Bible Meditation: Psalm 119:4
Psalm 119:4—“You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.”
No one can “earn” salvation. We all sin from time to time, and that separates us from a holy, righteous God (Isaiah 59:1-2). If any of us get to heaven, it will be by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8).
But that doesn’t exclude the necessity of obedience. We cannot “continue in sin that grace may abound” (Romans 6:1). Jesus is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). God has been exceedingly gracious to us, and He has a right to expect that we “diligently” try to “keep [His] precepts.” Indeed, we are “commanded” to do so. “If you love Me,” Jesus said, “keep My commandments” (John 14:15). What if we don’t keep His commandments? What does that say about our love for Christ?
We can never put God in our debt to where He owes us salvation. But neither can we flaunt His grace by insisting that is the only means to salvation. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Even faith is a commandment of God.