It's Necessary for Salvation!!!

I’m a Sabbath-keeper. I ‘rest’ on God’s weekly sacred day and I keep the annual Festivals He instituted. When people hear this, I think many assume that I do these things because I think they save me. (Could be wrong…)

A friend asked me once if I believe these things are ‘necessary for salvation’. Well…

Why do we obey God? Sometimes, when people talk, it almost sounds like the motive for obedience is our own benefit. Our own blessings. Don’t get me wrong, there truly are blessings for obeying God. He said so Himself (Deu 30:11-20) and such blessings are spoken of exhaustively in the longest chapter in the Bible, the 119th Psalm.

But… should that be the main reason to obey?

I don’t think so. The Lord Jesus quoted the words that He had spoken to Moses, saying: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deu 6:5; Mark 12:13; Luke 10:27) And John adds: “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Love. Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the creative and saving force that is God Almighty. Jesus was willing to die, to risk living a human life in which had He sinned, He’d have to die just as we would have: without hope.

All for love. We all need to ask ourselves if we love God enough that we’d do this for Him. Can we imagine obeying Him without any 'blessings'? Can we imagine that the joy of knowing that you made Him smile would be enough for us? Would we be willing to die for Him?

Fortunately for us, there is resurrection. But what is it about the resurrection that motivates us to live in Christ? Is it the prospect of an eternity of riches? Or is it the prospect of an eternity in the presence of the Lord Jesus and the Father, seeing the beautiful face of God?

I truly do believe that God wants us to rest on His Sabbath, and to keep the rest of His Law. But I don’t do them to be saved. And I know that doing it does not ensure salvation. Salvation is by Christ’s merit alone. On the other hand, one must believe on Jesus to receive the gift of salvation. And to believe on Him, one must know Him. And there are definitely many false Jesuses; and only one true Jesus.

The Jesus I believe in will return and bring those who eat unclean meat to justice (Isaiah 66:17) and bring all the nations of the world to observe His Feasts (Zechariah 14:16-19).

So, what’s necessary for salvation? The blood of Jesus, shed for us around 1980 years ago. Saved by grace through faith to let that faith shine through our actions (Ephesians 2:8-10).

All for love.

All for Jesus.