OBEDIENCE RESULTING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS? BY STEVE FINNELL

Men are born again by obedience to the truth.

Men are not born again by grace alone. Obedience is required.

1 Peter 1:22-23 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living  and enduring word of God.

Men have purified their souls by obedience to the truth. They have been, born again, according to the word of God.

It all starts and ends with being obedient to Jesus Christ. Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved;but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

1. WHAT DOES BELIEVED MEAN?

2. WHAT DOES HAS BEEN BAPTIZED MEAN?

BELIEVED

1. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

2. Acts 8:26-38 ...37 [And Philip said,  "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Belief, repentance, confessing Jesus as God's Son, and water baptism are all part of being obedient to the truth.

3. Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes,resulting in righteousness, with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

The obedience of confession and belief are linked to men obtaining the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from obedience.

4. Matthew 10 32-33 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Being willing to confess Jesus before men is part of the obedient faith that saves.

5. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith;and that not of yourselves, it if the gift of God;

Men are saved through believing (faith). Grace alone cannot saved anyone. Grave is available to all men.  

NOT ALL WHO BELIEVE WILL BE SAVED

1. John 12:42 Nevertheless many of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;

Belief "only" cannot save anyone. Why do so many contemporary preachers deny that water baptism is essential for salvation? Why are they afraid to preach salvation just as it was taught by Jesus? 

2. James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

It takes more than belief in God to be saved.

3. Matthew 8:28-29 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were extremely violent that no one could pass  by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God?.....

The two demon-possessed men believed that Jesus was the Son of God. That did not result in their salvation. Simply believing and confessing that Jesus is God's Son cannot saved anyone. Without repentance and being baptized into Christ, the demon-possessed men were still in their sins. They were still lost.

BAPTIZED
Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism in  water is  an essential step in obedience, resulting in righteousness.

JESUS SAID IT ALL IN MARK 16:16

BELIEVE: What does that include?
1. John 3:16
2. Acts 8:37
3. Luke 24:47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins...
4. Acts 2:38 ..."Repent....for the forgiveness of your sins...
5. Romans 10:9-10
6. Ephesians 2:8
7. John 8:24 'Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
8. John 3:15 so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
MORE EXAMPLES COULD BE GIVEN.

BAPTIZED: What does that include.
1. Acts 2:38 
2. 1 Peter 3:21.....baptism now saves you...
3. Acts 22:16 ...Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins...
4. John 3:5...unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
MORE EXAMPLES COULD BE GIVEN

Galatians 3:26-27 For you are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

It is just like Jesus said in Mark 16:16 and repeated in Galatians 3:26-27. BELIEF AND BAPTISM PRECEDES SALVATION. BELIEF AND BAPTISM PRECEDES BECOMING SONS OF GOD AND BEING CLOTHED WITH CHRIST.

BELIEVING NOT ONLY MEANS FAITH, BUT IT INCLUDES CONFESSING JESUS CHRIST AND REPENTANCE.

BAPTISM INCLUDES, BAPTISM FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS AND BEING BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST.

OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF JESUS RESULTS IN PUTTING ON THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST.