Making the Gospel Message Clear 2

Colossians 4:2-4 ESV

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

This is a series on the subject of making the gospel message clear. The first writing covered the subject of salvation. Next in line is “obedience of faith.” And following that will be redemption, forgiveness, grace, God’s will and purpose, and the subject of Gentile believers now being one with Jewish believers in Christ in one body as fellow heirs of the promises of God to his people Israel. Included may be other related topics the Lord may introduce along the way. But these writings are devotionals, not doctrinal treatises. 

Obedience of Faith

The apostle Paul was a servant of Christ Jesus, set apart for the gospel of God… “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (see Romans 1:1-6). Thus, we are going to learn here that genuine God-given and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ requires obedience to our Lord Jesus/God and to his commands under the New Covenant, in practice. 

But before we get into that I want to first look at this word “faith” and what it means and how it is used in the Scriptures. For the word “faith” means faithfulness, and its usage includes belief, trust, confidence, and fidelity (loyalty, devotion, commitment, conformity). And it means to be persuaded, in this case to be persuaded by God, which is the persuasion of God’s divine will and purpose for our lives.

For this faith is not of our own doing, not of the will of man and not of the flesh of man, but of the will of God. And this faith originates with God, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is persuaded of God. So, we don’t get to decide what this faith should look like. God does, and the Scriptures do, and so we need to know what the Scriptures teach about what this faith looks like. For God persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness and of our need to be delivered from slavery to sin so we can now, in the power of God, walk in his holiness and righteousness, and no longer in sin.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14; Romans 12:1-2; Acts 26:16-18]

So, how is obedience tied in with our faith? We read in Romans 6:16,22:

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” And “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

And we read in John 3:36 that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” And in Acts 5:32: “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” And in Hebrews 5:8-9: “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” 

See also: [Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Acts 5:32; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 4:17-32; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Lu 9:23-26; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Matt 7:21-23]

But can we not obey the Lord and still have faith, and still be saved from our sins and on our way to heaven? No! Read the noted Scriptures above and…

“He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:6-8 ESV).

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:3-6 ESV).

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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