The Great Salvation/35

PROPOSITION 35.

It Is Our Duty After Baptism to Obey the Commandments of Our Lord

Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said, Occupy till I come.

John 14:15 If ye love me keep my commandments.

John 14:23 If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come in unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 15:13-19 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I haw heard of the Father 1 have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit; and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. * * *· Ye are not of this world, but I have chosen you out of this world, therefore the world hateth you.

Rom. 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory, honor and immortality (God will render) eternal life.

I Cor. 11:23-27 For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood; this do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Heb. 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised); and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.

II Pet. 1:3-11 …. (God) hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We have now before us the way of the great salvation. You will conclude that if this is the only salvation and the only way of salvation set forth in the Bible, then Christendom has gone far astray; and you will possibly stagger before the question, How can so many be wrong? Remember that the same question might have been asked by Noah and by the faithful in the days of Jesus. But the many were wrong and only few were right. Truth is truth regardless of whether few or many believe it. It is your privilege to believe and obey the Truth and then to walk worthy of it’s glorious end. You have been shown "what is good", and now what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?".

Should you, dear reader, feel that the flesh is weak, do not despair if the mind is willing; for the God of Israel loves mercy. In His great mercy He has provided for us a high priest who has been touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted (Heb. 2:18); and he ever Iiveth to make intercession for us. Affectionately we are addressed in the words, "My little children these things I write unto you, that ye sin not.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Thus we find that God is the God of truth, righteousness, love and mercy. Let us therefore respond to His gracious appeal, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me. * * * Incline your ear and come unto me; hear and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you;, even the sure mercies of David (Isa. 55:1-3).