To Bring About the Obedience of Faith

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:25-27 ESV)

Now to God/Christ who is able to strengthen those of us of genuine faith in him according to the gospel of Christ and the preaching of Jesus Christ… according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith…

So, what is biblical faith? The word means to be persuaded. But the faith originated with Christ, and it comes from God, and it is perfected by Christ, and it is gifted to us by God, and we can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father first draws us to Christ. And it is not of our own doing, not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So it is God who does the persuading. And according to the Scriptures, what is it that God persuades us about and to? He persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of our sin and to obey our Lord.

And why did the majority of the Israelites who escaped slavery in Egypt, and who wandered in the wilderness for some forty years, not get to go into the Promised Land? It was because of their disobedience which God calls unbelief. And so, by contrast, belief in Jesus Christ = obedience to our Lord and to his commandments under the New Covenant. And what does that have to do with us? It serves as a warning to us to not desire evil as they did, to not be idolaters and the sexually immoral and those who grumble against God and who put Christ to the test and thus do not have eternal life.

[Jn 1:12-13; Jn 6:44; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 12:1-2]

And what is the gospel of Christ? Jesus Christ summarized it well for us when he said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life in him. For he also said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And Paul said that by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to righteousness. Thus, we are to no longer let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God. But for those who are self-seeking, who do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

And Peter taught that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. And Paul taught that Jesus died that we might live for God and no longer for ourselves. He taught that Jesus shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now honor God with our lives. And he taught that if sin is our practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess. 

[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 2:6-8; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Heb 10:23-31; Romans 1:18-32]

And John taught that if we say that we have fellowship with God/Christ, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin, wickedness, evil), we lie and do not practice the truth. And he said that if we claim to know God/Christ, but we do not keep (obey) our Lord’s commandments (under the New Covenant), then we are liars, and the truth is not in us. And he taught that if sin is our practice, and not righteousness, then we are not of God, we are not born of God, but we are of the devil. And we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith our lips profess.

[1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; cf. Revelation 21:8,27; Revelation 22:14-15]

So, if we want to have genuine faith in Jesus Christ, and salvation from our slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin (evil, wickedness, immorality), and the hope of eternal life with God, we must die with Christ to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in obedient walks of faith in him, from now to eternity. And this is required for us to be in genuine relationship with our Lord and for us then to receive from him the strength and wisdom that we need to live for him from now and forevermore.

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263