Am I intentionally and diligently learning and practicing Christ’s words so I will have eternal life?  

51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

INSIGHT:  “IF anyone keeps my word”.  There is that word “if” again, which Jesus so often uses, making clear that people have the free will choice to obey or reject Christ and His teachings.  God will not force anyone to love or obey Him, but He will severely punish those who choose, of their own free will, not to do so!

This is one of many other Scriptures, like Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:21, John 8:31-32, John 14:15, or John 15:10, where Jesus makes it clear to His hearers that there is more to being saved than just believing in your mind that he is the Son of God.  A true Christian is one who also knows and follows Jesus’ teachings.  That clever Satan has managed to suck all the obedience teachings out of the Gospel and then accuse anyone who teaches the need to obey Jesus’ teachings, of teaching a false “works” based salvation.  That is classic Satan, erasing the words obey, obedience, keep, hold to, and put into practice, right out of Jesus Christ’s own teachings and then still call it the Gospel that saves!

To quote Eph 2:8-10, which says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” and to then suggest that one verse negates all the teachings of Jesus, on the need for obedience, is spiritual blindness on a damning level, if it is not corrected by repentance and the mercy of God!  To use the Word of God to strike down or nullify other parts of the Word of God is a spiritual crime against God’s Spirit!

Satan has hidden the true meaning of “works” and has created a false gospel, which makes obedience to Christ seem like a dangerous false teaching!  When Paul says “works”, we must remember that most of the audience were Jews who were once under the Law of Moses.  He is teaching that no one can be saved by keeping the Law of Moses, which was considered “works”. Think circumcision, Sabbath keeping, observing special days, abstaining from certain foods, etc.  These were the type of “works” which Paul said cannot save you.

He never taught that obedience to Christ, because of our love for Him, was a “works” based attempt at salvation!  On the contrary, he teaches we are called to the “obedience that comes from faith” (Rom 1:5) Anyone who teaches that obedience to Christ is a false gospel, does not know God and is guilty of a spiritual crime against those to whom he teaches that nonsense!  They are guilty of preaching another gospel and deserve eternal condemnation! (Gal 1:9)

The Word of God is not confusing on this issue of obedience—but Satan and his false teaching is. When you truly understand the work of the Cross, the sacrifice Jesus made for your sins, the forgiveness He offers you through faith in His blood, which saves you from hell, and His coming to live inside you by His Spirit, it becomes your born-again, internal desire to keep His words.

Obedience, apart from a born-again faith in Christ does not save us.  That is a spirit of religion which attempts to achieve righteousness with God, apart from an actual relationship with Him.  Think about the Pharisees who kept the law to the letter but who had no faith in Christ and no love for Him.  They were too busy trying to earn their right standing before God by carefully following all his rules, without honoring and living for Him in their heart.  That approach is impossible and evil.  In their hearts they boast, “I have kept God’s law, and I will be able to boast before Him that I did.”  They are law followers who cannot be saved.  We are followers of Jesus Christ who will be saved, if we endure to the end.

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Eph 2:8).  However, sincere faith is evidenced by obedience. Do you have an internal desire to obey Christ’s teachings?  Are you fruitful?  If not, it would be wise to examine your faith to see if the Spirit of Christ is really in you. (2 Cor 13:5).