What are we to be obedient to?
Question:
What are we being obedient to? Is it the Old Law? Is it God's commands? What commands does God have? The old testament commands? I know about the plan of salvation and the steps to become a Christian, but where do we find out how to know we are doing the work of God so we can be saved?
Answer:
I'm trying to figure out how you have the impression that the only commands are in the Old Testament.
"To those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law" (I Corinthians 9:21).
"If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment" (I Corinthians 14:37).
"If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame" (II Thessalonians 3:14).
The New Testament contains the commandments that Christians live under. See Why We Don't Follow the Old Testament.
How do you know if you are obedient? Compare what you are doing to what is taught in the New Testament. It isn't that complex. God will judge us according to whether we obey the gospel of Christ (II Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Question:
Thanks for such a quick response. I guess I’m just wondering what the new law is? What are those things we are supposed to follow?
Answer:
If you understand that the Old Testament contained the laws for the Israelites, why are you having difficulty understanding that the New Testament contains the laws for Christians?
"If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day" (John 12:47-48).
"Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25-26).
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory" (II Timothy 2:8-10).
See Obedience to God.
Question:
Read your obedience to God. I am not confused about being obedient to the New Testament. I’m just not clear on what we have to do under the new covenant to be saved. You pointed out previously that we are under the Law of Christ (that phrase is used several times in the New Testament) what are those laws that fall under the law of Christ? In the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, there were 600+ specific laws. What are all the things we must do to be saved? You are clear in saying we must obey and do things to be saved under the New Testament Law. Just wondering what those are.
Answer:
A Jewish Rabbi in the third century claimed to have listed out the specific laws of God in the Old Testament. The list was said to contain 613 laws. The problem is that various Jewish teachers don't agree on what those laws are. They don't all agree that the number of laws is 613. It is merely a tradition. See Where do I find a list of God's laws in the Bible?
Since you are asking about salvation, I do have a list of things connected to salvation. See What Saves a Person?
Question:
Thank you! So we have to obey all the commands Jesus gives us and we will be saved.
So if I go to services, worship the right way, take communion, get baptized, don’t miss services ever or bible classes, and make sure I obey all he’s commanded us I will be good enough to get into heaven.
I appreciate the diagram at the bottom to simply the steps that save us. Makes it easier to understand how we can earn our salvation.
Answer:
"So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done'" (Luke 17:10).
I'm scratching my head wondering why you concluded that because we are required to obey God that this somehow translates to earning our salvation. "Earning" carries an implication that God owes us salvation. But God doesn't owe us anything. He freely offers salvation to those who met His requirements. Even if we could fully meet God's requirements, we are inadequate for the gift God is offering us.
The plain fact is that every one of us is going to make mistakes. We are going to sin at times. We are going to fail to live up to God's standards. "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us" (I John 1:8-10). But even in our failure, God is willing to forgive those who don't give up.
The life of a Christian is one of constant improvement and constant refinement. I'm not perfect, but I'm striving to be better than I was in the past. Thus, this isn't a checklist but a pattern of growth. "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:11-16).
