I recently heard a Once Saved Always Save (OSAS) advocate make the claim that those who teach that you must love God in order to be saved are teaching heresy. He claimed that loving God was a commandment under the law and that we are not justified by the law, and he cited Paul’s teachings in Galatians as his proof-text for this doctrine.

Wait? Am I under the law for loving God in relation to my salvation? Am I teaching heresy if I teach that saved people love God and love others? Was Paul confused when he said, If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! ~ 1 Corinthians 16:22

Jesus’s teaching regarding the good Samaritan is one of the most well known throughout the entire world. Unbelievers who couldn’t tell you the story, could tell you the concept. Being a good Samaritan is pretty much a universal view of being someone who cares and helps their fellow man. This is the standard that the world often holds the church to, and our failure to live up to this standard is the reason people in the world often don’t take the faith of many Christians serious.

Have you ever considered that Jesus’s teaching about the good Samaritan is a salvation related text?

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. ~ Luke 10:25-28

Before we read the further into Jesus’s story of the good Samaritan, notice that Jesus describes loving God and loving your neighbor as eternal life. Jesus was asked, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? His specific answer led the man to the great commandment under the law which is to love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. 

Now this may come as a surprise to some, but this truth is embedded in the teachings of the New Testament as the genuine evidence of our salvation. We see it throughout the teachings of Jesus, and the letters written to believers. Consider for a moment the following from the first epistle of John.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. ~ 1 John 3:14-24 

If you, as a Christians, are wondering why you can’t sense the Lord’s presence, consider checking up on your love for others. Notice how much John mentions loving your brother in the reference above. How we treat our brother is a reflection of our genuine love for God. It is how we express our love for God, and to God.

According to John we know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers, not because we made a decision to ask Jesus into our heart and are now politically conservative. Now, there is nothing wrong with asking Jesus into our hearts, but we must let Jesus live in our heart and the proof that Jesus lives in our heart is our love for others. John’s words, And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us, is a reference to this love that he has been speaking about. The Holy Spirit causes us to be people of love. The love of God has been shed abroad in our heart by the holy Spirit who has been given to us ~ Romans 5:5

The fruit of genuine salvation in the life of a Christian is love. Jesus laying down his life for us is the reason why we are lay down our lives for others. John tells us to love in deed and in truth and not in word or tongue. This echos what James says. 

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:15-17

James and John are talking about the same thing. Real faith in Jesus is empowered and motivated by love. Paul tells the Galatians, For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. ~ Galatians 5:6

Now, let’s return to the story that Jesus told us about the good Samaritan and keep in mind that the question under discussion is eternal life. 

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? ~ v. 29

Wait, Stop!!!!!

Doesn’t this sort of remind us of what James and John tell us? Look again.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ~ James

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ~ John

Let’s make sure we aren’t like this man who asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?” because he wanted to justify himself. We all know good well who our neighbor is! Let’s get real with God and let the love we have received from him flow through us, otherwise, all we have is dead faith.

Dead faith is not saving faith. Faith which works by love is.

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. ~ Luke 10:25-37

This is the fruit that we have truly received the great salvation that Christ came to give.