In the previous posting the salvation seeker, having completed the prescribed ritual, has been “saved.” The next step for him/her is to “join the church of your choice,” which is normally the organization that led the person through the “salvation experience.” The question now becomes: What does his/her chosen church, denomination, faith, order, congregation, fellowship, etc. profess to believe and do? Why did he/she join that particular organization? A recent “convert” spoke what has to be the ultimate answers to those questions using a minimum of words. She confessed that she joined a particular church “… because they do what I like to do.” Let us give credit where it is due. The new “convert” was being totally honest. The problem with her choice what that her chosen group, though differing from other groups in some areas, does exactly what all other religious organizations do: THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOD COMMANDS IN HIS HOLY WORD. This is the same Word that, if believed and obeyed, “will make you wise UNTO salvation” (2 Tim. 3:14-17). Note that Paul the apostle was writing to Timothy the evangelist. Note also that the Scriptures themselves do not save the soul. I recently heard a world-famous preacher say while speaking about death, “The Bible will save you.” No it will not. God’s Word saves no one. Another statement proclaimed by another preacher assured his followers that “Your faith will save you.” No it will not. Faith in the Word of God, though necessary for salvation, will not save the believer (Jam. 2:10,14,17,18,20). Faith without works, James tells us, is dead faith. Dead faith saves no one. Only obedience to God’s Word (working the Word) will save the seeker. The Bible provides the PATH one must WALK (WORK) that will take one UNTO (toward) salvation. One’s “walk” must match that of Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 2:6). One must WALK/WORK that path (obey God’s Law/Word) in order to be saved. Jesus made this clear when He said: “He who endures (in holiness) unto the end (of life) SHALL (THEN) BE SAVED” (Mat. 10:22).

Numerous passages reveal God’s attitude toward Works as they relate to salvation. For example, in Matthew 5:16 Jesus commands men to obey God’s Word so that others will “… see your good WORKS and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” And what were the works to which He was referring? “… the WORKS OF GOD” (Jn. 6:28).

In reality the believer does not do the works by his own volition, as John 14:10 tells us. Here Jesus said that (because He was a human being and not a God), “The WORDS that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the WORKS. Note two ultimately important Truths: 1) Jesus equated God’s WORDS with His WORKS. Obeying His WORDS is in fact doing His WORKS. 2) Jesus, being a man, depended 100% on God for the power to obey His WORDS and thereby do His WORKS. God lives within the true saint in the form of His Holy Spirit. The Spirit is God’s power (Lk. 1:35) that enables the saint to do the things Jesus did (Jn. 14:12), which included overcoming Satan’s temptations to sin which one must do in order to be saved (Rev. 12:9). Jesus stated that even the words He spoke were given to Him by the Father (through the Holy Spirit). OBEYING THE  WORDS OF GOD=DOING WORKS OF GOD. Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God and Savior of mankind had to obey God’s Words in order to fulfill His commission. He was able to obey Him ONLY BY THE POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT which came on (into) Him at His baptism. God’s true saints are able to do what Jesus did by that same power. For this reason He said in John 14:12: “He who believes in Me, the WORKS that I do shall he do also, and GREATER WORKS than these SHALL HE DO because I go to the Father.” It all begins with obedience to God’s Word. L.J.