Is Obedience Necessary for Salvation?
Well, the answer to the above question depends on what a person actually means when they are mentioning that very word (Obedience). If When a minister uses the word obedience, If they are referring to the One Act of Obedience of Obeying the Gospel (which is believing the Gospel of the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ). Then Yes, Obedience (that one act of Obedience) is necessary for Salvation. Since a person must obey the Gospel in order to be saved.
And how does one Obey the Gospel? By Simply Believing the Gospel. And that’s it.
However though, When a person says that Obedience is Necessary for Salvation, if what they are referring to is obeying the commandments, and living Holy, then the answer to the question above is: NO. Since Commandment keeping and holy living are not a requirement for Salvation.
Obeying the Commandments and living Holy are a requirement for Discipleship and Spiritual growth, but they are not a requirement for Salvation. Since Salvation is not a process, but rather, it is a One Time Event. Whereas Discipleship, on the other hand, is not a One Time Event. But rather, Discipleship is a Life long journey and endeavor. Discipleship deals with how one lives their life. For consider this question now: How many times did Adam have to sin and disobey the word of God before he died spiritually and became a sinner? Only ONE TIME. All it took was ONE ACT of Disobedience against God and against His word to plunge the whole entire world into sin. And so for a lost sinner to get saved, to get out of the Line of Adam and to get into the Line of Christ, all that is required of them in terms of Obedience is the ONE ACT of Obedience: Obeying the Gospel.
And once again, how does a sinner Obey the Gospel? They Obey the Gospel by simply BELIEVING THE GOSPEL. If a person has believed the Gospel, then they have Obeyed the Gospel. It really is that simple, folks.
Furthermore, one of the reasons that what I just stated is true is this. No one has ever perfectly obeyed the Bible. No one lives in complete perfect obedience, since no one is without sin. We all still have a wicked, sin nature dwelling in our body of flesh. The only man who has ever lived in complete, perfect obedience is the Man Christ Jesus, God manifest in the Flesh. Only Jesus lived in perfect obedience to the word of God, as He was on this earth, fulfilling His earthly ministry. And yet, no one before Jesus and no one after Jesus, has ever done what Jesus Christ did. No other man on this Earth could perfectly obey the word of God. Only Jesus Christ could do that. For He was without Sin. And since None of us can claim perfect obedience to the law of God, this also is why Obedience (i.e. Commandment keeping, living holy) is not required for Salvation.
For If it was, then Salvation would be based on our works and on our performance. And it would not be by Grace. You see folks, God does not Grade on a Curve. God’s standard is perfect, complete, holiness. This is why we must have the Imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ and His word, the Holy Scripture. If we are not as perfect and just and holy as the Lord Jesus Christ and His word (the King James Holy Bible) are, then we cannot make it into heaven. We MUST be as Perfect and Holy as Jesus Christ and His word, the Holy Scripture, are. That’s the only way we will make it into Heaven. Salvation is not of us. It is completely of God and His Holy Scripture.
In conclusion, the only Obedience which IS necessary for Salvation is the One Act of Obedience, which once again, is Obeying the Gospel. And a person obeys the Gospel by Believing the Gospel. By putting their faith and trust in the Death, Burial and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and trusting in Him alone to save them. And then the Obedience which comes after Salvation: keeping the commandments, Abiding in Christ, Walking in the Spirit, Living Holy. This Obedience which concerns how we walk and live as Children of God, this Obedience is only a requirement for Discipleship and spiritual growth. But it has nothing to do with our Salvation. God and His word took care of our Salvation. And now Discipleship and living Holy depends on Us and what WE DO.
Think of it like a court. We are standing before the judge and we are guilty of Sin. Satan tells the judge that the just requirement is death, because sin = death. Satan is also guilty of sin and should die but if God lets humans off He should also let Satan off and the law that sin = death is no longer valid.
We truly deserve death, but we have Jesus in our corner and He steps forward and tells the Judge that He well pay for our sin. God accepts it and we are free from the guilt and punishment of sin. the law is still valid and Satan is still able to be justly or fairly destroyed.
God is Judge and Jesus' blood can pay for all the sins of all the people that have ever lived but not everyone is saved. So each case is presented individually and the blood of Jesus is only used for those that accept and have faith in His grace. It is more then just understanding Gods grace because even the demons understand the Gospel.
We are not saved by our works or obedience, it is never good enough. But will Jesus give His blood to save those that do not want to obey and desire to disobey?
If people desire to disobey and Jesus allows them to live in Heaven and obedience is the only way to live, those people will feel out of place and hate living there. Rest and peace and joy comes from being close to Jesus, disobedience causes unrest and war and unhappiness. Heaven = obedience.
We need to commit to obey now because it will be too late after Jesus comes.
Psa_119:115 Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.
Pro_7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Ecc_12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Dan_9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Mat_19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
1Jn_5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn_5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Rev_12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev_14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
We are not saved by being obedient to the law but faith in Jesus does not make the law void or mean that we can continue in sin.
Rom_3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?