One Must Remain Faithful
We have studied the question: what must I do to be saved? This is the most important question that man can ask. So, if one obeys the Gospel Plan of Salvation (Hearing the Gospel, Believing the Gospel, Repenting of Sin, Confessing Christ, and being Baptized in water for the remission of sin) that person is saved and added to the church which belongs to Christ. A second question must be asked though. What must I do to remain saved? Jesus called His church to faithful living. Jesus explains, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” (Mark 13:13). If Jesus calls Christians to enduring faith, then surely the Bible will explain how we can do such.
Obedient Faith is Ongoing
To remain in Christ is to remain steadfast in faith. The Word of God teaches that one must remain faithful unto death (cf. Rev. 2:10). The Word of God instructed the first-century church, as it does all New Testament Christians, that they must be faithful, whether or not it is a good, spiritual high moment or if it is safe. All Christians must remain faithful even when it might cost them their lives. This was a very real circumstance for the church under the Roman Empire and in many nations today. There are Christians today in countries who face certain death for wearing the divinely given name of Christian. This is clearly in agreement with what is written above when Jesus made it clear there were expectations of His people. A Christian will be hated because of Jesus’ name; we will face opposition from all sorts of people and religions. Family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers will oppose the Lord’s people. To the Christian, the command does not change. Remain faithful, endure, and abide in Him.
Ongoing Obedient Faith is Taught in Scripture
The Bible teaches that a man must live in obedient faith because faith without obedience is not faith at all. John the Baptizer taught his disciples, "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” Jn 3:36. Obedient faith is directly opposite of the false doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints, otherwise known as Once Saved Always Saved. For example, Paul informed those who would accept circumcision that they had become severed from Christ. “Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace” ( Gal 5:4). Moreover, we find that Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:19-24 was found in “the bond of iniquity” because he had attempted to buy Apostolic ability although he had previously obeyed the Gospel. Is it possible that inspired Apostles were somehow mistaken? Or is it possible that some have taken great lengths to convince themselves that enduring faith requires no obedience at all? Jesus explained:
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.
(Luke 6:46-49)
Everyone who would be saved and remain saved must continue on the only true foundation that is in Christ Jesus. The Hebrew writer also affirms,
“Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:”
Heb. 3:12-14
To take heed means to be on guard, be aware, or even watch out. This does not mean that we might accidentally become lost again, but rather, if we are not diligent to remain faithfully obedient to God’s commands, we certainly can willfully choose a heart of unbelief and have hardened hearts by the lies of sin again.
Ongoing Obedient Faith is Characteristic of the Called Out
This is part of the salvation that is so easy to miss if we lose sight of what God has called His church from and what He has called them to. Christians are the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the church of Christ. Christians must remember that they have been bought with a price and given a purpose. If you have not obeyed the Gospel, why not do it today? I would love to study with you and assist you in that. Let’s go to heaven.
Grace and Peace,
R.D. Beavers
