Faith is Obedience (cont'd)
NKJ
Mark1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel."
1. Jesus commands: “Repent and believe the gospel.”
2. Therefore, believing the gospel is the commanded response.
3. A commanded response is obedience.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
NAS
John 3:36 "He who
believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who
does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
1. John says the one who believes in the Son has life.
2. John says
in parallel that the one who does not obey the Son will not see life.
3. Therefore, not believing is disobedience.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
ESV
Romans 1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about
the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
1. Paul’s gospel mission is “the obedience of faith” among all nations.
2. “Of faith” is an epexegetical genitive, defining the obedience as faith itself.
3. Therefore, the obedience God requires is faith.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
ESV
Romans 16:26 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--
1. Paul describes the gospel’s goal as “the obedience of faith.”
2. “Of faith” is an epexegetical genitive, defining the obedience as faith.
3. Therefore, the obedience God requires is faith.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
ESV
Romans 15:18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to
obedience-- by word and deed (work),
1. Paul says Christ accomplished through him “the obedience of the Gentiles.”
2. Paul has already defined this obedience as faith (
Rom 1:5; Rom 10:16; Rom
16:26).
3. Therefore, the obedience of the Gentiles is faith.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
ESV
2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who
do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1. Paul says some “do not obey the gospel.”
2. Paul elsewhere defines this as not believing the gospel (
Rom 10:16).
3. Therefore, the obedience the gospel requires is faith.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
* Note “and” is likely ascensive – those who don’t know God = those who do not obey the Gospel
NKJ
1Peter2:7-8 Therefore, to you who
believe,
He is precious; but to those who are
disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being
disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
1. Peter describes the disobedient as those who do not believe.
2. He uses “disobey” and “disbelieve” as interchangeable categories.
3. Therefore, disobedience = unbelief.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
1Pet4:17 For the time
has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if
it begins with us first, what will
be the end of those who
do not obey the gospel of God?
1. Peter speaks of those who “do not obey the gospel of God.”
2. Apostolic usage defines this as not believing the gospel (
Rom 10:16;
2 Thess 1:8;
1 Pet 2:7–8;
John 3:36; Heb 3–4).
3. Therefore, the obedience the gospel requires is faith.
4. Therefore,
faith is obedience.
NKJ
Heb4:3,
6,
11 For we who have
believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,'" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world….6 Since therefore it remains that some
must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of
disobedience…11
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
1. Those who believe enter God’s rest (
Heb 4:3).
2. Those who were disobedient did not enter God’s rest (
Heb 4:6,
11).
3.
Hebrews 3:18–19 identifies this disobedience as unbelief.
4. Therefore,
belief is obedience, and
unbelief is disobedience
NKJ Heb3:14-19 For
we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: "
Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." 16 For who, having heard,
rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17
Now with whom was He angry forty years?
Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And
to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to
those who did not obey? 19 So we see that
they could not enter in because of unbelief.
