❓ Saved by Obedience — Or Saved by Christ?
❓ Saved by Obedience — Or Saved by Christ?
THE BOOK OF MAYMIHTS AHKEHKT Chapter 7: 30-37
🕊️ This passage in the Nemenhah records cuts deep. The prophet looks at a religious society where people are told:
“Your obedience will save you. Follow the prophets. Live every day by their words. That is the way to exaltation.”
But then he asks the piercing question: “From what are they saved?”
⚖️ The Limits of Obedience
He answers plainly:
They still sin.
They are not saved from sin by mere obedience.
If obedience could cancel the effects of sin, then what of the sacrifice of the Peacemaker?
This is the same old stumbling block Isaiah warned about—“they draw near with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Isaiah 29:13). Obedience to men’s commands cannot bridge the gap sin creates.
🌑 The Real Effect of Sin
The prophet explains the true effect:
“Behold, the effects of sin are that they cause us to turn our faces from the Peacemaker. And this thing brings upon them a separation from Him.”
Notice the shift—sin is not about tally marks on a scorecard. Sin is turning away from His presence. The real tragedy is separation from Christ.
And yet, he declares something astonishing:
“There is no power possessed of man that can separate the Peacemaker from him.”
The Shepherd never leaves the sheep. The separation is on our side—we hide our faces, while He keeps reaching.
📖 Borrowed Light or His Voice?
Then comes the prophet’s challenge to every generation:
Shall I know God better by listening to another man’s recollection?
Will I settle for my neighbor’s story of his conversations with the Lord?
Or shall I insist on sitting at His feet, face to face?
He cries:
“I shall not be satisfied but to sit at His feet and speak with Him face to face! This is the thing our first parents sought.”
This is Adam and Eve building an altar—not because a priest told them to, but because they longed to hear the Peacemaker Himself.
🔥 The Prophetic Warning
What kind of society was he describing? One where people relied on towers, preachers, and second-hand faith. A people who had developed great “technologies of religion” but lost the living voice of Christ.
Sound familiar? Today, millions live by conference talks, lesson manuals, and handbook rules—believing that obedience to the words of men will exalt them. But the prophet calls that out plainly: it does not save.
🌿 The Only Way
The way back to God is the same as it was in Eden:
Build your own altar.
Seek His face.
Sit at His feet.
Hear His voice.
Obedience has its place—but it must be obedience to the Peacemaker Himself. Not blind allegiance to the robe on the tower, but living loyalty to the Shepherd who calls your name.
✨ Takeaway for Us
This passage is one of those “wake-up” moments. The prophet shows us that salvation isn’t about climbing the ladders of obedience in a man-built system. It’s about tearing down the distance and meeting Christ face to face.
That’s what Adam and Eve wanted. That’s what the prophets died for. That’s what the records keep urging us toward.
So I’ll echo the prophet’s words: I will not be satisfied until I sit at His feet.
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