“8 though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9, KJV).
Loved ones, only a few simple passages of Scripture will establish the absolute necessity of our obedience to the commands of God in order to be saved from sin. Indeed, these few verses confirm that no one will be saved who does not render obedience to the Lord in this life.
Obedience Is The Mark Of Love For God.
Our Lord Jesus taught: "15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 23 …If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:15, 23-24).
These statements are much too plain to be misunderstood; if we truly love Jesus, we will obey Him. Our love is manifested or proven, not so much by what we say, but by what we do. True love for the Lord will lead to obedience.
Obedience Is The Mark Of Saving Faith.
The Bible gives a record of those who were weak in faith as well as those who were strong. What was the difference between them? Those strong in faith did what God told them to do, when God told them to do it, and how or in the way God told them to do it; those weak in faith did not. Yes, it is just that simple. Our faith is evidenced just like our love for the Lord — by what we do!
Jesus rebuked the faithless and disobedient people of His day, saying, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). He warned that "not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21-27).
James testified that Abraham had a "perfect" faith because he both believed in God and did what God told him to do (James 2:21-23). True faith — saving faith — leads to and includes obedience. The faith that saves is the faith that obeys.
Obedience Is The Mark Of Salvation.
This simply cannot be denied: "He that doeth the will of God abideth ever" (1 John 2:17); Jesus is "the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:9); Peter addressed his first epistle to those who had "purified [their] souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit" (1 Peter 1:22).
An important passage in this connection is Romans 6:17-18: “17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Here is proof positive that we are set free from sin not at the moment we first believe — but when our faith leads us into obedience.
In fact, we may be assured of salvation if we are obedient: “3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:3-5).
Assurance of salvation is not a good feeling or a warm glow; we can know that we are saved if we do what God has commanded. Obedience is the mark of salvation!
In view of these Scriptures, how can anyone still hold to the false doctrine of salvation by “faith only?” The way to be saved — and to know it — is to believe on Jesus and obey Him. Only those whose faith leads them to obedience have the assurance and promise of eternal life.
Disobedient Souls Will Be Lost
Here we are twenty-one hundred years from the time Jesus lived and died to redeem mankind, and the majority of the world is still lost in sin. Due to an exploding population, there is a greater need now for men to be cleansed by the blood of Christ than ever before in the history of the planet.
But this period of history has been labeled "the post-Christian era," for some say that the ONE Christian faith is in decline (Ephesians 4:5; Romans 10:17). If this is true, it is due, in part, to man's unwillingness to accept the Bible as the Word of God and to obey its teachings (Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Water Baptism
Many who profess to be friends of Christ continue to deny certain teachings, substituting in the place of divine revelation the doctrines and commandments of men. In no area is this more apparent than the area of Bible baptism and its relationship to Gospel salvation.
It is unbelievable, but the average individual who professes to be a follower of Christ denies any connection between the two, though they submit to a denominational baptism of sorts. But it is in the immersion of the penitent believer that one re-enacts the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, thus coming into His death, where His blood and its benefits are reached (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 6:3-6).
This being the case, it is easy to see why water baptism stands between the sinner and salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:20-21). Baptism is the dividing line between the sinner and receiving the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), thus having one's sins washed away by the blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5).
Salvation, like all other spiritual blessings, is in Christ (Ephesians 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:10). The penitent believer is baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3), where he or she puts on Christ (Galatians 3:27), becomes a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and becomes a child of God and heir of the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).
Being led by the teachings of the Spirit, baptism stands between the sinner and being a member of the body or church of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27), of which Christ is the Head and Savior (Ephesians 5:23), and where reconciliation is found (Ephesians 2:16). Baptism stands between the sinner, the new birth, and citizenship in the Kingdom (John 3:3-5).
The sinner cannot be a glad receiver of the Gospel if baptism is refused (Acts 2:41). Gospel obedience to that "form of doctrine" brings deliverance from the slavery of sin (Romans 6:3-18) and causes one to be "of Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:12-13).
Water baptism stands between the sinner and rejoicing because of the remission of sins (Acts 8:35-39; 16:33-34). The enlightened individual cannot have a clear conscience until baptism, for it is the appeal to God and answer for such (1 Peter 3:21).
Dear friends, why do you tarry? Arise and be baptized with Bible baptism and have your sins remitted by the blood of Christ (Matthew 26:28). The Gospel is God's power to save (Romans 1:16), and it must be re-enacted in our obedience to receive salvation (Romans 1:5; 16:25-27).
The God of Heaven and Earth is so good, and His love reaches all. Through the free gift of God’s grace by Jesus’ blood (Ephesians 2:8; Revelation 1:5) and your obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 10:17; 16:26), salvation is offered. If you have Bible questions or wish to comment on this post, please do so. Lord willing, a Bible answer will be provided for every Bible question.
The churches of Christ are neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew (Romans 16:16; Matthew 16:18-19). We are the loving suffering ONE body of Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:4-6) – CHRISTIANS: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16; cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28).
We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35). Samuel A. Matthews, preaching with the Liberty NW church of Christ, meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA – 6 March 2026
