Quote Originally Posted by Fig-bearing Thistle View Post
After asking whether Baptism was a commandment, the answer from the LDS critics was "yes". But then comments drifted into the idea that there were no eternal consequences for not obeying this commandment.
Quote Originally Posted by Fig-bearing Thistle View Post

Later I asked whether repentance was a commandment. I am waiting for a response from the non-LDS to this question. (LDS believe it is a commandment btw.)

So here is my final question.

Does obedience (or disobedience) to God's commandments carry any eternal consequences for the Christian? Or to put it differently, is obedience to God's commandments at all necessary for salvation?

My guess is that most LDS critics will say 'NO', and use scriptures like Romans 8:28-29 to show it.
Hi Fig, I'll try to answer your question from my understanding of scripture.

No one can ignore the commandments of God, without committing sin. In other words, ignoring or breaking God's commandments IS what sin is.

The two greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus Himself said that ALL the commandments hang on these two.

Paul reiterated this thought in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Taking these p***ages into consideration, I believe that anyone who has truly been transformed by the Holy Spirit, will bring forth the fruit of the Spirit and will in so doing, fulfill the two greatest commandments Jesus spoke of.

How does this relate to repentance and baptism?

Repentance: I believe that the very ability to repent is a work of the Spirit of God in the heart of a person. When God's Spirit has effectually convicted a person of their sinfulness, and they have understood the Gospel message of forgiveness in Christ, the response IS repentance. If there is no repentance in a person, they have not been effectually convicted and have not believed the gospel.

Baptism: If a person has been effectually convicted by the Holy Spirit and believed the Gospel, they will be led of the Spirit to please the Lord in all they do. This is the fruit of the Spirit that Paul taught about in Galatians. If a person CLAIMS to have been convicted by God, CLAIMS to have repented of their sins, CLAIMS to have believed the Gospel, and yet stubbornly refuses to follow the Lord in baptism, I would seriously question the validity of their claims. If a person WILLFULLY REFUSES to honor the Lord, what evidence is there that they are obeying the command to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength? If however, there are circumstances that PREVENT an otherwise willing person from following the Lord in baptism, i.e. thief on the cross type of scenarios as one example, or a terminally ill bed-ridden person who at long last believes, in these cases it is evident that the Lord forgives them and accepts them.

GI73