Is “salvation” the end or the beginning? Reading many of the comments I receive on social media, I get the feeling most think it is the end. That’s all there is. “What does this (x-y-z topic) have to do with my salvation?” is a common question I see when people are confronted with anything that doesn’t directly relate to John 3:16 (as if that’s all a Christian needs to hear all their life).

Well, since I know the vast majority of my “followers” on social media are already Christians (or claim to be), why should I spend all my time on preaching the basics to the choir? Salvation is NOT the end. It is the beginning. Once you have received Yeshua as your Savior, what’s next? Discipleship. Remember, the Commission was…

Matthew 28:
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

What did Yeshua (who is One with the Father) command of His followers? Obedience through the act of loving YHWH and our neighbor.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Mark 12:
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

1 John 2:
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

1 John 5:
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Somehow most Christians that I encounter these days don’t seem to either read these Scriptures or they are altogether missing from their Bibles. But what hope does the world have when it is becoming more and more abundantly clear that the Church itself is rapidly becoming completely bankrupt in the area of truth? This is a quote from a comment made by someone claiming to be a Christian on YouTube to one of my recent videos…

“…you do not need to follow Jesus or do anything He said for salvation, other than trusting the gospel.”

Seriously? I don’t know what to do with that level of absurdity. We don’t need to follow Jesus or do anything He said for our salvation??? W-O-W. SMH It is also quite clear they don’t even know what the “gospel” is. But since when do we put our trust in the “gospel” and not in the One who brought it in the first place?? Good grief people!

Meanwhile, you have “Bible scholars” out there (running “discernment ministries” no less) justifying the “Christianizing of paganism,” while simultaneously condemning the celebration of the truly HOLYdays (which were commissioned by YHWH Himself for us to get a better understanding of His Son and the “script” He’s following) stating that to obey YHWH is akin to falling under the doctrine of devils.

If the Church is this screwed up, what possible hope is there for the rest of the world??

Thankfully, there are some who are getting it right though. Below is an e-mail I just now received:

Hey Rob, I have been listening to/watching your YouTube channel practically daily for the past several months now… I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for your obedience to YHWH. Hearing your testimony and seeing the work He has placed in your heart is so refreshing. I see a lot of parallels in the frustration you had with current church status in my own life… You have given so many conformations to me and it has awakened such a deep longing to draw closer to Yeshua and the Father.

I have always wondered what came after salvation and every time I started down the path of obedience I was “corrected” by peers in that I was going under the law. I was becoming confused, burdened, and deeply angry at the war inside my heart. I have trouble putting into words what I feel the Spirit saying, especially when it is met with immediate conflict. I am become more bold and I do believe there is hope for those around me. Your videos are definitely a huge help in equipping the saints with truth. I think that is what I love most about what you do. Everything is geared towards truth and selflessness.

Sorry to ramble… I could go on for hours, but I just wanted to thank you and as a brother in the Way encourage you. Your heart is precious to the Father and though sometimes it may seem difficult to press on know that you are effectively touching the hearts of us who are hungry for this truth. Thank you again and all praise be to YHWH and Yeshua!

Now this person gets it! And what a delightfully refreshing e-mail to receive. It gives me a reason to continue pressing through all the negativity.

Now of course, I also receive many testimonials from people who came to salvation – or at least an understanding of their need for it – as a result of our materials too. So, the message is getting out to the lost as well. But the point I’m trying to make here is that salvation is not the end but the beginning. There is more to life than a “free ticket to eternal bliss.” And we need more on our table than milkshakes. There is meat to be served and much to learn in order to “work out” in our salvation… as a natural FRUIT thereof.

And yes, I fully understand and recognize that salvation is a free gift and that it is by grace through faith (I GET IT, I GET IT, I GET IT!)

Ephesians 2:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Nothing I believe or have said here conflicts with what Paul (or anyone else in Scripture) has said. In fact, Paul also clearly understood what happens next:

Ephesians 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.

This is what James was saying too:

James 2:
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 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.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Paul is not at all in disagreement with this concept as clearly stated in his writings to at least two of his disciples:

2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Titus 2:
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity (i.e. lawLESSness), and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Titus 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

For more on Paul, please see:

  • Rob Skiba