Obedience That Comes From Faith

Romans 1:5
Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.

Apostle Paul writes this letter to the church in Rome. He introduces himself and how he became an Apostle. He gives credit to Jesus Christ. Paul says that together with others he received grace and Apostleship from Jesus. He further tells us that the purpose of the Apostleship was to call Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

Paul is very clear that God called him with a specific purpose. God called him so that he in turn can go and call gentiles to Obedience that comes from faith. Peter and other Apostles were considered to be Apostles who targeted Jewish people only, but Paul seemed to target Gentiles. Why did God call you? What is your God-given assignment? Are you doing anything for God? Are you fulfilling the purpose of your creation and salvation? Paul tells us that he was made an Apostle so that he can call gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

The only way to know your God-given assignment is to pray and listen. Pray directly and specifically about it. Pray that God will reveal the purpose of your calling. Then listen to what you find ease and comfort in doing for God. Then listen to what others appreciate and commend when you do it for God. It will get clearer. For some and not all, a dream may even clarify their call. For many of us, a personal conviction and affirmation by others will settle the matter. For Paul, it was to call the gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

Why does Paul say obedience comes from faith? Do Christians need obedience? Obedience to what? Isn’t faith enough for a believer? Why should faith give birth to obedience? If faith doesn’t give birth to obedience it seems it may be fake faith. What does Paul mean when he tells us that obedience comes from faith?

Ephesians 2:8-10
(8)For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (9)not by works, so that no one can boast. (10)For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Salvation from sin is by grace. Grace means it is a favor we do not deserve. God has done us a favor to save us. God did not have to save us. God favored us by saving us. We have done nothing to cause God to save us, it is His own choice. He has been merciful and treated us the way we do not deserve. We have been saved by grace.

We have been saved by grace through faith. Through faith means, we sinners access that salvation using faith. The key that opens the door that sets us free from sin, is faith. Without faith, we will not reach the freely given salvation. Faith is the password to salvation. While salvation is free, it must be accessed by faith. Even that faith comes from God. We have been saved by grace through faith. We have been saved freely without deserving it, and we can access that salvation through the password or key or door that is known as faith. Saved by grace through faith.

Not by works so that no one can boast. Salvation is never a result of what we have done. Therefore no one can boast that they have attained salvation because of what they have done. You can’t do anything to get saved. No amount of commandment-keeping will save you. Commandment keeping is works. Not by works so that no one can boast. Obedience to commandment is works. Salvation is not by works, it is not by obedience to the commandment. Obedience has no place in our salvation. We are saved not because we obeyed the commandment or any religious demands, but because God has freely saved us and we have accessed it by faith.

If we are not saved by commandment-keeping, how comes, the same Apostle Paul tells us that God called him to go and call gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith? If obedience doesn’t save anyone, which is this obedience that comes from faith, and what is its value?

Take note it is not faith that comes from obedience, it is obedience that comes from faith. Faith gives us access to free salvation, then that faith produces obedience. We only obey the commandment after salvation. When after salvation we become obedient, our obedience is not contributing anything to salvation, instead, it is a consequence of salvation.

Let us put it this way, we are sinners desperately lost and bound to eternal death. God provides salvation freely and we can see it but we can’t reach it for some reason. We are dying yet we can see salvation is freely available. Then God provides a bridge to that free salvation. God gives us faith as a bridge to that free salvation. If we take the bridge of faith, we will cross into the freely given salvation. When we get to salvation, we are no longer at risk of eternal death, we are now saved, the same bridge of faith leads us to obedience to God’s will, His commandments.

The bridge to salvation is faith and not obedience to the commandments. Obedience to commandments is a bridge we try to make to salvation but it will never take us there. You can’t be obedient to God’s commencements until you totally and freely get saved. No obedience before salvation. There must be obedience after salvation. Obedience after salvation is the obedience that comes from faith!

Salvation ultimately leads all of us to the obedience that comes from faith. Anyone who is truly saved will be obedient to the ten commandments, not because they want to be saved but because they are already saved. Obedience that comes from faith!

I follow school rules because I have been admitted as a student and I have faith this school will give me the training and qualifications that I need. That faith causes me to be obedient, that is obedience that comes from faith. I have faith the traffic lights are functioning well and other road users will follow them. I, therefore, obey the traffic lights because I have faith it is for common good, that is obedience that comes from faith. When the road sign tells me to slow down, I slow down before knowing why or what is ahead of me, that is obedience built on the faith that the road sign was put up in my best interest, that is obedience that comes from faith. Obedience that comes from faith!

There is no faith that comes from obedience. You can never obey enough to develop faith. Faith must come first and take us to salvation, then after salvation, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey. Obedience only comes from faith. Give us faith dear Lord, faith that will move mountains, faith that will hold unto you under all circumstances, faith that will lead us to the obedience of all your commandments after salvation, faith that causes obedience, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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