FAITH AND ITS OUTCOME

..Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith.  Romans 1:5

Obedience is a word that makes the natural heart twist.  Just hearing it makes any man or woman long for another subject matter more pleasant.  I think that most of us believe that the faith that led to our salvation was one thing and the faith of obedience is yet another.  One got us in the kingdom but the other is some rigorous, complicated lifestyle which no one wants to really think about.

The Gospel was designed to be simple, simple enough for a child.  So is the subject of faith and obedience.  The smallest child knows what it is to obey or disobey.  They don’t even have to have language skills to know whether or not what they are doing pleases or displeases those around them.

Faith is the connector between the Gospel of our salvation and the lifestyle of obedience.  Here’s how:

To be saved, I had to have faith to believe that God was telling me the truth about my spiritual condition.  He said I was lost.  He said that my sin had separated us.  He said that Jesus was sent to die for my sin.  He said I had to repent.  He said I had to accept Jesus’ sacrifice for me, personally, and follow Him for the rest of my life in order to be His child.  I never witnessed any of these events personally but I chose to believe God.  Because God said it, I repented, trusted in His death and resurrection, and asked to be His child.

To be sanctified, set apart to live a life of obedience, I continue to believe the ‘rest of what God says’.  He tells me what will bring me internal wellbeing.  I believe Him and act upon His advice.  He tells me what kind of people I should make as friends.  I believe Him and obey.  He tells me what kind church I should make my home.  I obey by looking for one with sound theology and disciple-making priorities.  He tells me how to use my mind and guard my heart.  I follow His instructions to the letter.

Following Jesus is possible, whether the disciple is a child, an adolescent, or an adult.  Each one embarks on the same path.  They listen to God, they believe and are saved, and then they act upon what He says.  Obedience of faith is hearing and choosing to obey by virtue of Who said it. I defer by my obedient response.

Help me teach Your Word with simplicity.  We’re all children and need understanding.  My day is planned, Lord.  I follow what You say to the letter – by faith.  Amen