TRUE SALVATION

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to concisely capture all God’s commands and their applicability as a quick reference for modern-day believers, since God’s commands and their emphasis are widely spread throughout the Bible.  It focuses on commands either directly stated or implied by God through Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. Jesus himself is the Word of God (John 1:1, Revelation 19:13) and he says that if we love him we will keep his commands (John 14:15).  If we keep his commands, he will give us His Holy Spirit (John 14:16-21).  So, what are God’s commands? 

 

Most Christians today don’t believe that the commands of God found in the Old Testament law still apply for us today, especially to Gentile (non-Israelite) believers.  This is due to many New Testament passages (Acts 15:1-29, Romans 2:17-11:7, 14:1-23, 1 Corinthians 8:1-8, 10:18-30, Galatians 2:11-5:12, 6:12, Ephesians 2:11-22, Philippians 3:1-9, Colossians 2:13-23, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Hebrews 7:11-10:18), mostly letters from Paul (an apostle to Gentiles), that seem to suggest that we’re no longer required to keep any of God’s laws.  However, this thinking contradicts God’s law and Christ’s teachings.  Many of these same books and other New Testament passages (as translated today) also contain many things that seem to agree with the Old Testament law as the behaviors defined as sinful in the New Testament were established as sinful in the Old Testament.  Therefore, just as Jesus had greater testimony than John the Baptist (John 5:36), we should take the same view in comparing Jesus’ words with others, such as Paul.  After all, Jesus is our Lord, not Paul.  Paul and others are only servants.  The same logic also applies with those whom we follow today that claim to be ministers, teachers, pastors, elders, bishops, apostles, prophets, etc. regarding matters contradicting God’s word.  Why not obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29)?  Additionally, we should note that the complete New Testament did not exist to establish doctrine at the birth of the church immediately after Christ’s ascension to heaven. They only had the Old Testament (Law, prophets, & psalms) along with the oral testimonies about Jesus’ life. 

 

Jesus said something very important:

 

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 5:17-20)

 

Jesus even goes on to teach items found in the law with more strictness, by requiring that they be followed even in one’s heart and not only outwardly (Matthew 5:1-6:24).  Jesus’ problem with the religious leaders of his day was not that they were trying too hard to follow God’s law, but rather that they were not truly following it (John 9:17).  They were hypocrites (Matthew 23:27) who broke God’s commands for the sake of the traditions of their elders which was vain worship with merely human rules (Matthew 15:1-9, Mark 7:1-8).   Could this also be happening today, over 2000 years later? This had also happened well before Jesus’ time, when God eventually rejected his priests because they rejected knowledge by ignoring God’s law (Hosea 4:6).  Even they had regarded God’s law as something foreign (Hosea 8:12).

 

Concerning applicability of the law to Gentiles, even back when the law was given to the Israelites, the same rules (laws and regulations) were to apply to the aliens (non-Israelites) living among them (Exodus 12:49, *Numbers 15:14-16).  When the Israelites entered into covenant with God, the covenant was not only made with them, but also with those (generations) not there that day (Deuteronomy 29:14-15).  Even before Christ came, foreigners (of all nations) who bound themselves to the Lord (loving and worshiping him) were not excluded by God from his people, but were given joy in God’s house of prayer with their offerings and sacrifices accepted (Isaiah 56:3-8).  Jesus even mentioned Gentiles of Old Testament generations (i.e. men of Nineveh, the and Queen of the South) who repented and would rise at the judgement and condemn the generation (of Jews) of his time (Matthew 12:41-42, Luke 11:30-32).   Also note that, prophecies concerning the future prove that still incorporate  God’s Old Testament laws will still be followed (Zechariah 14:16, Micah 4:2). 

 

The law was given to the Israelites, and the same rules (laws and regulations) were to apply to the aliens living among them (Leviticus 12:49, *Numbers 15:14-16).  The 10 commandments were the only ones proclaimed to the assembly at the mountain, and he added nothing more, and these were the ones written on the 2 stone tablets.  Decrees and laws mentioned outside of the 10 Commandments were to be followed in the land of Israel for as long as they live there. (Deuteronomy 4:13-14, 5:22, 31, 6:1, 9:10, 10:4*, 12:1*)

 

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Topics Covered:

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Attitudes

Avoiding Sinful Behaviors
Becoming a Disciple (Follower or Student) & A Servant of God
Ceremonial Laws
Cleanliness & Hygiene
Dietary Laws (Clean & Unclean Foods)
Disputes & Fights (Conflict)
Justice & Mercy
Leadership
Love
Marriage
Money/ Wealth & Giving / Sacrifice
Oaths, Vows, & Swearing
Obedience
Occult & Pagan Practices
Prayer
Prophecy & Teaching
Receive the Holy Spirit
Sacred Days / Holidays
Salvation
Seeking God
Sexual Immorality
Sinful Speech
Slavery
Soldiers & War
Temptation
Unlawful Mixing
Warnings

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