We cannot earn our salvation :

 

    In defense of disobedience, people will appeal to the fact that God is a God of love.  That He certainly is (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19)!  But, how loving a Father would you consider Him if He had told His Son that He would have to die on a cross, enduring tremendous suffering (Heb. 12:2) in order to save a world of sinners, watch Christ go to earth, live, die, arise and come back to heaven, and then say to His ascended Son, "I was not telling you the truth.  It does not matter whether people obey the gospel or not.  I am going to save them anyway.  For all you have done of their behalf (cf. Heb. 13:12), I will ask them nothing in return!"

    Such a cruel portrayal of God flies in the face of the essence of His pure and holy nature.  That He would expect the very most from His sinless Son, a co-eternal member of the Godhead, but expect absolutely nothing from the worthless ones for whom His Son died is non-sensical and illogical.  Obedience to the gospel and faithful living thereafter is but the least we could do in appreciation for our atonement.  We cannot earn our salvation (Eph. 2:9), but neither does God place zero expectations upon us (Jas. 2:26).  He only gives the benefits of His grace to the ones who obey His will (Heb. 5:9).  Let us do away with the type of "none of self and all of thee" mentality which wants all of the grace without any of the obedience.  It just doesn't work that way.

 

Neal Pollard

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