Is obeying the Lord and His Commandments required for salvation?

[rogerg]

The enabling power comes from the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation.

Then why isn't everyone who hears or reads it converted?

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Must be called to be of the promise

.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. Acts 2:32-41

Who were they who "gladly received his word"? Obviously, not everyone or that statement would not have been necessary.

[Act 13:48 KJV]
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

[rogerg]

Love God above all else, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.
On this hang all the Law and prophets.
That is all encapsulating.

Do you think that is what saves us?

 

[JLB]

Faith comes by hearing, but the ABILITY (spiritual hearing) to hear comes from being born-again

Actually the scriptures say that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

When the Gospel is preached by those who are sent, it is the Spirit; the Spirit of grace that is released to empower those who hear to believe and therefore obey the Gospel, thus being born again.


Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:22-23



JLB

 

[JLB]

Then why isn't everyone

Because they refuse to obey the Gospel.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” Romans 10:16

 

[JLB]

Who were they who "gladly received his word"? Obviously, not everyone

Yes agreed.

It says about 3000 were added to the Church.

Not all who heard and received faith, obeyed what they heard, and therefore they were not justified. Their faith was dead.

Abraham...




JLB

 

[rogerg]

Because they refuse to obey the Gospel.

But you called it the "enabling power" (above). So for those who refuse it, another greater power must be at play
which differentiates who can become enabled and who can't . Because if it was truly enabling, that would mean no one could, or would desire to refuse it - or they hadn't been truly been enabled.
Alternatively, if it is the all encompassing "enabling power" of the Gospel as you say, then maybe it wasn't (isn't) intended to apply to everyone but only to those specific people to whom salvation was to be given - in which case it achieved its objective.

 

[rogerg]

Yes agreed.

It says about 3000 were added to the Church.

Not all who heard and received faith, obeyed what they heard, and therefore they were not justified. Their faith was dead.

Sorry, don't understand what you mean? Are you saying they did receive faith ? Can someone receive true faith and yet not obey it? Wouldn't that be a contradiction? Would anyone choose not to obey that which they believe to be absolute truth, especially where eternal salvation is concerned?

 

[rogerg]

When the Gospel is preached by those who are sent, it is the Spirit; the Spirit of grace that is released to empower those who hear to believe and therefore obey the Gospel, thus being born again.

Here's what the Bible tells us about being born again:
[1Pe 1:21 KJV]
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
[1Pe 1:23 KJV]
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Above, you say becoming born again is from our believing and obeying the Gospel.
Instead, the verse above informs us of how we become born again. It says nothing of any requirement or attribute the recipient must manifest to become born again, to include either believing or obeying - although after the fact we will exhibit those traits.
Instead, it informs us that God does it all.

One of Christ's names as described in the Bible is the Word of God. So, to be born again, is to have Christ (God) indwell the recipient. In fact, the indwelling of God, at its essence is what becoming born again is (by the incorruptible seed). Subsequent Christ like actions of the true Christian will emanate from, and will be because of the indwelling.

[Rev 19:11-13 KJV]
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

 

[JLB]

Here's what the Bible tells us about being born again:
[1Pe 1:21 KJV]
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
[1Pe 1:23 KJV]
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Where is verse 22?


Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 1 Peter 1:22


It is by the Spirit, we obey the Gospel and are born again.



No one is born again apart from hearing and obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ.



JLB

 

[rogerg]

Where is verse 22?


Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 1 Peter 1:22


It is by the Spirit, we obey the Gospel and are born again.

"through the Spirit" means the Spirit must already be present within them and the Spirit causes it to happen, or they couldn't have done it through the Spirit

 

[JLB]

Sorry, don't understand what you mean? Are you saying they did receive faith ?

All who heard Peter preach the Gospel on the day of Pentecost received faith from hearing the message of Christ.


Only those who believed the Gospel were saved… which was about 3000.


Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Luke 8:12


These by the wayside heard the gospel message which entered their heart. However they did not believe, and therefore they were not saved.






JLB

 

[JLB]

"through the Spirit" means the Spirit must already be present within them and the Spirit causes it to happen, or they couldn't have done it through the Spirit

No sir. The Gospel is the power of God, which is the grace of God; the Spirit of grace.


The Spirit is present in the preaching of the Gospel to convict and to enable those who hear to believe.


The Spirit does not force people to believe but enables or empowers them to believe; to turn to God and turn away from Satan as their lord.



JLB

 

[rogerg]

These by the wayside heard the gospel message which entered their heart. However they did not believe, and therefore they were not saved.

Correct. But only those who can truly hear, are those given spiritual hearing with spiritual ears not human ears, by the Holy Spirit when born again

 

[rogerg]

No sir. The Gospel is the power of God, which is the grace of God; the Spirit of grace.

We're going to have to disagree on this.
To hear and see, one must have spiritual ears and eyes. To have them, they must have been given to them

[Jhn 12:39-40 KJV]
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.


[Jhn 65 KJV]

65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

 

[Hopeful]

Do you think that is what saves us?

Obedience to the One we love only shows we love Him.
Disobedience shows He is not our Lord or Savior.
We obey our Lord.

 

[rogerg]

Obedience to the One we love only shows we love Him.
Disobedience shows He is not our Lord or Savior.
We obey our Lord.

Thank you, Hopeful

 

[JLB]

Correct. But only those who can truly hear, are those given spiritual hearing with spiritual ears not human ears, by the Holy Spirit when born again

We must obey the Gospel, when we hear the Gospel to be born again; saved, regenerated.


We are not born again before we hear and obey the Gospel.


I have asked you to show scriptures that say we are born again, before we hear and believe the Gospel message of salvation, and have yet to see any.


Let me know when you find one.




JLB

 

[JLB]

We're going to have to disagree on this.
To hear and see, one must have spiritual ears and eyes. To have them, they must have been given to them

[Jhn 12:39-40 KJV]
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Matthew 13:12-17


Who is the Lord speaking to in this passage?




JLB

 

[rogerg]

We must obey the Gospel, when we hear the Gospel to be born again; saved, regenerated.


We are not born again before we hear and obey the Gospel.


I have asked you to show scriptures that say we are born again, before we hear and believe the Gospel message of salvation, and have yet to see any.


Let me know when you find one.




JLB

Is that your way of not answering my question? Anyway, I already sent you that in a post several days ago, but here a quick one for now

[Jhn 3:3, 6-7 KJV]
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ...
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Seeing is spiritually seeing: must first be born again

Transliteration
horaō (Key)
Pronunciation
hor-ah'-o

1. to see with the eyes
2. to see with the mind, to perceive, know

 

[Chocolate Roadrunner]

... clarification requested.
I do not keep God's commandment "you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. "
.... your statement indicates that I am going to hell

Is it your claim the anyone that doesn't "love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. " goes to hell? Is so, have you kept that commandment?

... clarification requested.

I would say since we are saved by God given faith and grace, which we're told is not of our doing, there is nothing that will take us out of The Lamb's Book of Life. We can never lose what God freely gifted us. And works to not save nor retain that gift for us..

I don't see keeping God's ten commandments as a chore but as an instinct. Because we are alive in him and he in us, as indwelling holy spirit.

I will say I find it strange a Christian says they do not love God with their whole mind and heart.