WHAT DO WE KNOW?


We know that Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples that Jesus had chosen. We also know that the Apostle Paul, aka Saul, was called by Jesus, according to the Bible, to help spread the gospel of Jesus. Acts 9:1-19.

What else do we know about the Apostle Paul? We know about his popular teaching in which he says that we are saved by “grace” and not “work.” Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Consequently, millions or billions of Christians worldwide no longer keep His Commandments because they were encouraged to believe that they are saved by the "grace" of God, and not by keeping God’s Commandments and Laws. 

Now, let’s see what Jesus says to a lawyer about His Commandments.


And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asked the lawyer, "What is written in the law? What is your reading [of it]?" And the lawyer answered and said, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and `your neighbor as yourself.'" And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." Luke 19:25-28.


This Pharisee lawyer asked Jesus how could he inherit eternal life? And Jesus answered and asked the lawyer what is written in the law? Jesus could have asked him what did the prophet Elijah say, or what did the prophet Moses say? No, instead Jesus asked what did the law say? Jesus referred to the law as His only reference and nothing else. He said nothing about faith, grace, or anything else. The lawyer answered, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and `your neighbor as yourself.'" We are saved by our work! We are saved by keeping His Commandments. And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live." Luke 19:25-28.

  

Do what? Do what Jesus had commanded him to do during the conversation. Have we done what Jesus had told the lawyer to do, "`You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and `your neighbor as yourself.'"? No, I don't think so. How do I know that? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 Have we kept His Commandments? No, we have not. We keep Paul’s commandments and any of God’s commandments that we like and are convenient. Anything else we ignore and discard. We follow Adam and Eve and do what we want to do. We have the freedom of choice to do what we want to do. We live in the USA, and not in Saudi Arabia.


What did Paul say? He says that we are saved by “grace” and not by our “work.” “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.


Could we be saved by God’s “grace” if we can show Him no good work that God could accept? NO, I don’t believe we can, even the thief on the cross who was saved by Jesus had to show some good work that Jesus could accept.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:39-43 He surrendered himself to Jesus and that work gives him the right to eternal life. The other thief was not saved.

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