Articles
What Does the Lord Require?
Much discussion of religious matters revolves around the answer to the question of today's study. A great number of people believe and teach that the Lord requires nothing of us because, according to their beliefs, God "chose certain individuals…to be the objects of His undeserved favor. These, and these only, He purposed to save…His eternal choice…was not based upon any foreseen act or response on the part of those selected, but was based solely on His own good pleasure and sovereign will." [David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas, The Five Point of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented, p. 30.] According to this despicable and false doctrine, man "can do nothing pertaining to his salvation." [Op. cit., p. 25.]
This doctrine, though widely popular, is simply and plainly false. It is false because it contradicts what is found within God's own revealed will, the Bible. But I don't want you to take my word for it; I want you to see what God said about it, and we would all do well to accept what the author of our eternal salvation has to say about it. We would do well to disregard, reject and expose as false anything that would contradict His words. And friends and brethren, a doctrine that says man "can do nothing pertaining to his salvation" flatly contradicts the word of God, for there are numerous Bible passages that demand a response of man. If there were just one Bible passage that showed a response was required, or one passage that showed man must do something, then that doctrine would be shown to be false and we should rightly — and without hesitation — reject it as false. But, friends, and brethren, there is a lot more than just one passage showing man must do something as required by God, and that should tell us something. Consider:
When Moses spoke to the Israelites [whom we know were called “the people of God,” Jdgs. 20:2] just outside the Promised Land, he reminded them of all the times they had rebelled and why they had wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, and then asked, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (Deut. 10:12, 13).
That word “require” means exactly what you think it does; it means to 'ask for authoritatively or imperatively'; it means God would 'demand' something of them [Random House Dictionary]. Is it necessary to say here that if God demanded it and if God authoritatively asked for it, then the people not only could do it, but also had to do it if they were to be pleasing to God?
It seems plainly confusing to me to hear one who claims to believe in God and Jesus as the Christ and Son of God telling listeners that God requires nothing of mankind. Some of those who promote this false teaching will tell you man has no part in his salvation [i.e., nothing is required of Him by God], and yet will turn around and tell you man must obey God. If I follow this 'logic,' I would be arguing obedience to God's commands is unnecessary and obedience to God is necessary! Friends and brethren, you can't have it both ways!
If it isn't already clear to you the hypocrisy and inconsistency of this position, let's make this clear right now: Saying there are requirements for man regarding his salvation is the exact same thing as saying there are commands that must be obeyed. By definition, to command means 'to require authoritatively'; friend, a command is synonymous with a requirement! If God commanded something of man, that necessarily means there is something required of man!
The basic flaw in saying man can do nothing pertaining to his salvation is that those who hold to this untenable position will argue, on one hand, that a man does not have to do anything [in fact, cannot do anything], yet will still argue that men must obey God. [I have a tape of a Baptist preacher arguing for 25 minutes against the statements and commands of Peter requiring baptism for remission of sins and its part in our salvation as found in Acts 2:38 and 1 Pet. 3:21, and Paul's words in Acts 22:16, but then ending the lesson by admonishing the audience of the need to do it anyway because it is a command of God. "It doesn't save you, but you need to obey God's command."]
Which is it, my friend? Logically speaking, an inability of man to do anything pertaining to his salvation necessarily means he cannot obey God's commands. If God has commands, and yet man cannot, according to this teaching, do anything — including obey commands of God — then the only conclusion is either [1] man can be saved without obedience to God's commands or [2] the commands of God are meaningless.
Let's not mince words here: Whenever anyone holds to a doctrine that one may logically conclude means he does not have to obey a command of God to be saved, that doctrine is false, and will lead one to eternal destruction — not salvation. If commands do not have to be obeyed [or, as is argued, cannot be obeyed], then please explain the following passages:
“And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.” (Gen. 7:5)
“So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded.” (Exod. 7:10)
And should one argue that those were not matters of salvation [I would disagree], what of Peter's command to Cornelius and his household “to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48) — words Cornelius had said earlier were “the things commanded [Peter] by God” (Acts 10:24), and words Cornelius was told would be “by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:14)? They would be saved by those words if — and only if — they obeyed them! If not, it must be shown from Scripture how they were saved without obedience to God's commands. It can't be done, friend!
And what of the Roman disciples, who Paul said had “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Rom. 6:17)? Note that Paul wrote — by Divine inspiration — that they obeyed; he did not say God caused them to obey. You see, God's word plainly teaches, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). These disciples heard the word of God [“that form of doctrine to which you were delivered”] and they believed it and obeyed it.
Those who teach man cannot obey are essentially saying man does not have to obey; and when man tells you we do not have to obey any command of God and can still be saved, he does not speak from God! If obedience is not required, then why did God give any command? What would be the purpose?
Consider, too, that the writer of Hebrews plainly tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, He was perfected [He completed God's work on earth perfectly] and “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8, 9). Did you catch that? Jesus is Savior only to those who obey Him! You can teach obedience is not possible or not necessary, but God's word tells us if you want to be saved, you had better obey the commands and requirements of Jesus.
A command is a requirement; obedience is possible and necessary. Failing to do is disobedience. —— Steven Harper
