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Bible Question: What
are your views on Sabbath keeping? Can you be saved by only following
the other commandments?
Bible Answer: There
is a previous question that speaks to your question about keeping
the Sabbath. It is entitled, "Do
we have to keep the commandments and laws given in the Old Testament?" Jesus
was in the land of Judea and was preparing to leave when a man ran
up to Him and asked your question . . . almost asked your question.
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. . a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking
Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call
Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘DO
NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT
BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND
MOTHER.’” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I
have kept all these things from my youth up.” And looking
at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, “One
thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to
the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow Me.” (NASB)
Mark10:17-21 |
Ten
Commandments. This man was an extremely rich ruler or leader
of the Jews (Luke 18:18, 23). He had "everything in this world" and
he wanted to be sure his after life was in order too! Jesus does
not agree or disagree with him about his claim to have kept the Ten
Commandments but tells him to sell everything he has and follow Jesus!
The man responds with disappointment and leaves the Lord. Jesus was
not saying that one must keep the Ten Commandments and be poor. The
man's problem was that He was not willing to give himself to God!
He was also mistaken. Eternal life is not found by keeping of the
Ten Commandments. His keeping of the Ten Commandments was not good
enough. Keeping the Ten Commandments will not save us.
Many
believe that keeping the Ten Commandments will save a person. This
is a common idea left by some churches and the media. This reminds
me of a little girl.
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At
the age of two, a little girl began to learn all the traditional
fairy tales, like Goldilocks, the Three Bears and The Three
Little Pigs. Her mother and father taught her the familiar
Bible stories as well. One day her mother read to her Revelation
3:20. When the mother finished the verse, she asked, "If
Jesus is knocking at your door, will you open the door and
let Him in?" The girl quickly responded, "Not by
the hair on my chinny-chin-chin." |
She
missed the point and so have others when it comes to eternal life.
The truth is, a person cannot keep all of the Ten Commandments without
making one mistake! God says,
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For
whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point,
he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “DO NOT
COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now
if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you
have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act,
as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. (NASB)
James 2:10-12 |
Jesus
says that it is not just our actions that count but our attitudes.
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You
have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT
COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall
be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone
who is angry with his brother shall be guilty (NASB)
Matt. 5:21-22
You
have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’;
but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust
for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
(NASB) Matt. 5:27-28 |
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