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Acceptable Obedience
In our previous study, of
acceptable faith, we learned that the
Word of God instructs us to add obedience to our belief in order to perfect
our faith.
Paul teaches in (Romans
4:16)
that "...it is of
faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all
the seed..." So we see that in the end,
we will be saved by grace, through faith. Paul opened and closed this
letter to the Romans with a reference to "obedience
to the faith" (Romans 1:5,
16:26).
Paul teaches in this epistle that the faith of the new testament church is a
faith that is obedient to God's will. Paul would not contradict himself
in his teaching so one must therefore harmonize all his instruction on faith into a
single unified message.
Disobedience to God is sin. Adam sinned
when he disobeyed God's instruction by eating of the forbidden fruit,
(Romans 5:19).
The words "works" and "obedience" are Biblically related. Likewise, the
words "disobedience" and "sin" can be interchanged as well.
Acceptable obedience is that which is
commanded by and has the approval of God.
Jesus Himself had
to be obedient. John quoted the words of Jesus in chapter
12, verse 49,
"For
I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a
commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak."
The Hebrew writer adds, "Though
he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And
being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey him, (Hebrews 5:8-9). The
conclusion one must draw from this is that eternal salvation will be denied to
those who do not obey Jesus.
Jesus commanded us to "Abide
in" Him,
(John 15:4). If we do not abide in Him,
we are, "cast forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are
burned, (John 15:6). We are told
exactly how to do this just 4 verses later. "If
ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my
Father's commandments, and abide in his love, (John 15:10).
Jesus told the apostles to teach "all
nations" to "observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you," (Matthew 28:20).
In the parable of the wise and foolish builders, Jesus said that "whosoever
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise
man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the
floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:
for it was founded upon a rock," (Matthew
7:24-25). He went on to say that he who
"heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:
and great was the fall of it," (Matthew 7:26-27).
The rock the wise man built his house on was the rock of
obedience that we can build our salvation on. The rains and the floods
and the wind cannot tear it down. The
"gates of Hell
shall not prevail it against it,"
(Matthew 16:18). Nothing on earth or in
heaven can
"separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 8:39).
Acceptable obedience is not a one time thing.
Obedience to the commandments of Jesus require a lifelong commitment. In
his letter to Timothy, Paul exhorted him to "Take
heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this
thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee," (1 Timothy 4:16).
Timothy was an evangelist in Ephesus at the time of Paul's letter. If
lifelong continued obedience was a requirement for Timothy, then it is for us
as well. Paul also taught continuance in obedience to the Roman
Christians. "To
them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, eternal life, (Romans 2:7).
Acceptable obedience before God is for life, both here
and eternally. Disobedience to the will of God is sin and the
"wages of sin is death", (Romans 6:23).
One cannot earn salvation because it is a gift,
but one can earn destruction by disobedience.
Jesus Christ Himself commanded us to Labour so that we
could receive His gift of everlasting life.
(John 6:27)
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that
meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give
unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."
Next...
Salvation by Grace
to all.
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