Or, “faith in Jesus.” The Greek may be understood either way, though the latter meaning is generally preferred. For the difference in meaning between the two expressions and for the importance of faith to Christian experience see on Rom. 3:22. The faith of Jesus and the keeping of the commandments represent two important aspects of Christian living. The commandments of God are a transcript of the character of God. They set forth the divine standard of righteousness that God would have man attain but which in his unregenerate state he cannot attain to. “The carnal mind ... is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). Despite his best attempts, man continually comes short of the glory of God (see on Rom. 3:23). But Jesus came to enable men to be restored to the divine image. He came to show men what the Father is like, and in this sense amplified the moral law. Through His power men are enabled to keep the divine requirements (see on Rom. 8:3, 4) and thus reflect the divine image.

 The remnant church thus honors the commandments of God, and observes them, not in any legalistic sense but as a revelation of the character of God and of Christ, who dwells in the heart of the true believer (Gal. 2:20).

 This statement is particularly significant in its context. Led captive by Satan’s delusions, the world will bow to the beast and its image, and carry out its dictates and decrees (see on ch. 13:8). The saints, on the other hand, refuse to comply with its demands. They keep the commandments of God. The special point controverted will be the fourth of the Ten Commandments. There is general agreement among Christians that the other nine are of universal obligation, but early in the Christian Era men began to set aside the seventh-day Sabbath and to substitute the observance of the first day of the week as the day of worship (see on Dan. 7:25). Sunday-observing Christians today set forth various reasons as to why they observe the first day of the week instead of the seventh, and as to why they feel free to ignore the original Sabbath. Some say that the Decalogue was abolished along with all OT laws; others that the time element in the fourth commandment is ceremonial but the observance of one day every seven is a moral obligation. In the Roman Church the claim was long made that the church had, by its divine authority, transferred the sacredness of the day. However, in recent decades attempts have been made to invoke the authority of Christ and the apostles. Since all those views are unsupported by Scripture, they are unacceptable to all for whom the Bible and the Bible only is the rule of faith. The crisis will come when symbolic Babylon prevails upon the state to enforce Sunday observance by civil law and seeks to punish all dissenters. This is the issue described in Rev. 13:12-17 (see comment there, especially on vs. 12, 16). In this dark hour those who cling to the Bible will refuse to give up the observance of the true Sabbath. Among the identifying features of the faithful ones that might have been mentioned, the prophecy points out two predominant marks: the keeping of the commandments of God and of the faith of Jesus.

 Gr. hagioi, literally, “holy ones” (see on Rom. 1:7).

 Gr. hupomonē (see on Rom. 5:3). Here the translation “steadfast endurance” would be a more suitable rendering. The context calls attention to the fearful struggle with the beast and his image. Every attempt will be made to force the remnant to join the movement promoted by the second beast, including the threat of boycott and death (Rev. 13:11-17). At the same time Satan will work with all “deceivableness of unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:10; cf. Matt. 24:24), making it appear that the power of God is manifest in the movement. Through all this the faithful remnant steadfastly endure and maintain their integrity. Their steadfastness merits special commendation.