The Obedience of Faith

[Hansen]

The "obedience of faith" is the response of the individual in believing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. It has nothing to do with obeying the Decalogue by the power of the indwelling spirit. It has nothing do do with sinless perfectionism. It is a faith issue, not a works issue.

Note the following text:

Ro 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

This is an interesting parallelism in the NT. It equates "obeying the gospel" with "believing the report." To believe is to obey.

Note verse 21:

21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

The issue was faith in Christ, not works, yet Scripture describes the unbelieving Jews as "disobedient."

In the opening verses of Romans, Paul introduces the "obedience of faith":

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of god,

2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

3 concerning his son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,

4 who was declared the son of god with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our lord,

5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the "obedience of faith" among all the Gentiles for his name’s sake,

6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

That was Paul's work, to persuade people to believe in Jesus Christ.

Rom. 3:1 then what advantage has the Jew? or what is the benefit of circumcision?

2 great in every respect. first of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of god.

3 what then? if some did not believe, their "unbelief" will not nullify the faithfulness of god, will it?

Again, the concern that Paul had was that the "unbelief" of the Jews, not their lack of works or sinless perfection.

Romans begins with the obedience of faith and ends with it:

25 Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal,

26 but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto "obedience of faith:"

[olger]

I agree with the primacy of the gospel, but does that negate obedience to the Law of God? Not according to James & David.

Let us believe Isaiah's report and prosper.

[ClubV12]

True faith WILL result in true works. Works that flow from a heart of love, as David said, "Oh how I love thy law". Love for fellow man AND love for God's LAW. We will keep the law because we have seen the great cost it required, the death of the Son of God.

[Hansen]

Peter also recognized that faith=obedience. Notice his remarks:

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Verse 6 says that those who "believe" shall not be confounded. Verse 7 then introduces the term "disobedient" to contrast with those who "believe." Verse 8 then refers to those who stumble at the word as "being disobedient." This is a clear reference to those who do not believe.

It is clear in these passages from Paul and Peter that "obedience" refers to faith in Christ. The OT set forth promises of a coming Messiah. Those who believe the OT will obey it by believing in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The disobedient are those who stumble [through unbelief].

[Hansen]

In the interest of edifying those who hold erroneous views on the "obedience of faith, i.e., that the "obedience of faith" refers to commandment keeping through the power of the Holy Spirit, I refer to Hebrews 3:

12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God:

13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin:

14 for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:

15 while it is said, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16 For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses?

17 And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?

Note that verse 12 refers to "an evil heart of unbelief." These same individuals are referred to as the "disobedient" in verse 18. He then summarizes his argument by saying that the "disobedient" of verse 18 could not enter the rest because of "unbelief."

The same interplay between "unbelief" and "disobedience" is continued in chapter 4

Verse 2 says that they did not profit from the gospel because they were not united by faith to the word. Then verse 6 says they failed because of disobedience.

[12tribes]

if we truly love God we will be obedient

[Guest]

Amen....!

[whatisthis]

My grandchildren were all excited to be at my house fairly recently. They were impressed by everything, but-- unfortunately they were tearing everything up, too! Finally I knelt down beside one of my granddaughters and said, "Do you love Grandma?" She said yes, she did. I said, "But it makes Grandma sad when you don't obey me and just tear everything up I'm trying to do with you and give to you. I feel like crying." (She could see I did.) I spent quite a while praying about it. The next morning when she came in the first thing she said to me was, "Grandma, I love you, and I want to obey you all day because I love you!" Wow! I was so pleased! But IMMEDIATELY I thought, and it was almost like God kneeling by me, "That's how it is with Grace too! I love you, love to give you all those things, but I feel like crying if you tear my house up!" Now I keep thinking, why would anyone want to tear God's house up? The 10 no's are just things to keep the precious memories He wants to share with me safe and beautiful!