Are You Really Sure Of Your Eternal Salvation?"

by Ron Boatwright

Welcome to studying the Bible on the Internet. You are to be commended for your interest in studying God's word, the Bible.  This course pertains to a very important subject concerning our Eternal Salvation. What subject could be more important? It is my hope that the scripture references pointed out in this course will be of benefit to your faith in your striving to go to heaven.

This course is divided into twenty-five (25) lessons. After each lesson you are asked to answer several interactive multiple choice and true-false questions concerning what you have just studied. The correct answer is found in the scripture reference that is listed with the questions.  Click on the answer of your choice and a dialog box will appear telling you if your answer is correct or wrong and why.  It is my hope and prayer that this course will help you in some way.

Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without shedding of blood there is no remission."  I John 1:7 tells us that "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." God, in choosing the cleansing agent for our sins, chose the very best that He had, the blood of His own Son. It is by the precious blood of our Lord, that we are cleansed from all of our sins. Revelation 1:5 says, "To Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Yes, it is only by the blood of our Lord, that we get our sins washed away. John 19:34, "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." Jesus shed His blood for us, in His death, when He died on the cruel cross of Calvary.

How do we come into contact with that cleansing blood, which our Lord shed in his death, in order to have our sins washed away? Romans 6:3 tells us how. "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" Since Christ shed His blood in His death, when a person is baptized into our Lord's death, it is there that he comes into contact with the blood of Christ and his sins are then washed away. Baptism is the only means of reaching His death where His blood was shed, so we can have forgiveness of sins. So, when Ananias told Paul in Acts 22:16, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins," it was the blood of Christ that was washing away Paul's sins when he was baptized.

Have you been baptized to have your sins washed away by the blood of Christ? If you haven't, then you still have every sin that you have ever committed. With your sins you can't go to heaven to be with God when you die, but you will have to go to the other place where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth forever and ever. You may have been baptized into a denominational church, but not for remission of your sins so you can be saved.  If you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins, so that you can be saved, then the blood of Christ will be of no benefit to you, and Christís death for you was in vain. But please take advantage of Christ having died for you. Only you can do this for yourself.
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Questions Lesson 15
The Cleansing Blood Of Christ


1)  (1 John 1:7 & Revelation 1:5) What cleanses us from all sin?
       We have no sin to be cleansed.
       Nothing can.
       The blood of Christ.
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2) The blood of Christ is not necessary to cleanse us from our sins.
      
      

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3)  (John 19:34) Where did Christ shed His blood for us.
       In His death on the cross.
       When He cut His finger.
       He never shed any blood.
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4) Our sins are washed away when we come into contact with the cleansing blood of Christ.
      
      

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5)  (Romans 6:3) How do we get into His death to spiritually come into contact with Christ's blood?
       When we die physically.
       When we are baptized into His death.
       We can't spiritually come into contact with His blood.
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6) We come into contact with the saving blood of Christ when we are baptized into His death.

      

      

Copyright © 2000 internetbiblestudy

 


 

"Men and brethren what shall we do?" In verse 38 (KJV), "Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins." Here people were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins.  Only when we submit to baptism as the Lord has commanded, that is for the remission of sins to be saved, do we show our faith in the Lord.  Only then will He save us.

Man today has a sin problem. It is our sins that separate us from God. We are to repent and be baptized for the remission of our sins. This is God's instruction on how we solve our sin problem. When Peter told them to "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins," whatever repentance is for in that verse, baptism is for the same reason. Repent and be baptized are joined by the coordinating conjunction and, which joins words of equal grammatical importance. Certainly Acts 2:38 does not teach that lost people are to repent because they have already received forgiveness of their sins. Neither does it teach that lost people are to be baptized because their sins are already forgiven. Satan would like you to believe that baptism has nothing to do with the forgiveness of your sins.  Have you been baptized for the remission of your sins? Again, the choice is yours; either believe what God has said and be saved, or believe what men say and you will continue to be lost. We only have two choices, and the choice that we make will have eternal consequences. But please make the right choice.


In the book of Acts we have the account of the conversion of the Apostle Paul. In Acts chapter 9, Paul is traveling on the road up to Damascus to persecute Christians. The Lord appears to Paul on the road and strikes him blind. In verse 5 he tells Paul, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." In verse 6 Paul asks, "Lord what do you want me to do? Then the Lord said to him (Paul), Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The Lord did not tell Paul what he must do, but that someone in the city would tell him what he must do. In Acts 9:9, after Paul went into the city, "And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank." Paul was worried sick and very upset. He had just found out that all the years in his zeal, while persecuting the Lord's church, he had actually been persecuting the Lord. Paul was devastated and broken-hearted in finding out that he had been wrong all these years.


Let's see now what Paul was told what he must do. In Acts chapter 22, a man named Ananias, who was sent by the Lord, came to Paul and miraculously restored Paul's eyesight. Notice what Paul was told by Ananias what he must do. Acts 22:16, "And now why are you waiting? Arise, and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Paul was not saved three days earlier while on the road to Damascus. Paul up to this point was still lost, because he still had all his sins that needed to be washed away. Paul still had a sin problem. Obedience to the Lord's command to be baptized was necessary to wash away Paul's sins. At the point of baptism every sin that we have ever committed will be taken away if it is done for that purpose. Have you been baptized for the purpose of having your sins washed away? If you have not, then you still have a sin problem. You are still lost.


Paul was not told "to pray the sinners prayer and ask Jesus to come into his heart in order to be saved." This is foreign to the scripture. You cannot find anywhere in the Bible where anyone was ever told to do this. Since God in the Bible has never told anyone "To pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart in order to be saved", who else but men could have come up with such an idea? Forgiveness occurs in the mind of God and not on the basis of man's feeling in his heart. Only when we have done what God has said that we must do, will God forgive our sins. We cannot devise our own plan as to how our sins are to be forgiven.


Do not misunderstand. We do not "earn" our salvation by being baptized. Salvation is a gift from God. Even though salvation is a free gift from God, he has laid down certain conditions upon which he will give it. One condition to receive his gift is faith: Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him." Another condition of his free gift is repentance: Luke 13:3, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Another condition is baptism: Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Still another condition is living a faithful Christian life: Revelation 2:10, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." The conditions include doing all "the will of the Father," Matthew 7:21. These are God's conditions. Believing in God and Christ with all our heart, repenting of all our sins, confessing Christ and being baptized are all equally important to our salvation. If any of these are lacking, then we will not be saved. You can't have one without the others.


There is nothing that we can do to merit salvation. Whether it be believing in Jesus or being baptized, we can never "earn our salvation". The only way we can show our faith in Christ is if we are willing to accept and obey what He says.  But it is in baptism that God has chosen to impart his wonderful grace of salvation to us as a willing believer.


 According to the Bible, it is at the point of baptism, that we pass from an unsaved state into a saved state. In other words, at the time of baptism, we go from being unsaved to being saved. We read in I Peter 3:21 (KJV), "The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us." The Bible says that "baptism does now also save us," but men say that"baptism does not save us." This is very similar to the situation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God in Genesis 2:17 told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, "For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." But Satan told Eve in Genesis 3:4, "Then the serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die." Satan only added the one word "not" to what God had said and completely changed the meaning. That is what men are doing to God's commands today. Who are you going to accept, the word of men or the Word of God?   We are told in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men."  On the Day of Judgment, the Bible will still say that "baptism does also now save us." Again the choice is yours, but it is very serious. We dare not make the wrong choice.
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Questions Lesson 14
Must We Be Baptized For The Forgiveness Of Our Sins?

1)  (Acts 2:38) What were these people in this verse told to do for the remission of their sins?
       Pray to God.
       Repent and be baptized.
       Only believe.
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2) Our sins are forgiven before we repent and are baptized.
      
      

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3)  (Acts 22:16) What was Paul told to do to have his sins washed away?
       Accept Christ as his personal Saviour
       Only believe in Jesus.
       Arise and be baptized.
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4) Until Paul was baptized he still had all his sins.
      
      

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5) Where can we find in the Bible that we are told to pray and ask Jesus to come into our heart in order to be saved?
       Jude 2:5.
       2 John 1:14.
       It is not there.
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6) We cannot find in the Bible where anyone was ever told to accept Jesus into his heart in order to be saved
      
      

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7) (1 Peter 3:21) What does the Bible say saves us?
       Faith only.
       Baptism.
       Our own goodness.
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8) It is at the point of baptism that God has chosen to impart His wonderful grace of salvation.
      
      

Copyright © 2000 internetbiblestudy


"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven." If we deny Christ we are going to be lost. We must not be ashamed to confess to other people that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Jesus says in Mark 8:38, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." If He is ashamed of us, that means that we are going to be lost.

There are several examples of people confessing their faith in Christ in the Bible. One is found in Matthew 16:16-17, "Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Christ was well pleased with Peter's confession and He will be with ours also.
 
In
Acts 8:36-37 a man asked the question, "See here is water.  What hinders me from being baptized?"  Then in verse 37, "Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart you may.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."  Here we see that we must believe with all our heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and not be ashamed to make that confession to others before we are baptized.  Would you be willing to confess to others that you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God?

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Questions Lesson 12
Confessing Christ

1)   (Matthew 10:32) If we want Christ to confess us before God the Father
      
We must confess Him before men.
      
We should deny Him before men.
      
It is not necessary to confess Him before men.
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2) If we deny Christ before men He will confess us before the Father.
      

      
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3)  (Mark 8:38) If we are ashamed of Christ
      
He will not be ashamed of us on Judgment Day.
      
We will not be lost.
      
He will be ashamed of us on Judgment Day.
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4) If Christ is ashamed of us, that means we are going to be lost.
      

      
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5)  (Matthew 16:16-17) When Peter said "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"
      
Christ was embarrassed.
      
Christ was well pleased.
      
Christ didn't care.
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6) We must be willing to confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God.
      

      
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7)  (Acts 8:36-37)  Before we are baptized we 
      
Do not need to confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
      
Are to confess that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
      
Are to confess our sins to a priest.
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8)  When we are baptized we must believe in God and Jesus with all of our heart.
      

        

Copyright © 2000 internetbiblestudy


"He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned." This is such a simple command to obey in the way the Lord says to do it. Notice the divine order: 1) Believe, 2) Baptism, 3) Saved. Jesus says that both belief and baptism are required to be saved. But men, at the prompting of Satan, are trying to tell us many other different things that are contrary to what Jesus says. Men have taken what the Lord said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved," and have changed it in every way possible to suit themselves.  The following is what Jesus says and also ways in which man has tried to change what the Lord has said.Jesus says in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." 

2)  There are those who in reality say that, "He that does not believe and is not baptized will be saved," because they say God is going to save everyone. This is the Universalist who says that everyone is going to be saved and no one is going to be lost. We know this is not true because of what our Lord said in Matthew 7:13-14, that many are going to be lost and only few are going to be saved.

3)  Then there are others who essentially say that, "He who believes and is baptized will not be saved." They say that no one is going to be saved. This is the Atheist who says that there is not going to be an eternity and that when you are dead, you are like the dog Rover, you are dead all over. But again we know that this is false. We have already seen that few will be saved, but the majority will be lost.

4)  Still others imply that, "He who does not believe but is baptized will be saved." These are those who practice infant baptism, but an infant certainly cannot believe. Of course an infant is not accountable but is innocent and is not lost.

5)  Then there are also those who essentially say that, "He who believes and is not baptized will be saved." They are trying to tell us that we are saved by faith only and that baptism is not necessary to be saved, but all that you have to do is believe. Again, like the other three, this is contrary to what the Lord has said in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved." On the day of judgment we are only going to be judged by what the Lord says and not by what we think.

Who are you following? Are you following 1) Jesus, 2) the Universalist, 3) the Atheist, 4) those promoting infant baptism, or 5) those promoting faith only?  We can go to heaven only by following what Jesus says and not what man says.  The following chart shows what the Lord has said and also the many ways that men have tried to change it. They have changed it every way possible to suit themselves.

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   1)  Jesus in Mark 16:16 says: Believe + Baptized = Saved
   2)  Universalist says: Not Believe + Not Baptized = Saved
   3)  Atheist says: Believe + Baptized = Not Saved
   4)  Infant Baptism says: Not Believe + Baptized = Saved
   5) Faith Only says: Believe + Not Baptized = Saved

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When we stand before the Lord on the day of judgment to be judged by him, there are going to be many who have chosen not to do what the Lord has said. Rather they have chosen to do what man has said to do. Romans 10:3 tells us that people are "Seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." The choice is ours. Either we have tried to establish our own righteousness or we have submitted to the righteousness of God. We make the decision; but we will reap the eternal consequences. Are you ready for those consequences?

The Lord says in John 12:48, "The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." We are not going to be judged by what man says or by what we think, but by what our Lord says. This is going to be the standard for judgment.

For the majority of people, the judgment will be a horrible day, and a day of many terrible surprises. Obedience to our Lord will save any lost person, no matter how evil his past has been, but obedience to a mere human doctrine will not save anyone, no matter how good they have been. Speaking of Christ Hebrews 5:9 says, "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him." Yes, we must obey our Lord, if we expect Him to save us.

Baptism is not a work that man does. Baptism is Godís chosen way of imparting His saving grace. Baptism is the submission to the command of God that saves. As we read in Acts 10:48, "And He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." God offers salvation to all men, but He conditions that offer with obeying the requirements which He has set out in His word. The Lord has commanded us to be baptized. The Lord has no nonessential commands. In Hebrews 5:9 we saw that no man can be saved by the grace of God without being obedient to the will of God.
Believing and being baptized to be saved, as Mark 16:16 says, does not nullify the grace of God, but it activates it. The fact that baptism is essential to our salvation in no way reflects upon the wonderful grace offered to all; but rather it honors Christ who commanded it. Baptism is a very serious matter. According to the Bible, baptism is for the purpose of salvation.  Satan does not want anyone to be baptized for the purpose of being saved. Satan tells people that after you think you are saved and your sins are forgiven then you can be baptized.  But this is a lie of Satan which will cause many people to be lost.  We cannot afford to be wrong on this vital point. Our eternal destiny depends on our being right with God.


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Questions Lesson 13
Must We Be Baptized To Be Saved?

1)  (Mark 16:16) According to the Bible what must we do to be saved?
      
Believe only.
      
Believe and be baptized.
      
Not be baptized.
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2) He that believes and is not baptized shall be saved.
      

      
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3)  (Romans 10:3) Why do people not submit to the righteousness of God?
      
They want to but they don't know how.
      
They want to be saved.
      
They seek to establish their own righteousness.
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4) Many people choose not to do what God has says.
      

      
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5)  (John 12:48) What will judge us on Judgment Day?
      
What we believe.
      
What our preacher says.
      
The words of Christ.
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6) We are going to be judged according to what man says.
      

      
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7)  (Hebrews 5:9) Christ is the author of eternal salvation to
      
All who obey Him.
      
To everyone.
      
To no one.
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8) Good people who have not obeyed the Lord will still be saved.
      

      
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9)  (Acts 10:48) What were these people commanded to do?
      
Only believe.
      
Nothing.
      
Be baptized.
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10) Baptism is a command of God.
      

      

Copyright © 2000 internetbiblestudy


 

What else is the will of the Father that we may please Him so that we can go to heaven? Jesus says in Luke 13:3, "I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." It is either repent or perish; the choice is ours. But Satan does not want us to repent. Acts 17:30, "Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent." All people everywhere, and that includes you and me, are commanded of God to repent. Repent of what? Repent of our sins. Repent of not fully serving and following all that God says.

God is pleading with us to repent. He greatly desires that we turn to him. He tells us in II Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God wants us to repent so we can be saved. He is patiently waiting on us. But eventually our time will run out. The longer we put off repentance, the harder our heart gets.

Repentance is not just being sorry. II Corinthians 7:10, "For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." Repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind. We must make up our mind to stop living life our way and start living it Godís way. It is making up our mind that henceforth we are going to serve God with all our might and do everything He says. Matthew 22:37, "Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." In other words, we must do it with all of our being.

Romans 2:4
says, "The goodness of God leads you to repentance." God has been so good to us, and this should cause us to want to please Him in every way. God, because of His love for us, has done so much for us, and because of this we read in I John 4:19, "We love Him, because He first loved us." This should cause us to want to repent and do all the things that He has asked us to do, otherwise we do not love God. Jesus said in John 14:24, "He who does not love Me, does not keep my words." Do you love God? If you do, you will want to do everything that He says. In John 14:15 Jesus says, "If you love Me keep My commandments." Are you willing to show your love to God by repenting?

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Questions Lesson 11
Repentance

1)  (Luke 13:3) If we don't repent
      
We will perish.
      
God will overlook it.
      
We will go to Heaven anyway.
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2) Satan wants us to repent.
      

      
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3)  (Acts 17:30) God commands all men everywhere
      
To live the way we choose.
      
To repent.
      
To enjoy themselves.
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4) To repent is a command of God
      

      
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5)  (2 Peter 3:9) God wants
      
No one to repent.
      
Only His favorites to be saved.
      
All people to be saved.
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6) God does not care if some people are lost.
      

      
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7)  (2 Corinthians 7:10) Godly sorrow
      
Is repentance.
      
Produces repentance.
      
Does not produce repentance.
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8) T F Repentance is just being sorry.
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9)  (Matthew 22:37) How are we to love God?
      
With all our heart, soul, and mind.
      
When we feel like it.
      
When things are going well.
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10) Loving God does not require our entire heart, soul, and mind.
      

      
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11)  (Romans 2:4) What leads us to repentance?
      
Our own goodness.
      
Our not wanting to please God.
      
The kindness of God.
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12) The kindness of God does not cause us to repent
      

      
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13)  (John 14:24) Those who do not love Christ
      
Will keep His commandments.
      
Do not keep his commandments.
      
Want to be pleasing to Him.
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14) We show our love for Christ by keeping His commandments.
      

      

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