obedience (part 1)
Related Hymn: “Trust and Obey“
God judges us based on what we do with what He has shown us. James 1:22 tells us to act upon what we hear. To simply hear and believe is not enough. If someone hears about something in the bible, but disregards it and says, “I believe that is true” yet doesn’t follow through, there is no faith. God calls this sin (unbelief). If someone hears something and acts upon it, God calls this “faith”, “obedience”, or “belief”.
Regarding baptism, it has been said that it is “legalistic” to say that it is necessary for children of God to be baptized. If you truly believe what God says, you read it then you do it. 1 Samuel 15:22 says that “to obey is better than sacrifice”.
Siting from Galatians 5 (where Paul is rendering the Law and the Old Covenant to be of no effect to salvation) or Ephesians 2:8-9, folks have said that no act of man is necessary in order for salvation because that would make it “man-made”. In Galatians 5, it is important to note that Paul wasn’t talking about ALL actions, just those that were imposed under the Old Covenant God made with His people. As to Ephesians 2:8-9, keep in mind salvation is an eventual thing that will take place; this is why he continues speaking in 2:10 about “good works” (Also, the beginning of Ephesians 2 is reemphasizing Romans 6:3-11. Again, if someone repents and is never baptized- having read and understood verses like Acts 2:38-39- they are in sin and disobedience towards God’s Word. The first thing God asks of us as believers is to be baptized; not as “just a sign of what God has done”, but rather, as a way of saying, “Your Word says that You consider my sinful flesh ‘dead’ by my doing this, so I will be baptized in Your Name so as to get my new life under obedience to Christ (Your Word) and put off my old disobedient ways in order to serve you”.
Another point to consider is in Galatians 2:16 where Paul talks about no flesh being justified by the Law (not by actions). Remember that Jesus was not sent to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He didn’t do away with it, God simply said that He will write the Law on His children’s hearts and convict their spirits rather than a written command in His New Covenant; we just need to obey where God convicts according to His Word, Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34). John 14:15 and 1 John 5:2-3 show us what we do to demonstrate our love towards each other and God: if we say we love God, we are to act upon it.
-If Noah had just believed that God would save him and didn’t build the ark… required an action (Genesis 6:11-22).
-If Abraham had only believed God and not been circumcised… required an action (Genesis 17:9-14).
-If the Israelites had only believed God and not looked to the bronze serpent… required an action (Numbers 21:6-9).
Faith requires an action. “…This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom He hath sent.” (John 6:28-29) Remember who God promises to save: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Mark 16:16 says that if you believe and are baptized you will be saved which is why in Acts 8:12-13, 8:36-38, 18:8, 19:4-5, as well as many other places, we see so many folks believing the Gospel message and immediately being baptized.
We don’t earn the Holy Ghost through baptism (Acts 10:44-46, 8:15-17), but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to be baptized (Acts 10:47-48, 9:17-18, 22:12-16).
I just know God had Peter, Paul and all the other folks from the early Church command new believers to be baptized in His Name for the remission of their sins. If it’s legalistic to trust and obey God’s Word, then count me in! I just believe God and do what He says. I want to be saved on the Judgement Day!
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