Jesse
May 10th, 2007, 05:16 PM
The following is my mom's latest devotional, and it was taken from her site at http://members.tripod.com/~GinnyL/devotional.htm
The Obedience of Faith
The Lord seeks our obedience. So what is obedience? It is important that we understand the obedience the Lord wants from us. Many seek to give an obedience that can never please God. It is the same obedience of the Judaizers that Paul struggled against as he wrote to the Galatians. The obedience of faith is the only obedience God will accept from us. No obedience of our flesh, will do.
There can be no "obedience" of the truth without faith in the finished work of Christ. Faith and obedience in Christ are practically synonymous. Our obedience is to believe into Him and trust Him to be our only salvation, sanctification, righteousness and life daily. When we try to work out our salvation by outward works and observances, even what appears to be obedience to the law...we disobey God because we do not walk by faith in Him, rather we walk by faith in our own righteousness.
Rom 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,
The apostles brought the gospel message...an obedience of faith in Christ.
Rom 16:25--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
Rom 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 --
Heb 3:18--And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
Heb 3:19--So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Those walking according to outward religious works, rituals, laws, are walking according to the flesh, and not the Spirit. They never enter in to His rest--the rest of faith in the finished work of Christ, and His sufficiency, as their only righteousness, because of unbelief. They believe they must still somehow have a part in producing their own righteousness before God.
Heb 11:6--But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Those in the (religious) flesh seek to please God by their service. But if not walking in faith in His inner work in and through them, it is impossible to please God. They are still in the flesh.
"As to man, the law and the ordinances were only bondage. They aimed at bridling the will without its being changed."--J.N. Darby
Gal 4:9--But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
weak — powerless to justify: in contrast to the justifying power of faith (Gal_3:24; compare Heb_7:18).
beggarly — contrasted with the riches of the inheritance of believers in Christ (Eph_1:18). The state of the “child” (Gal_4:1) is weak, as not having attained manhood; “beggarly,” as not having attained the inheritance.
elements — “rudiments.” It is as if a schoolmaster should go back to learning the A, B, C’S .
[B]again — There are two Greek words in the original. “Ye desire again, beginning afresh, to be in bondage.” Though the Galatians, as Gentiles, had never been under the Mosaic yoke, yet they had been under “the elements of the world” (Gal_4:3): the common designation for the Jewish and Gentile systems alike, in contrast to the Gospel (however superior the Jewish was to the Gentile). Both systems consisted in outward worship and cleaved to sensible forms. Both were in bondage to the elements of sense, as though these could give the justification and sanctification which the inner and spiritual power of God alone could bestow.--J, F, &B
This is today what many ministers of the gospel seek to teach their congregation—to bridle the will, by striving to keep the law, rather than by faith in the inner working of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit Who brings to us the life and righteousness of Christ Himself in our hearts, to go back to the beggarly elements of living the Christian life by works rather than an obedience of faith. It is only that righteousness—of Christ Himself, that will ever be pleasing to God, and it is only faith in Him that will be considered obedience to Him.
May the Lord deal completely with our religious flesh, and expose it! May He reveal to us a righteousness of faith—and obedience to that--by faith.
The Obedience of Faith
The Lord seeks our obedience. So what is obedience? It is important that we understand the obedience the Lord wants from us. Many seek to give an obedience that can never please God. It is the same obedience of the Judaizers that Paul struggled against as he wrote to the Galatians. The obedience of faith is the only obedience God will accept from us. No obedience of our flesh, will do.
There can be no "obedience" of the truth without faith in the finished work of Christ. Faith and obedience in Christ are practically synonymous. Our obedience is to believe into Him and trust Him to be our only salvation, sanctification, righteousness and life daily. When we try to work out our salvation by outward works and observances, even what appears to be obedience to the law...we disobey God because we do not walk by faith in Him, rather we walk by faith in our own righteousness.
Rom 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,
The apostles brought the gospel message...an obedience of faith in Christ.
Rom 16:25--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
Rom 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 --
Heb 3:18--And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
Heb 3:19--So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Those walking according to outward religious works, rituals, laws, are walking according to the flesh, and not the Spirit. They never enter in to His rest--the rest of faith in the finished work of Christ, and His sufficiency, as their only righteousness, because of unbelief. They believe they must still somehow have a part in producing their own righteousness before God.
Heb 11:6--But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Those in the (religious) flesh seek to please God by their service. But if not walking in faith in His inner work in and through them, it is impossible to please God. They are still in the flesh.
"As to man, the law and the ordinances were only bondage. They aimed at bridling the will without its being changed."--J.N. Darby
Gal 4:9--But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
weak — powerless to justify: in contrast to the justifying power of faith (Gal_3:24; compare Heb_7:18).
beggarly — contrasted with the riches of the inheritance of believers in Christ (Eph_1:18). The state of the “child” (Gal_4:1) is weak, as not having attained manhood; “beggarly,” as not having attained the inheritance.
elements — “rudiments.” It is as if a schoolmaster should go back to learning the A, B, C’S .
[B]again — There are two Greek words in the original. “Ye desire again, beginning afresh, to be in bondage.” Though the Galatians, as Gentiles, had never been under the Mosaic yoke, yet they had been under “the elements of the world” (Gal_4:3): the common designation for the Jewish and Gentile systems alike, in contrast to the Gospel (however superior the Jewish was to the Gentile). Both systems consisted in outward worship and cleaved to sensible forms. Both were in bondage to the elements of sense, as though these could give the justification and sanctification which the inner and spiritual power of God alone could bestow.--J, F, &B
This is today what many ministers of the gospel seek to teach their congregation—to bridle the will, by striving to keep the law, rather than by faith in the inner working of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit Who brings to us the life and righteousness of Christ Himself in our hearts, to go back to the beggarly elements of living the Christian life by works rather than an obedience of faith. It is only that righteousness—of Christ Himself, that will ever be pleasing to God, and it is only faith in Him that will be considered obedience to Him.
May the Lord deal completely with our religious flesh, and expose it! May He reveal to us a righteousness of faith—and obedience to that--by faith.