We can see it at every level of society. There is a tremendous lack of respect for authority today, and this lack has led to a weaker, less secure society. In many cases, lawmakers in Washington have failed their constituents, abused their offices, and flaunted their authority. The frailties of every recent president have been placed under a microscope. Children talk back to their parents, and although this has always been true of some, today it is often accompanied by new levels of venom and resentment. Teachers at some schools fear for their lives. Police departments in many places are looked upon as corrupt. Many Catholics, when they do not agree with papal pronouncements, dismiss them as unimportant.

In fact, many politicians do not deserve much respect; and many judges are corrupt; and there are crooked law-enforcement officers; and many religious leaders do not deserve admiration. But what has happened in our society is an open rebellion against almost all rules and regulations--moral and otherwise. Anarchy and lawlessness will not improve our nation. And when it comes to Scripture, we also see this rebellion against law, as many today dismiss the teachings of the Bible with the same ease as they cheat on their taxes or exams, or lie on their job applications. Most who do not cheat say they do not because they are afraid of being caught. Only a small minority say they do not cheat because it is dishonest or immoral.

And as we have lowered our conduct standards, we assume that God has also lowered His. Society suggests that God doesn't really care if we lie a little, cheat a little, and steal a little. It is unnecessary to obey God; one needs only to believe in Him to be saved, they insist. But let us turn our attention to salvation through our high priest, Jesus Christ, and what the Bible says about it.

The Text
"So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He said to Him, 'Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee;' just as He says in another passage, 'Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.' In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:5-10)

God Appointed Jesus to His Office
"So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He said to Him, 'Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee'; just as He says in another passage, 'Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek' ... being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek." Jesus has all authority because God gave it to Him. Following Jesus' resurrection, He made the grand announcement concerning this to His apostles and added to it an admonition to "teach them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20) When we reject the authority of Jesus' covenant by refusing to obey it, we are rejecting God (Luke 10:16; John 13:20). Therefore, we ought to be very concerned about obeying Jesus’ teachings. There simply is no other mediator between ourselves and God (2 Timothy 2:5).

It may be fashionable today to think it is clever to disregard laws and get away with it. A favored religious belief promotes thinking that it is unnecessary to actually obey Christ’s words, as long as we at least believe the right things about Him. But if we treat King Jesus in such a disrespectful way, we will stand before Him in judgment and be condemned for our own disobedience (John 12:48; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).

Jesus Experienced Life in the Flesh
"In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety." (Hebrews 5:7) The phrase, “the days of His flesh" refers to Jesus’ sojourn here on earth. As the eternal Son of God, His life did not begin with His conception. He has existed throughout eternity (John 1:1-3; 8:56-9). It was because of His unselfish love that God became man. Though He had existed in the form of God, He did not hold on to His equality with God. Instead, He emptied Himself by becoming a man (Philippians 2:4-7).

But the Son’s incarnation did not mean He ceased to be God, but that He also became man. Thomas came to understand this (John 20:28) as did the person who wrote the Book of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:5-12). Falling down and worshiping Jesus when He walked on earth was an entirely appropriate thing to do; He was and still is Deity (Matthew 28:9,10).

As a man, Jesus encountered things which, as God in heaven, He had not previously experienced. For this reason, the Bible speaks of Him "becoming poor" when it tells of His leaving heaven and coming to earth (2 Corinthians 8:9). In His body of flesh, Jesus suffered temptation, exhaustion, tears, pain, and ultimately death. But one thing He did not experience was personal sin (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-16).

It seems as if the Hebrew writer specifically was mindful of the Gethsemane scene (Matthew 26:36-46). The Father could and did save Jesus from death--not from the dying, but from the bonds of death. The Father saved Jesus "out of death” (Acts 2:25-28; 31-32).

Jesus Learned Obedience
"Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) Jesus learned by experience. When He suffered in Gethsemane, and later on Calvary's hill, He encountered something completely foreign to His experiences in heaven; for in heaven, there is no pain, tears, or death. Of course, being omniscient, Jesus had always known what pain and death were, but He had not experienced them until He became a man and suffered.

The Bible says, "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8) Because of Jesus' experiences in the flesh, and because of His obedience, we are assured that He understands, and we have a perfect example to follow as we live by faith (Matthew 11:28-39; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 2:21-23).

Jesus Became the Source of Salvation to Those Who Obey
"And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation ..." (Hebrews 5:9). The word perfect here means complete. By becoming like us, Jesus became perfectly able to function as our high priest. Old-Testament priests had to meet certain qualifications in order to become consecrated priests. Jesus completely fulfilled all the qualifications of the priesthood, not the Levitical qualifications, but those "according to the order of Melchizedek."

Thus, Jesus became the "source of eternal salvation to all those that obey Him." We must respect Christ’s authority by obeying His word; else He is not the source of our salvation.

Enough of the sinful and rebellious attitude that obedience isn't necessary for salvation. It is necessary, if we are to be saved by Jesus, and there is no other who can do the job (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

In this, we need to follow the example of the winds and the waves. The Greek word for obey (hupakouousin) is the same as the one used in Matthew 8:27, "… even the winds and the sea obey Him!" When Jesus said, "Peace, be still,” the winds and waves immediately stopped! Quite simply, if we do not obey Jesus, then we cannot be saved by Him, for He is the “source of eternal life to all those who obey Him.”

To me, one of the most perplexing of all religious teachings is the doctrine of eternal security—once saved always saved. How do so many so-called Bible believers overlook the many plain Scripture passages? Some suggest that any work on the believer’s part negates God’s grace. Many conclude that those who seek to be obedient are attempting to earn or merit their salvation. Such conclusions miss the importance of obedience. Please consider some of the following passages concerning this vital subject:

“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Hebrews 11:7)

In all of these passages (and many others), we see that men were motivated to act upon their faith. Bible faith is obedient faith. Those who seek salvation on the Lord’s terms possess an unwavering duty to OBEY HIS COMMANDS! (KMG)