Obedience = Faith

“Only those who obey believe. Only those who believe obey”. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The above quote communicates a simple truth. Faith is demonstrated in obedience. Where there is no obedience, there is no faith.

A man knocks frantically on a burning building. He shakes the handle, he breaks the window, he shouts through the window, “WAKE UP, the BUILDING IS ON FIRE! You must wake up and get out of this building!”

The slumbering occupants of the building wake up. They hear the alarming shouts and disturbing sounds. Thankfully, everyone in the building is saved, because they believed the warning and walked out of certain destruction.

This is a parable that speaks to the kind of peril for every living soul. The destruction that is coming is not as immediate, but it is no less certain.

Every person who heard the voice and walked out of the building were saved.

If any one of them had dismissed this warning and gone back to sleep, they would have perished in the fiery inferno.

“Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Acts 2:40

This kind of warning and admonition speaks to the human agency required in the chemistry of salvation.

Obedient faith produces blessing and favor from God Almighty.

Disobedience produces curses and darkness from that same God Almighty.

This narrative spans from Genesis chapter three to Revelation chapter twenty-two.

We are saved by grace through faith.

The fact that someone spoke the truth and our faith inspired obedience brings salvation is no less a gift of grace, because nothing we can do in and of itself can save us. However, it is the grace of God that brings salvation through and because of our obedient response, because we believed the truth.

BELIEVING AND OBEYING

In Him, By Him, Through Him,

Scott A. Phillips

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Luke 13:3
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Romans 10:9-10
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Hebrews 11:6
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Hebrews 5:9
“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

1 John 2:3-4
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Philippians 2:12-13
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

2 Peter 1:5-10
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. … for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Matthew 24:13
“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Hebrews 10:36
“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

2 Timothy 2:12
“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

Revelation 2:10
“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Luke 13:24
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

Romans 2:6-8
“[God] will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath.”

Galatians 6:7-8
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

2 Corinthians 5:10
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”