Obedience is to Faith what Jesus is to the Father.
Originally written 1-29-2014
I received a note from a friend about obedience and faith. I did a search on my blog, as I often will. This site has my writings since 2006, with over 2,000 posts. I will often search it to find what I have written on a particular subject. As often is the case, I will find things I have no memory of writing.
This is the text that was sent to me,
“I Corinthians 15 - Paul says they were saved through the gospel if they keep in memory what he preached unless they have believed in vain. So it is possible to believe in vain because, as James says, faith without works is dead, being alone. Paul was not all about grace. Two things:
1. You can believe and not be saved. 2. You can lose your salvation by forgetting and abandoning it what you have believed.
Thoughts?
“Romans 10:9-10 is a favorite scripture for many. Just saw something I've never seen before. With the heart man believes unto righteousness. If it doesn't produce righteousness, it isn't true Biblical belief. “
It’s true, if one simply does a search on the two letter word, “IF” it makes it clear that salvation is conditional. Both initially, continually, and eventually.
In reference to obedience being the visible of the invisible.
Faith is the substance of hope that is unseen. Faith looks like obedience.
Obedience is to Faith what Jesus is to the Father.
This observation came to me as I was discussing the nature of faith and obedience. It is my attempt to understand and explain the dynamic and symbiotic nature of these two essential aspects involved in our individual relationship with salvation and pleasing God.
Chapter one of Hebrews says this of Jesus
"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."
God is a Spirit, no man had seen HIM at any time.
Jesus is the visible image of the Father.
As Jesus said to Philip, when you See Jesus, you see the father.
You can not separate Jesus from God, because Jesus is the manifestation, the embodiment, and the illumination of God.
The above are stated facts of Jesus in relationship to the Father taken directly from scripture.
Using this biblical logic concerning Jesus and the Father, let us apply it to faith.
Obedience is the manifestation of faith.
Obedience is the fullness of faith.
Obedience is the Visible evidence of Faith.
You can no more separate obedience from faith than you can separate Jesus from the Father.
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" Colossians 2:9-10
Look at the words of Jesus to Philip and consider this in relation to faith and obedience.
“ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” John 14:5-7
This echoes the wisdom found written in the book of James.
James 2
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.