God does not save man apart from a response on man's part. Rather He has sent Jesus so man, by looking to Jesus constantly, might change from a sinful Adam to a life-giving spirit in the image of Christ. One of the greatest mistakes in current Christian thinking is that Christ saves us apart from any diligence or perseverance on our part.

As Paul said to Timothy, we have to save ourselves by doing what Christ and His Apostles have commanded. If we do not obey Christ and His Apostles, we do not press forward to salvation. There is no growth of Christ in us. Soon there is no eternal life left in us. The fruit God is looking for is not borne. We are cut out of the Vine, out of Christ. We then are thrown into the fire.

From Matthew through Revelation there are things we have been commanded to do. The evidence that we love Christ is that we keep His commandments. The Great Commission charges us to exhort the disciples to keep the commandments of Christ.

The commandments of Christ continue through His Apostles. The Epistles contain numerous commandments. We have been granted access to the Mercy Seat in Heaven that we might receive the strength and wisdom we need in order to keep the commandments of Christ and His Apostles.

Christ is not formed in us except as we keep His commandments. Christ does not come to dwell in us except as we keep His commandments. It is our natural adamic nature that must obey the exhortations of the New Testament, and this we can do as God assists us. Divine grace is, among other things, the wisdom, strength, and virtue needed to obey what Christ and His Apostles taught.

Christ formed in us is the new covenant. But Christ is formed in us only as we do what is stated in the Gospels and Epistles.

The role of obedience to Christ in the plan of redemption is an area of confusion in today's teaching and preaching.

The idea that all we have been commanded to do is to love one another, and this fulfills all other commandments, is true in theory but unworkable in practice. It is not possible for us in our adamic nature to love one another, as a bit of reflection will verify. Human love is quickly overcome by the evil of our world.

Only the love that comes from Christ formed in us is strong enough to overcome the evil of the world, and Christ is not formed in us except as we resolutely and prayerfully do what we have been commanded.

Let us not remain among those who are dawdling in the current deception of the Christian teaching of grace-rapture-Heaven. Let us rather join the ranks of the heroes of faith listed in the Book of Hebrews, diligently pressing forward in faith and obedience that we might join the great cloud of God's witnesses who are waiting patiently for the coming to earth of the city of God. (from Cause and Effect)