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NASB | 1 John 2:4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 2:4 Whoever says, "I have come to know Him," but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him. |
Subject: Ten commandments should be obeyed . |
Bible Note: Reasnerm, good post. Although I surely do believe we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and not by works, I am not a proponent of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called "cheap grace." When I hear someone yell "legalism" to the faithful soul who is struggling to keep the commandments laid down by our Lord, I cringe. When I hear of a preacher (as in your example) telling his parishioners that they can profess faith in Christ and subsequently go about their lives as usual, I despair. Where there is no repentance, there is no regeneration. Where there is no regeneration there is no changed life. Good works don't save anybody. Only the shed blood of Christ on the cross can do that. But good works, changed lives, are the fruits of the new birth in Christ, and as the Lord has said, "By their fruits you shall know them.".....In summary: Obeying the commandments of the Lord is not legalism. Profession of faith by mere lip-service unaccompained by true repentance is the kind of faith James spoke of, dead faith, and that kind of faith that does not result in works, in changed lives, is dead, being alone. --Hank |