Obedience by Faith THE METHOD OF OBEDIENCE
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Col. 2:6.
When we come to Jesus for pardon, because of the sacrifice He made for us at Calvary He is able to accept us just as we are. And each day, as we come to Him anew, He continues to accept us and assure us of salvation. Once we have come and accepted His salvation, we must recognize that the method by which we stay with Christ and grow in grace is the same method by which we received Him at first--that the just shall live by faith.
What does it mean to live by faith? In order to understand this, we have to remember what is involved in genuine faith. Faith is something far deeper than a mere mental assent to truth. It involves trust in a Person, in someone we have come to know personally and discovered to be completely trustworthy. Faith is always spontaneous, and is the natural result of a relationship with Christ.
That is not to say that obedience is not necessary. Obedience is required. It is important. It is essential. In the life of the Christian both faith and works will exist. But we must understand how this is to be accomplished. We need to consider what is meant by the word by. When we are talking about living by faith, what do we mean? The usual understanding in the English language of the word by refers to methods. I travel to New York by plane. I make my living by working.
The Bible truth is that those who have been justified by faith shall live by faith, as well. Living the Christian life is accomplished through the same means by which the Christian life was begun. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." It is only through faith that we are able to keep God's commandments. Obedience by faith is the only kind of true obedience that there is. "When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience."--The Desire of Ages, p. 668. Notice the condition--when we know God.
It is not our trying hard to make ourselves acceptable to God that makes us acceptable. Nor is it our trying hard to obey that makes us obedient. Both acceptance and obedience come as a gift from God, and are received only by faith, through the continued relationship with Him.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Col. 2:6.
When we come to Jesus for pardon, because of the sacrifice He made for us at Calvary He is able to accept us just as we are. And each day, as we come to Him anew, He continues to accept us and assure us of salvation. Once we have come and accepted His salvation, we must recognize that the method by which we stay with Christ and grow in grace is the same method by which we received Him at first--that the just shall live by faith.
What does it mean to live by faith? In order to understand this, we have to remember what is involved in genuine faith. Faith is something far deeper than a mere mental assent to truth. It involves trust in a Person, in someone we have come to know personally and discovered to be completely trustworthy. Faith is always spontaneous, and is the natural result of a relationship with Christ.
That is not to say that obedience is not necessary. Obedience is required. It is important. It is essential. In the life of the Christian both faith and works will exist. But we must understand how this is to be accomplished. We need to consider what is meant by the word by. When we are talking about living by faith, what do we mean? The usual understanding in the English language of the word by refers to methods. I travel to New York by plane. I make my living by working.
The Bible truth is that those who have been justified by faith shall live by faith, as well. Living the Christian life is accomplished through the same means by which the Christian life was begun. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." It is only through faith that we are able to keep God's commandments. Obedience by faith is the only kind of true obedience that there is. "When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience."--The Desire of Ages, p. 668. Notice the condition--when we know God.
It is not our trying hard to make ourselves acceptable to God that makes us acceptable. Nor is it our trying hard to obey that makes us obedient. Both acceptance and obedience come as a gift from God, and are received only by faith, through the continued relationship with Him.
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