This
week, the Holy Spirit has been doing a lot of teaching and reminding[1] around the phrase, “the obedience of faith”. I have been trying to handle my end of
the relationship by learning and remembering as best I am able! This expression
is found in both the opening and closing paragraphs of Romans.[2]
What Paul writes in the sixteen chapters in-between is to help us understand
what this means, and how important it is to live according to such a reality.
In
the first chapter of Romans, the expression is an identification of Paul’s
mission as the apostle to the Gentiles. Everything he did was “to bring about the obedience of faith.” This
means that, both in Romans, where he was specifically dealing with this issue,
and in all his other epistles, along with his teaching recorded in the book of
Acts, everything about his life and ministry in Christ was about seeking this
distinctive result.
In
the last chapter of Romans, the same description is sandwiched between
beautiful expressions of praise and honor given to God for his amazing work of bringing
about his timeless purposes. Paul concluded this wonderful book of Romans with
the doxology:
25 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 26 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— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.[3]
Paul
began his letter by emphasizing his apostolic calling and authority to carry
out his ministry aimed at bringing about the obedience of faith in everyone he
met. He ended his letter by emphasizing that bringing about the obedience of
faith rested in God who commanded this to be so, whose wisdom planned
everything to bring about this reality, and who was fully able to give all the
believers strength to walk this path that has been set before us.[4]
The
expression, “the obedience of faith”,
sounds like it could mean two things. One is that it could refer to the kind of
obedience that comes from faith as contrasted to the kind of obedience that
comes from law. This is certainly a strong theme in Romans. Another is that it
could refer to the faith that is the obedient response to the command of the
gospel.[5]
The gospel commands us to believe in Jesus Christ, and our faith is the
obedient response to this command.[6]
I
am suspicious it means both, because both are definitely true. Faith is our
obedience to God when he calls us to trust in him with all our hearts and lean
not on our own understanding.[7] Faith
is our obedience when we hear the call of the gospel, “if you confess with your
mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be saved.”[8]
At
the same time, obedience comes from faith, just as Abraham believed God, was
justified by his faith,[9]
and yet also obeyed God by faith when God gave him further instructions.[10]
The grace that saves us through the faith that is obedient to the gospel, also
calls for the obedience that carries out the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them.”[11]
At
the moment, I am resting in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to teach me
whatever is next in learning about how he is bringing about the obedience of
faith in me, and how my ministry must follow Paul’s example of seeking to bring
about the obedience of faith in others. I suspect that I will need many
reminders of how these things are woven through the word of God in such
intricate ways that prove the divine authorship of the Scriptures, and, through
the word and Spirit of God, are woven into our hearts as well.
While
I am curious whether further lessons will lean towards option A, option B, or all
of the above, I know that it will fit in with the musical exhortation, “trust and obey, for there’s no other way,
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”[12]
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
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