The Obedience Of Faith - Believing!

THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH - BELIEVING!

Gary Shepard



The obedience of faith is a most remarkable thing. The weakest believer obeys God most directly when he believes Him more than any other act. The command of the Gospel is to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Believe on Him whom you cannot see according to that which you've heard through the Word of truth, the Gospel. Obedience and disobedience, according to language scholars, are related to "hearing." Disobedience being "mishearing" and obedience being "submissive hearing." The essence of disobedience is refusal to hearken; and obedience is bowing the hearts ear to listen in submission. God has said that the "just shall live by faith." He tells us by the Psalmist that He has "magnified His Word above all His name." He is most glorified by His people when He is believed on by them. The seraphim in the very presence of God cry "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." But even as they do this they in no way exalt, honor and glorify God as the justified sinner does here on earth who relies on and rests in His Word that He has given to him eternal life in Christ the Son apart from that sinner's works! Great is he that sees and believes. But greater is he that sees not but believes anyway. When the Apostle writes in Hebrews 11 of the exploits of the believers therein named, he says of them all that they did these things "by faith." Seeing not, they believed the promises of God. When the Spirit of God writes in the New Testament about Abraham's greatest work, He says several times, "Abraham believed God!" Men are always wanting to do great works for God. "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:28,29) Glorify God...Believe Him!



Gary Shepard is pastor of
Sovereign Grace Baptist Church
Jacksonville, NC