The Doing Saves
Every knowledge you are reading and gathering from the Bible, books, Church, Television, Youtube, blogs etc is actually for one thing – doing. When you have understanding and knowledge and refuse to apply it, there will be no victory. When we do that, the Bible calls us foolish builders and foolish man.
Anyone who does that is just like the man that built his life on sand. He read and heard but refused to apply what he read and heard. He also heard wrongly. He is also like the man that keeps looking at himself at the mirror of the law but forgets what he looks like when he leaves the mirror.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:23-25
The victory comes from doing. Gather knowledge and do. In doing, apply the knowledge correctly. Some people keep gathering knowledge and refuse to do, while some people do not gather knowledge and do. They apply false doctrines, false knowledge and wisdom to their own destruction.
Wisdom is the right and correct application of knowledge. A lot of people have struggled to collect knowledge from the Bible without the Holy spirit – the Spirit of wisdom, understanding and revelation.
They apply the word of God wrongly because they have no understanding or partial understanding. They suffer from complete or partial spiritual blindness. They lack wisdom, that is why they are the foolish builders, not the wise builders.
It is for our own good for us to gather knowledge by looking at the mirror of the word and also do. We must never forget to do because it is the doing that saves. Obedience is a collective name for doing and practicing the word of God. However, let’s break down obedience and doing to minute components so that we can elucidate further. Complete obedience means putting on and practicing the whole counsel of the word of God.
Obedience can be summarized as:
1. Have faith in God, believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
2. Follow the pattern of worship outlined and practiced in the New Testament. Do not worship God in the manner and pattern of the idol worshippers and claim to be worshiping God. By their fruits, deeds and manner of worship we know idol worshippers not what they claim. Action speaks louder than words.
You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. Deuteronomy 12:31-32
3. Pray at all times
4. Have expectation when you pray and don’t doubt
5. Know what idolatry is, and flee it
6. Flee sexual sins
7. Love your neighbor as yourself
8. Forgive and overlook hurts and offenses
9. Put on the complete armor of God.
10. Offer spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving, praise, love and worship
11. Do not forsake the gathering, assembly and fellowship of believers
12. Give offerings and donations to promote the gospel and sustain your local church
All these instructions can be narrowed down and further summarized to:
Don’t hurt God
Don’t hurt man
Pray, praise, thank, worship and grow to maturity
May God help us to put on and practice the whole counsel of the word of God.
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I’ve been listening (via YouTube) to some amazing testimonies with teaching by the likes of Ian Clayton and Tim Bence to name 2. They both emphasise this same point you are – as James wrote, “faith without works is dead” and as Yeshua said “the letter kills but the Spirit gives life”. Words are formed with letters, Whether written or spoken, when we “imbibe” them we have to ask Father YHVH to show us by His Spirit sent to lead us into all truth, what He wants us to gain from such, and how to have the Word(s) become flesh as Yeshua was THE WORD who became flesh as a living embodiment of His (and our) Father’s will.
Thank you for the response. That Scripture says it all, “faith without works is dead.” May God give us the grace to wisely remember this Scripture and practice the word of God. Blessings
Pingback: The Doing Saves | Tonya Batterson LaLonde
Amazing post! The Church today is warming pews while the world grows cold. We are supposed to be out there doing what Christ has ordered us to do. God bless you sister….
Thanks a lot for the inspiring response. Yes, the Church is supposed to do what Christ has ordered her to do and be the salt of the earth. Blessings ❤️🙏
This sounds very much like the Jewish way. “Learn, Do, Teach”
Thanks a lot for the response. That’s a wise saying. Learn, Do, Teach. So we just don’t stop at doing, but we also teach. Lovely ❤️❤️❤️🙏
Your post steps right into the “faith vs. works” debate that has plagued Christianity for, well, since its inception, and you’ve done so with some good insight. I do have one thing to interject, and judging by some of the other comments, this has been missed. It has to do with ‘grace’.
You say, “…while some people do not gather knowledge and do. They apply false doctrines, false knowledge and wisdom to their own destruction.” I know the type of person you are referring to, and there are many such people, but you inadvertently step on what one facet of ‘grace’ is about.
God has said that His Law will be written upon our hearts. (He never said it would be done away with). I have seen many, many Christians living what the Law says without realizing it (in fact I just posted a memorial to such a person in my blog – Requiem for a Saint). They ‘do’ by the grace of God. The grace of God guides us from going against His word, and this tendency becomes stronger as we walk longer with Him. This touches on the reason why the Apostle Paul clearly taught only a few ‘laws’ for new believers. He knew that God, by His grace, would slowly guide the new believers into walking more and more according to His word, and that the sacrifice of Jesus (Yeshua) would atone for what wasn’t known.
The best summary of what obedience looks like that I know is listed in the 10 “commandments”. Your list is a good application of some of the 10 put into modern understanding.
There is much, much more to this, and the verse you quote (Deut. 12:31-32) as applied to Christianity, but that is for another time. I’ll just close with a summary from the words of Yeshua (Jesus): “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
– Yosef
Thank you so much for the enlightening and informative response. Your points are filled with wisdom and light and really enhance the discussion and topic. God bless you❤️❤️❤️🙏
Yeshua followed a rabbinical principle. When 2 rabbis discuss a scripture, and one doesn’t agree with the other’s interpretation, he’ll say “you’re destroying (abolishing) the Law”. If the other disagrees who shared that interpretation, he’d reply “No I’m fulfilling it” i.e filling the meaning fuller. Examples : Yeshua said “You’ve heard it said you shall not commit adultery” – pretty straightforward eh? needs no explanation?? In Jeremiah, YHVH told him, that man looks on the outward appearance but He looks upon the heart – and the heart is deceitfully wicked above all things ,,,,
Yeshua then fulfills the Law by marrying the two scriptures saying, But I say unto you, whoever looks upon another with lust in his/her heart, has committed adultery already. (Because His Father looks upon the heart ).
Thanks for the wise words. I like the rabbinical principle and the way that Scriptures always add to and enhance one another. Blessings ❤️🙏
Bless you too
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This is so strong and love how you emphasize being obedient and following Christ..
Thank you so much for the inspiring response. God bless you always ❤️❤️❤️🙏
AMEN AND AMEN!!!!! YES!!!! Blessings to you always may God hand continue to be upon you my sister! <3
Thank you so much for the response and prayer. God bless you always ❤️❤️❤️🙏