Now some commandments may be a little “deeper” than others—some sins may be more “destructive” than others. But there is no such thing as a “little sin.” There is no such thing as a “little transgression”—a “little white lie.” No, they’re all pretty “black”! There are no “little insignificances.” You see, sin is “missing the mark.” Sin is “anti-God.” Which ones? Which sins? Well, any sin—all sin—regardless of its nature. Murder—that’s sin. We’re not saying that murder is no worse than something else, because it is. But, the point is, when we miss the mark, we sin, and any sin “separates us from God,” Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2.

So we should get away from this idea that maybe some of these passages are much more meaningful—much more important. They are not, you see. They are ALL important and meaningful. Now the writer who wrote, “Some of these commandments are important and some of them are not,” went on to mention that some commandments are closer to the cross and are more significant. Now, which ones are closer to the cross? Don’t they all have to do directly or indirectly with it? You see, the Bible says that everything He said is for our admonition. Old Malachi, the prophet, said, “…this commandment is for you,” Malachi 2:1. That’s a good thing. I read God’s Word—it’s for me! Forgiveness—that’s for me! Loving brothers—that’s for me! Not holding a grudge—that’s for me! And there are no unimportant passages—no unimportant commands—no unimportant Scriptures!

You see, the devil is a lot easier to please about obedience than God is. He doesn’t require much. He doesn’t require a lot of love. In fact, he’s demanding in one thing only—he demands that you put [write] “non-essential” over any one passage, or “not important.” Or, you can just write out in the margin of your Bible the words, “not important!” That’s all the devil needs. You see, if one thing is not important, then the whole thing crumbles! So, the point is, if it’s God’s Word, it is very important! If it’s God’s Word, it is vital! He said, “the Words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” John 6:63. You see, by the Word, we’re “saved,” James 1:21, we’re “sanctified,” John 17:17, and “freed” from our sins, John 8:31 and 32.

So why be steadfast? Why give attention to it? Because it is possible to “fall,” 1 Corinthians 10:12. Even though “by grace we have been saved,” it’s still possible to fall. It’s possible to “fall from grace,” even though by grace we’re saved. Galatians 5:4 specifically mentions it that way. It’s possible to “fall away,” Hebrews 6:6. It is possible to fail to “inherit,” even though we were children of His, Galatians 5, verses 19 to 21. It is possible to be a “castaway.” Even in Paul’s case, as close to the law as he was, it was possible for him at last to be a “castaway [disqualified],” 1 Corinthians 9:27. Or he talks about a brother “perishing,” 1 Corinthians 8, verse 11. And on and on we could go. Or, John 15 that we mentioned a moment ago. Even though you’ve been a branch on that vine, it’s possible to be severed from that vine and to be cast into the fire and burned.

When Jude spoke that God is able to keep us from falling, Jude 24, what did he mean? Well, why didn’t He [God] do that—keep us from falling? Why doesn’t He just keep anybody from falling and man wouldn’t have to give any attention to the matter at all? No—that isn’t the way it works! You see, every man is to obey or reject, and everyone will obey or reject. For instance, in Luke 7:30, the Bible said when John was preaching, “they rejected the counsel of God,” by “not being baptized.” Then in Acts 2:41, “they that gladly received it were baptized.” So you have two classes and everybody is in one of those two classes. You reject the counsel of God by not being baptized; you gladly receive the counsel of God and be baptized; and yet, it’s still by grace—“by grace have we been saved through faith.” The Bible says, “it is the gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Grace, then, is not what many people think it is. Grace does not eliminate obedience. Not in any sense! In fact, from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God expected man to obey and because he did not, we’re in the mess we’re in today! If Abraham and Sarah had obeyed the Lord, and not taken the thing into their own hands by letting Abraham have a child by Hagar the hand maid, we wouldn’t have all the problems in the Middle East today. You see, every time man steps away from God, he is in trouble. What about that story in Jonah 1? On board that ship was Jonah, and the storm came because Jonah was on that ship. Now he was trying to run away from God, but you can’t do that! That’s the longest race in the world! You can’t out run God. Jonah couldn’t do that and no man can. Had Jonah not done what he did, then the storm wouldn’t have come. Now, you take Mark 4 and the story of the Sea of Galilee and the storm that came. The storm ceased because Christ was present. In Jonah’s case the storm came because Jonah was present. Human beings have a tremendous influence, one way or another! And yet, regardless of the influence we have on somebody else—either bringing them closer to Heaven or closer to hell—it’s still “by grace that we’ve been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” It’s the finish that counts! Many a ship that has sailed the seas has been wrecked just outside the harbor.

The Lord didn’t say we would faint if we are not the right kind of people, but He DID say that we will faint if we do not do what the Lord wants. Galatians 6:9, “we shall reap, if we faint not.” In 1 Corinthians 15 [verse 58], when Paul said “be steadfast, immoveable,” he did not say “always abounding in the worship of the Lord,” but, “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” There is a work, as well as a worship. You see, one of the tests of discipleship is in John 15, and verse 8, when the Lord said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” That makes it a test. The one test was John 8:31-32 we mentioned, “If you abide in My Word, then are you truly My disciples.” Another test is John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” And then this test [John 15:8], “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” I’ve often said, “Just sitting in a church house will no more make you a Christian, than sitting in a hen house will make you a hen!” There’s a lot more to being a Christian than “sitting in a church house.” There’s not only a service to attend, there’s service to tend to! It’s not enough to be a saint; you’ve got to be a servant! It’s not enough to be faithful; you’ve got to be fruitful! And in Titus 1:16, the Bible said, “Some profess to know God, but in every works they deny Him, being in every good work a reprobate.”