From the book: Friends of Jesus
FRIENDS OF JESUS #3 - Sermon #288   Go to the book "DO" IS THE PIVOTAL WORD OF THE GOSPEL	Friends of Jesus #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7

"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," JOH 15:14.

The central point of this message is how the word "do" is a key word of the gospel. So much of the gospel pivots around the word do. "If ye do..." not only teaches that our friendship with Jesus is conditional, but it teaches very emphatically what the conditions are.

Notice wherein this centers. We may gain a clearer understanding by going back to the story of creation. What was the purpose of God's creation? In the creation, God created man not only capable of rendering perfect obedience, but to glorify God by being the reflection of His character. It is by man doing the will of God that we perform the very purpose of His creation.

What is salvation? Salvation is to be saved from sin, "...and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins," MAT 1:21. What is sin but the transgression of the law? "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law," 1JO 3:4. The Lord Jesus Christ came to save us from the transgression of the law!

Sin is disobeying the will of God. The good news of the gospel is that we are to be saved from sin; we are to be restored back into the image of God, to be brought back into the service of God and fulfill the purpose of His creation, i.e., to be reconciled with the will of the Father. That is salvation, cf., 2CO 5:17-21.

ISA 43:6-7 says, "I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him." The purpose of God's creation is to glorify Him by the reflection of His character in our human nature. This is the point we must understand as the underlying theme of our text; we were made for God's glory.

The good news of the gospel is that we can become reconciled with God. We lost our state of conciliation by disobedience. To become re-conciled we must come in holy awe and reverence to God's blessed will.

Man was created to be the crown jewel of God's creation, but we fell through disobedience. The central theme of the gospel is salvation from sin, i.e., the transgression of the law. Reconciliation is being restored into that same state of conciliation with God from which we fell; this can only be accomplished when our rebellion is broken, and we come back into submission to His will.

The Lord can be glorified only by man whose heart's desire is to serve Him out of holy reverence and Godly fear. The Lord has no pleasure in you or I doing His will out of compulsion because we have a whip to our back or from a selfish motive because we want to escape hell. He does not want us to do His will reluctantly.

God can be glorified only when our hearts are renewed and our desire is to obey Him because we love Him. We must want to be restored into that image of God; self-denial is necessary for our restoration into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sole purpose of glorifying God.

In PSA 100:1-3 we read, "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

Do you understand what he is saying? We must not only serve the Lord, but do it with delight. Do you see the need to go back to the creation? We must remember that it is He who made us; He created us for the purpose of serving Him with delight, joy, and gladness, i.e., with our whole heart.

We are not our own; we are His servants. As His imitators we are not free to walk where we want to walk. We are the sheep of His pasture; we are to follow in the footsteps of our Heavenly Shepherd. EPH 5:1-2 says, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." The word followers comes from the Greek word mimetes which means imitators. We must imitate that love.

As the result of the fall, man by nature will serve self, Satan, and sin; but, when the Holy Spirit works the work of regeneration, we become new creatures with new desires.

This work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts renewing our desire to "do" whatsoever He commands us becomes the evidence of our salvation. 2CO 5:17 tells us, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." We have new desires and affections which set on new things rather than on the things of this world. Our desires and affections are set on things above.

The work of regeneration makes you a complete new man with new desires. Now you like and serve that which you once hated. Also, you come to hate those things of this world that you once loved.

The work of regeneration is beautifully described in EPH 4:21-24, "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

The fruits of regeneration, or this change of attitude, is revealed in our observance of the law of love as we see in the following verses. "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth," EPH 4:25-28.

The work of grace is a new creation; God created the world out of nothing, and there is nothing within us of our fallen nature which is pleasing to the Lord.

The word grace as it is used throughout the New Testament comes from the Greek. It means "the divine influence of the Spirit upon the heart which is revealed in the life." It is by this divine influence of the Spirit upon the heart that our entire thought process and frame of mind must be renewed. It is a new creation which restores the heart's desire to be the friends of God; we are enemies of God by nature, and we have no desire to serve the Lord.

By grace we become His friends; as our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." This regeneration is the work of grace.

The new creation has the same purpose as the first creation: the glorifying of God, as we see in EPH 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

What does it mean to be foreordained? In the beginning before God created man, He ordained that we are to walk in the path He created us to walk; we should walk according to His will. Now do you see the central point of the gospel? The good news of the gospel is that man can be restored to the image from which he fell; we are created anew unto good works in Christ Jesus which God foreordained.

However, if we hold this in the context in which it was written, we see that there is no merit in our keeping of the law. The word do is the pivotal point of the entire gospel, even though it is our evidence that we have salvation—yet our salvation is without merit.

We do not do for the purpose of meriting salvation. EPH 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." So many people misunderstand what it means to be saved through faith.

The word through in this instance comes from the Greek word dia which means by reason of, for the sake of the faith of Christ. The faith of Jesus Christ is "the channel of an act," or the channel through which it is conveyed. We are justified "by the faith of Jesus Christ," GAL 2:16. Our blessed Saviour is both "the author and finisher of our faith," HEB 12:2. Faith is the channel through which salvation is conveyed to us.

In EPH 2:8-9 we are told we are not saved by works so we might not boast of them. Even if we have done everything exactly as the law has demanded of us, we can only lay our crown at His feet to say that we are unprofitable servants for we have only done our duty. This leaves us nothing to boast of.

Here is an illustration. Suppose you drive your car across the country to New York. All the way you have not broken a speed limit, gone through one stop light, nor violated any law. When you arrive in New York, you make a mistake and go through a red light. Can you tell the police officer that you traveled all the way from Montana to New York without breaking any law, therefore this is excusable? No. It is your duty to keep the law all the way, that gives you nothing to boast of. Now we are talking about this one violation. That one violation is enough to bring you under the condemnation of the law.

Salvation is not of our good works lest we should boast. If we kept every law of God but one; we have nothing whereof to glory; we have nothing to boast of, it is our duty to keep the law. It is the transgression of the law with which we must deal. That is why we need the atonement of Christ for salvation. We need the blood of Christ to take away the penalty of our sin, even if we broke only one commandment. JAM 2:10 says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Before we can rightly understand how that word do can become the very contingency of our friendship with Jesus Christ, we must understand the difference between legal works and being re-created.

Legalism is keeping the law out of compulsion; one obeys the letter of the law like a slave under a whip. The letter of the law is obeyed as the orders of God, and only because it is God's law. That is legalism.

The new creation is a transformation of our will; it gives us new desires to do the will or the pleasure of the Lord with delight. The Lord has no delight in anything we do grudgingly out of compulsion; the new creation gives a new desire to do His will because we hate sin. Now we have a desire to be delivered from sin.

Continuing on to EPH 2:10 we read, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Our old nature is brought under subjection by the Spirit, GAL 5:17. Then our new nature desires to do good works.

We must recognize that the contingency placed upon the word do in our text places it in a direct relationship to justification. How does justification relate to what we do? We can be justified in two ways. Suppose you receive a traffic ticket. The law can be satisfied in one of two ways.

One way to be justified is to be acquitted, i.e., to prove you are not guilty. Then you are justified by vindication. The second way to satisfy the law is by paying the penalty thereby vindicating yourself from the condemnation of the law.

Now perhaps we can see how the word do in our text is in direct relationship with the word justification, yet see what we read in ROM 3:28. "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." How is that? Our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," JOH 15:14. Where is the harmony in these Scriptures? We are justified by faith without the deeds of the law, and yet we must "do" because it is in direct relationship with our justification.

To understand this without finding contradiction in the Word of God we must see that the only merit there is in faith is found in GAL 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ [There is faith which has merit!], even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ [that is how we can be justified by a faith that has merit], and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

In the original Greek the word by in that verse means "on the basis of." How do we understand "... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," and yet that word do in our text is directly related to our justification? We are justified by Christ's works of righteousness, not by our own works of righteousness which we have done.

TIT 3:3-7 says, "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

There is the key; it is not by the works of righteousness which we have done that we are justified; it is by the works of righteousness which the Lord Jesus Christ did that we are redeemed. Christ's righteousness, i.e., His perfect obedience to the law, in behalf of His church being imputed unto and imparted into His church, is what God looks upon as the satisfaction of the law in behalf of His church.

As that perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ in His obedience is imputed and imparted to us, thereby we have a righteousness that can please God by the gospel obedience, i.e., a "...delight in the law of God after the inward man," ROM 7:22, and a deep remorse over every violation of the law.

It was according to His mercy that He saved us from the power of sin "...by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." See what Jesus does. By the washing of regeneration He washes and cleanses us from our sins, He works in us new desires, and we become new creatures.

As new creatures, the imparted righteousness of Christ which is given unto us causes us to become followers, or imitators of Christ, walking in His footsteps. This is what Jesus is telling us when He says, "if ye do whatsoever I command you." This is our evidence of the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life," TIT 3:7.

We must fully understand our text in its context with all Scripture. The word do in our text must not be misconstrued as having merit, yet it is the pivotal point as our gospel evidence that we have salvation. We must delve further to understand it.

In the law of the gospel the word do seems to have a direct relationship with justification as we find in our text, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." We must understand that the Lord did not make an error in what He said. Therefore, there is a direct relationship between our being justified and our doing His commandments.

To rightly understand this we must go into the original and find the distinction between the meanings of the prepositions used with reference to justification. They are the small words found before the words faith and justification, and their meaning is crucial to understanding the teaching of God in these verses.

The prepositions by and through in GAL 2:16 and ROM 5:1 come from the Greek word Dia which means "By reason of, because of, for the sake of." Therefore, in those two verses those prepositions mean our justification is merited by the faith of Christ.

Now look at ROM 5:1 in this light; "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The words by and through mean that the faith of Christ is the very basis (reason, cause) of our peace and justification.

GAL 2:16 also needs our scrutiny. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law [we are not justified on the basis of, or on account of the works of the law], but by [on the account of, for the sake of] the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

In each instance in the above verse, the word by comes from the Greek word Dia which means we are justified on the basis of, because of, or for the sake of, the faith of Christ.

However, those same two prepositions by and through are used in JAM 2:21, and TIT 1:3, but they come from the Greek word En which means "instrumentality--by the means of--giving your self wholly to." Therefore, those prepositions mean it is the vehicle whereby it is conveyed. This is very different from the meanings of those same two words in ROM 5:1 and GAL 2:16.

JAM 2:21 says, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" Consider now the context in which our text says, "...if ye do whatsoever I command you." By so doing, the works are the vehicle whereby faith is put into exercise, becoming the instrument by which we receive justification. The works of Abraham were not a matter of merit; the exercise of that faith was the instrument that conveyed justification to him.

Notwithstanding all Abraham's slips and falls and all his foolishness, we find that obedience was the basis for all God's blessings. GEN 26:4-5 says, "And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because [see that contingency! `Because'] that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

Yet, God's Word is very clear there was no merit in the obedience of Abraham, even though it pleased God well, and the reward was great, yet Abraham was accepted before God by faith in Christ as we see in ROM 4:5 "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

God cannot accept the best righteousness from a criminal condemned by the justice of His own holy law until that condemnation is removed. GAL 2:16 says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

When the Father looks upon His dear children in that blessed obedience of Christ, and when He sees Christ formed in them walking in gospel obedience, with a holy awe for His will, and a deep remorse over every violation of the law, the works of His children become acceptable for Christ's sake and are rewardable.

This is how we must understand the reference to the exercise of saving faith in JAM 2:21-23, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."

In 2TH 2:13 we read, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." Again the word through is from the Greek word en, not dia.

In other words, sanctification was the instrument or vehicle that God chose to carry salvation to us. Therefore, salvation is not on account of sanctification; it has no merit or purchasing effect. God chose to use "sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" as the vehicle to convey salvation to us.

The exercise of saving faith is the instrument God ordained to use, not to merit justification, but to confer it to the believer. When the Scriptures refer to justification by our faith they are teaching that faith is the instrument or vehicle used to convey justification to us. When the Scriptures refer to justification by the faith of Jesus Christ, they are teaching that we are justified on account of, on the basis of, and by merit of the faith of Jesus Christ.

Those two prepositions, fully understood, help us understand our text. The friendship of the Lord Jesus Christ is conveyed to us. In other words, He is so pleased when we live in gospel obedience that He shows us His friendship. So it is conditional, but not in a meritourious way.

The exercise of our saving faith is the means God ordained whereby justification becomes personally ours just as a bucket and a rope can be used as the instrument to draw water from a well.

James says in JAM 2:14, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?"

We read in LUK 7:50 that Jesus said to the woman "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." We need to hold this verse in context to see the harmony between it and JAM 2:14. When we hold LUK 7:50 in context, we begin to realize that Jesus was teaching that very same principle!

The saving power of her faith was revealed by the woman's works of love as we can see from what Jesus told Simon the Pharisee to illustrate how her faith saved her; "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for [see that connecting word!] she loved much..." LUK 7:44-47.

The forgiveness of her sins was conveyed unto her through the exercise of her faith. Her sins, which were many, were forgiven because she showed much love.

If you and I are going to be saved, salvation becomes ours through the exercise of faith. We read in JAM 2:14, "...though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?" How does our faith save us? It is only when faith is put into exercise, doing whatsoever Jesus commands us that His friendship is conveyed to us.

Follow this with me; it is so precious when we understand it. When our faith is put into exercise doing what Jesus commands, it becomes saving faith; it is the very instrument the Lord uses to save. It happens when we put the word do into action.

This is so beautifully seen in the case of the man who was born blind. JOH 9:11 tells us, "He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." Notice, it was as he obeyed that the miracle was performed. Suppose the man did not believe what Jesus said and had not gone to wash. Would he have received his sight?

JAM 2:15-17 tells how to exercise our faith and put it into action, causing it to become saving faith. "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." This speaks of doing what Jesus commands us in the law of love; it is putting faith into exercise which makes it saving faith. Can faith save? No, not if it abides alone.

See how beautifully God's Word in James harmonizes with our Saviour's words in the text, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you," i.e., "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you," JOH 15:12. Isn't that the same beautiful illustration we saw in James? If we see a brother destitute of daily needs, we must supply him with those necessities. In so doing we have put saving faith into exercise.

See how JAM 2:12-26 is synonymous in context with our text. Jesus said, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you," JOH 15:14-15. The commandment which Jesus is speaking about in our text is the law of love.

Now see the context of the exercise of saving faith and how our justification is contingent upon our observing to "do whatsoever [the law of the gospel which is the law of liberty] command[s] you." "So speak ye, and so do [We must not only be a talker, but also a doer, `So speak ye, and so do'], as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment," JAM 2:12-13. This Scripture teaches that the very act of doing is saving.

Now read the verses that follow. JAM 2:14- 17 says, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

In those verses we have an illustration of what it means to show mercy; if we do not act upon the law of love, we will have judgment without mercy. Can anyone believe there is no connection between our actions and our salvation? Do you see the contingency our Saviour places on that word do in our text? "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

Doing what our Saviour commands us under the law of love is putting saving faith into exercise. Salvation is not merited by what we do. But obedience to His command of love is the vehicle whereby salvation is transferred to us.

To review, we see that He will have no mercy to him who shows no mercy. James asks if faith can save; then he gives the illustration of the act of love and the admonition that faith without works is dead. Can you even question whether salvation is connected with the word do?

God's Word repeatedly uses our actions to separate the Godly from the ungodly as in TIT 1:15-16 "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

Remember our text, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Now let's see what Scripture says about it being through the exercise of the obedience of faith that we become the friends of God.

The Scriptures confirm that it is through the exercise of saving faith that we become the friends of God. JAM 2:21-23 says, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works [as the instrument whereby justification was received, not merited], when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? [Abraham's obedience was the evidence of his faith.] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."

He was called the Friend of God by the fact that he obeyed. The Lord said to Isaac; "And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed [This is the promise of the coming Messiah!]; Because [See the contingency! Because] that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws," GEN 26:4-5.

Do you see the connection between the obedience of faith and justification? Abraham was justified by works; i.e., by the obedience of faith. The two words, works and faith are synonymous, because you cannot separate works from faith, "...faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" JAM 2:22.

It is through the exercise of the obedience of faith that that word DO becomes the very pivot point of the law of the gospel.

We see this with Rahab the Harlot. She not only believed, but she acted upon her faith. When men of Israel came to her, she told them that the nations were trembling. She told them the Lord would deliver this city into their hands.

She had faith to believe, but that is not what saved her. What saved her was hiding the spies; she put her faith into exercise by hiding the spies. She delivered them by letting them down off the wall. She also obeyed the spies by putting the line of scarlet thread in the window so the house might be identified and spared. She was saved by putting her faith into exercise.

JAM 2:24-26 tells us, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

It was by her actions that she was saved, not by the fact that she believed. Her believing enabled her to put her salvation into action. A body without breath in it is totally dead; that is faith without action or obedience. It has no movement, no value.

It was the Lord who saved Rahab, but the instrument He used was her obedience of faith. Until faith goes into exercise, it lacks value. When it does go into exercise, it becomes the instrument whereby the Lord conveys salvation.

This helps us understand how sanctification is not the cause of, but the instrument, through which we are to receive salvation. We are sanctified, but it is not the cause of salvation as we see in 2TH 2:13, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

Again that preposition through means the instrument by which it is conveyed; it does not mean on account of. It is not on account of believing the truth, but believing the truth is the instrument through which we receive salvation.

Sanctification and obedience are the instruments, or the vehicle, whereby we are brought under the blood and into justification. We cannot have justification without first being sanctified. Sanctification is the vehicle which carries us into justification. See this in 1PE 1:2. "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit [sanctification of the Spirit is the channel through which we come], unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

We may not come under the sprinkling of the blood with unrepentant hearts. We have no access to the blood of Christ until we have come unto obedience through sanctification of the Spirit. Our will and rebellion must be broken; then we become a new creature.

The Scriptures are in perfect harmony with the principle that through the obedience of faith we become the friends of God.

Look at the gospel that is taught in the Old Testament. Notice there is no promise to `live' to those who continue in sin.

EZE 33:11-12 tells us, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth."

If we forsake the ways of God, if we walk in sin, we may not claim salvation even though we may have claimed it in the past. Even the righteousness of the righteous avails him nothing if he turns to the love of sin. However, when the wicked turn from their evil ways, they may come into salvation. We are mocking God to ask for salvation while cherishing and living in sin.

Is not our text synonymous with what our Saviour taught in LUK 10:26-28? "He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

Isn't that in perfect harmony with the verses from Ezekiel? Gospel obedience is to walk with a heart's desire to love the Lord our God with our heart, our soul, and our mind, then our neighbour as ourself. Again, doing is not to merit, but it is the vehicle that brings us into the assurance of justification.

Faith is a gift of God. You and I will not walk in the exercise of saving faith of our own strength. It is through the Spirit that we receive the power to walk by the law of the gospel. We need to ask for God's grace to be able to obey His commands. It is through the sanctification of the Spirit that we receive power to walk by the law of the gospel.

ROM 8:13 says, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." It is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to mortify the deeds of the body; we may make many resolutions to turn from a sin, but if it is in our own strength we will fall flat on our faces, only to continue wallowing in the sin.

It is through the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit that we are able to mortify those deeds of the body. Then we live in friendship with Jesus.

Verse 14 continues, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." It is by the work of regeneration and the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit that we are delivered from the love of sin. Then we have the work of sanctification wrought within us unto obedience, and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon our conscience.

It is so important to understand that we are not justified on account of good works. Yet it is through good works, as the channel, through which justification is conveyed to us. If we are walking in sin, and we cherish that sin and claim salvation, we must go back and examine ourselves.

Do we understand the work of grace? The word grace as used in the New Testament comes from the Greek word "charis" which means "The Divine influence of the Spirit upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude." Have you ever had this work of grace in your hearts? Does it reflect in your life in the way of gratitude? If so, you will find it your chief delight to do the will of our Saviour!

Have you ever received the new creation within? "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." It is so important to understand that you are not justified on account of good works because that becomes legalism, but you are justified through good works because it is the instrument God has ordained.

HEB 10:23-24 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." Why? These new desires which are planted in the heart by the Holy Spirit become our evidence that we are saved.

Scripture teaches that we are known beforehand by our works; it is by our works that we are identified, not only among ourselves, but before the world, and before the Lord. 1TI 5:24-25 says, "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid."

Who we serve becomes so conspicuous by our works. Are we following self and the desires of our own sinful lusts, or are we following the Lord Jesus Christ? It is manifested in this life; we don't have to wait until the day of judgment to know whether we are saved or not.

Like the verse says, "Some men's sins are open beforehand...," their attitude toward God and their fellow man shows who they follow. If we understand what it is to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds then our hearts have been renewed. Our sole desire is to do His will, and our minds are not on earthly things.

Our attitude toward God is most clearly revealed by our attitude toward one another. Are you telling me that you have love in your heart toward God, but you have a brother that you just can't stand? I want to tell you something; the attitude you have toward your brother reveals your attitude towards God.

TIT 2:14-TIT 3:2 tells us, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity [all moral wrong, and unjust dealing], and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men."

How short we all fall. We all need the grace of God; we need the blood of Christ to cleanse us for our every failure. Do we cherish sin? Has sin become exceeding sinful to us? Is that new desire in our hearts?

The new man spoken of in EPH 4:24 is a new desire; those who have it love God and his neighbour. Sometimes we fall, but we have access to the blood of Christ to redeem us from all iniquity: "...if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1JO 1:7.

Our text says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." The only way anyone can "do" what is pleasing unto our Lord is by the exercise of saving faith. Can faith alone save you? cf., JAM 2:14. The answer is NO. The obedience of faith is the channel through which justification comes to us.

On the Judgment Day, the Lord Jesus Christ will pass judgment, but on what basis? What did you do? Judgment will not be based upon what we experienced, what we believed, or what the pastor told us. None of this is even brought up by our Saviour in His illustration of what the Judgment Day will be.

Jesus points to that word DO in the law of love as the channel through which we will receive our justification. He will judge every man according to his works under the law of love, what we have done to our fellow man and whether we have obeyed His commandment, "...That ye love one another, as I have loved you." JOH 15:12. That is the basis of judgment!

Now He brings to remembrance what they did for their brother as the basis for justification or condemnation. MAT 25:33-36 says, "And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For [See that connecting word For, i.e., on this account!] I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

How do we do these things to Jesus Christ? By doing it to those who are the least among His brethren. It is precious how they came back and asked how they did that.

Verses 37-40 continue, "Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

They were not doing it out of merit; it was done as an act of love. That is the gospel of obedience; that is the exercise of saving faith doing His commandments.

You know it is always easy for a person living in prosperity to invite someone in who is of equal station. Why? They can always return the favor, and in the eyes of the world one likes to associate with those who are of your so-called station or equal in life. But the Lord Jesus is saying that if we do these things to one of the least of our brethren, one who didn't even have the necessities of life, we have done it unto Him.

See what the Lord is telling us? "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." This is the direct connecting link of the exercise of saving faith unto justification. We can never rightly claim that we have been justified, that we have experienced justification for our souls, and yet walk in disregard to Christ's commandment of love. Amen.