. Difficult as the duty is, it has been performed by many in all ages. We therefore should exert ourselves without delay. We must not stand aloof, doubting and hesitating whether we shall enter upon this way or not; nor must we put off the time of entering upon it to some more convenient season. The command of God is clear and universal, 'Enter ye in at the strait gate.'²²

Entrance to the narrow gate is available to all and without cost, as the sin debt that would keep us from entering is fully paid by Christ, but He also tells us that it opens up to a narrow way in which we must walk that is both costly and restrictive (Luke 14:25-33). We cannot simply enter the gate and stand at the entrance as though the way was optional, for it is not only the gate but the way…that leads to life and we are admonished by Christ to count the cost of the narrow way before ever entering the gate.

I would plead with the reader to let no one, irrespective of his position, education, or popularity, determine the condition of your own soul, but rather diligently seek the word of God for a witness (1 John 3:18, 19, Acts 17:11). For it is not the witness of men but "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom. 8:16). We must look to the words of the King if we are to have full assurance of entrance into His kingdom, meeting the conditions He Himself sets forth in Scripture.

Cyprian, the first bishop-martyr of Africa in A.D. 258 wrote;

He follows Christ who stands in his commandments, who walks in the way of his teaching, who follows in his footsteps and his ways, who imitates that which Christ both did and taught.… To put on the name of Christ, and yet not go in the way of Christ – what else is this but a mockery of the divine name! It is a desertion of the way of salvation. For he himself teaches and says that the person who keeps his commandments will come into life.23In conclusion, what we find throughout Scripture are those who erroneously seek salvation either by "dead works" without faith (Heb. 6:1), or by a dead "faith without works" (Jam. 2:26). Neither being set free from the bondage of sin by the power of a sincere and living faith in Christ whereby they receive a new heart and new spirit by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Thus they never clean the "inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean" (Matt. 23:26). Both will be cast out of the Kingdom of God by Christ. They will discover the fatal error of their beloved teachers, and by the deceitfulness of sin had embraced a gospel that gave them comfort in it, and to their utter horror and dismay find that they were, all the while, clinging to a counterfeit cross.

CHAPTER FOUR
Regeneration: God's Creation of the Righteous