I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
Today, in the church we hear people refer to certain church standards
as not being a “salvation issue”, and they may be right, certain
standards may not directly affect our salvation. However, wouldn’t
it make us a rather selfish lot of people if the only issues and
standards we concern ourselves with are the ones that affect our
personal salvation? Instead of limiting our concern with “salvation
issues” shouldn’t we be more concerned with “glorifying God issues”?
When the Children of Israel worshiped the golden calf, God told Moses
He would destroy them right there in the wilderness and create a new
people after Moses’ name. That would have been a great deal for
Moses as these people had caused him nothing but trouble. But Moses
was more concerned about God’s reputation. He told the Lord,
“Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he
bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them
from the face of the earth.” Exodus 32:12 Moses was so concerned about
what the other nations thought of his God that it became much more
than a salvation issue. As a matter of fact Moses said in vs. 32
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me,
I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” To Moses,
God’s honor and reputation was more important than his own salvation!
Moses was not worried about “salvation issues” but rather
“glorifying God issues.”
Revelation 15 speaks of an entire multitude on the Sea of Glass,
singing the song of “Moses and the Lamb.” What song or experience,
do Moses and the Lamb have that this multitude shares as well? In
Gethsemane, Jesus, the Lamb was willing to die forever if that’s what
it took to do His Father’s will. “. The Saviour could not see
through the portals of the tomb.” (Desire of Ages p.753) For Jesus,
just like Moses, His concern was glorifying God over His own
salvation. In Revelation 15, John speaks of an entire multitude of people who see
beyond their own “salvation issues” and focus on “glorifying God
issues” when it comes to standards and commandment keeping. Our
obedience and standards are not so much about our salvation, as they
are about honoring and loving Jesus.