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Test of Discipleship
39
God’s holy ten-commandment law given to Israel on Sinai tells us
what righteousness is.
A faith in Christ which teaches that we do not need to obey God
is not true faith. It is teaching something that is not true. “For it is
by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith.”
Ephesians
2:8
. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead.”
James 2:17
, KJV.
Jesus said of Himself before He came to earth, “How I love to do
your will, my God! I keep your teaching in my heart.”
Psalm 40:8
.
Before Jesus returned to heaven after being on the earth, He said,
“I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”
John
15:10
. The Bible says, “If we obey God’s commands, then we are
sure that we know him.” “If we say that we remain in union with
God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.”
1 John 2:3, 6
. “For
Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you
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would follow in his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21
.
The plan by which God gives us eternal life has always been
the same. It is still the same as it was in the Garden of Eden before
Adam and Eve sinned. God gives eternal life to those who obey His
law perfectly, to those who have perfect righteousness.
Eternal life cannot be given by any other plan, for then the hap-
piness of all creation would be in danger. Sin would go on forever.
Suffering and unhappiness would never end.
It was possible for Adam before he sinned to form a righteous
character by obeying God’s law. But Adam failed to do this. Because
of his sin, we are all sinners, and we cannot make ourselves righteous.
Because we are sinful and unholy, we cannot perfectly obey God’s
law. We have no righteousness of our own to do what God’s law
requires.
But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth,
facing the same kind of trials and temptations we have to face. He
lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our
sins and give us His righteousness.
We may give ourselves to Him and accept Him as our Saviour.
Then, no matter how sinful our lives have been, we are counted as
being righteous because of Him. Christ’s character will stand in the
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place of our characters. We are accepted by God just as if we had
not sinned.