Take Note Of The Order Please!
A discernible order concerning the requirement and the result of salvation is very obvious in John chapters 19, 20 and 21. Take note of the exact order as it appears in the chapters mentioned:
1--- Joh 19:30 ..."It is finished!"....
2--- Joh 20:31 but these are written that you may believe/trust that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing/trusting you may have life in
His name.
3--- Joh 21:15 ...Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me...?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."...
4--- Joh 21:19 ...And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
2--- Joh 20:31 but these are written that you may believe/trust that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing/trusting you may have life in
His name.
3--- Joh 21:15 ...Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me...?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."...
4--- Joh 21:19 ...And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
* First, the work of redemption was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. "It is finished!" He declared.
* Second, the necessity of believing or trusting in the Lord Jesus and His finished work is essential in order for a sinner to be saved.
* Third, the result of trusting in Christ for eternal life and salvation is love towards Christ ("do you love Me...?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."...) and following after Christ ("Follow Me.")
What is sad with many of us is that we reverse the order! Many people believe that in order to have eternal life a sinner must 1) Follow Christ 2) Love Him 3) Until it is finished to the end of life and 4) the result will be salvation and eternal life.
By doing so, they have reversed the proper order as clearly seen here in these chapters! They mix up the result of salvation with its requirement. Not so! The work of redemption is finished (Joh 19:30). What we must do now is to trust in it (Joh 20:31). The result would be an overflowing love and devotion to the one who saved us (Joh 21:15 and Joh 21:19).
A sinner is not saved by loving and following Christ. He is saved by trusting in Christ's finished work on the cross. His love and devotion to Christ are simply the fruits and the spontaneous response of first having eternal life and salvation.
