Obedient Faith

Saving faith is carefully defined in Scripture and needs to be understood because there is a dead, nonsaving faith that provides false security (James 2:14-26). True saving faith contains repentance and obedience as its elements. Repentance is an initial element of saving faith, and it involves three elements: a turning to God, a turning from evil, and intent to serve God. No change of mind can be called true repentance without all three. Repentance is not merely being ashamed or sorry over sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of remorse. It is a redirection of the human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue goodness instead. The faith that saves involves more than mere intellectual assent and emotional conviction. It also includes the resolution of the will to obey God's commands and laws. Obedience is the hallmark of the true believer.

Reflecting on the text: Why is obedience a mark of true faith?

The above statement comes from my study guide of Colossians 1:1-8. The statement comes from the thought of the Greek word pistis for "faith," which means to be persuaded that something is true and to trust in it. But far more than mere intellectual assent, it also involves obedience. As we read in James 2:14-26 we understand that to just believe without works is a dead faith. So since we know that a dead faith is really in an end of its self no faith, this should cause us to examine our faith, our salvation as talked about in Philippians 2:12.

I think before we can dig into the word “Obedience” we need to define the word believes. John 3:16 says For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. This has to be one of the most misunderstood verses in the whole Bible. People say I believe and point to this verse. I think when we jump to James 2:19 we see that the demons themselves believe in one God and they shudder. Let me ask you; are demons going to heaven? The answer is no, never! So if demons believe and are not going to heaven would that be the same case for us as humans that just believe? We find the answer in John 3:36, which says: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. We find in John 3:36 that the way we believe in God is communicated by the way we live our lives before a fallen world. I love how Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines the word obedience:

“Faith is of the heart, invisible to men; obedience is of the conduct and may be observed. When a man obeys God he gives the only possible evidence that in his heart he believes God. Of course it is persuasion of the truth that results in faith (we believe because we are persuaded that the thing is true, a thing does not become true because it is believed), but peitho, in N.T. suggests as actual and outward result of the inward persuasion and consequent faith.” –Vine’s Expository Dictionary Pg.796

I always love how Scripture is the best way to define what a word means. I believe for obedience we see it clearly in Luke 9:23-24 and Jesus said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Jesus Himself said in John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 1 John 2:6 says whoever says he abides in Him (Jesus Christ) ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.

My friend Jimmy recently preached a message titled: Jesus died to save the world. In the message he gave 5 observations of the growing Christian. They were: believe – look – change – live – tell. First we believe in our hearts of what Jesus has done (dying on the cross) for the sinner to bring him into a right relationship with God (John 3:16-18). Second we look to the cross of Christ, and understand that is how God saves the world, is through the death of Christ and not of anything that we have done. God’s gift of salvation is a free gift, nothing we can earn, but just receive (Ephesians 2:8-9). Third, we start to see the change that God is doing within. If God saves you, He will also give you a new heart, a heart that longs for God’s holiness, righteousness and not our old nature (2 Cor. 5:17). Titus 3:5 says He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Are you seeing the Holy Spirit’s work within you? Forth we live it out in our lives, in the way we handle our duties as husband/wife, father/mother, child, work, communities, church..etc. As well as forgiving, loving and serving each other, weather Christian or non-Christian (Col. 3:1-17). Fifth, we will tell others of the good news that is only found in Jesus Christ alone. We will find ways to make disciples that make disciples (Matt. 28:16-20). In Jesus’ day when He healed people He would tell them to not tell anyone and they would go tell everyone, but when He was ascended into heaven He told us to go tell everyone the good news and we tell no one.

My friend Susan said it best about the word obedience. In the middle of the word obedience is the word "die". I have found that in order to be obdienant to Christ we MUST "die" to ourself and our wills!

Keep pressing, keep praying and keep being obedient to God and His Word! Let’s be a church that reps the king of Kings well, not just believe, but live it in our daily lives.

Temporal Vs. Eternal

Meaning of Temporal: 1)pertaining to or concerned with the present life or this world; worldly: temporal joys. 2)enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (opposed to eternal).

Temporal in greek is proskairos, which means "for a season" (pros, "for," kairos, "a season"), is rendered "temporal" in 2 Cor. 4:18.

Meaning of eternal: without beginning or end; lasting forever; always existing (opposed to temporal): eternal life.

Eternal in greek is aionios. The predominant meaning of aionios, that with which it is used everywhere in the NT, save the places noted above, may be seen in 2 Cor. 4:18, where it is set in contrast with proskairos, lit., "for a season," and in Philem. 15, where only in the NT it is used without a noun. Moreover it is used of persons and things which are in their nature endless, as e.g., of God, Rom. 16:26; of His power, 1 Tim. 6:16, and of His glory, 1 Pet. 5:10; of the Holy Spirit, Heb 9:14; of the redemption effected by Christ, Heb. 9:12, and of the consequent salvation of men, 5:9, as well as of His future rule, 2 Pet. 1:11, which is elsewhere declared to be without end, Luke 1:3; of the life received by those who believe in Christ, John 3:16, concerning whom of the resurrection body, 2 Cor. 5:1, elsewhere said to be "immortal," 1 Cor. 15:53, in which that life will be finally realized, Matt. 25:6; Titus 1:2.

Let me type out that last verse in Titus for you...Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,(emphases mine)...do you understand that God cannot and will not lie, that would be outside of His Holy character! The Bible says the cross is foolishness to those who is perishing.

What the Bible says about Temporal things:

• 2 Cor. 4:18 ...For the things which are seen are temporary...
• Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away,...
• Psalm 39:5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. (NLT)
• Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
• 1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it;

What the Bible says about Eternal things:

• 1 John 2:17 ...but he who does the will of God abides forever.
• Luke 21:33 ...but My words will by no means pass away.
• Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
• Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
• Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

I could go on and on about what the Bible says about Temporal and Eternal things. But here is my point...You have to decide what is best for you. The Bible says work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Salvation is found only in the Lord, everything else will lead you to hell.

As for me and my house we will choose to serve the Lord! Joshua 24:15 says; But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand!

Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Keep pressing, Keep praying, Keep planting seeds that God can grow!

Are you Saved?

This might just be one of the biggest questions you face this side of eternity.

You might hear some refer to it as Assurance of Salvation. But honestly would God really leave us in the dark about what is to come after our earthly death? Is there more to this life than just work, eat, and sleep?

The Bible in 1 John 5:13 says: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Is believing in Jesus the same as following Jesus? A lot of people think they are Christians, but many of them are deceived! Let's not be fooled, not all who claim to be part of God's family are, in fact, genuine members. I would think most reading this post believe in Jesus. James 2:19 tells us "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble!"

Did you know that statistics show that over 90% of the people who live in the United States believe in God. I would follow that statistic with how many of those that believe really follow Jesus?

Is your pattern of living lining up with the pattern of Jesus Christ? Do you desire holiness? For those that claim to be SAVED, are you noticing a pattern of change in your life? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Honestly ask yourself, has your pattern of living changed since you have been SAVED? If not, then maybe your not saved and are just one of the deceived ones!

How often do you read God's Word? Genuine disciples of Christ abide in Jesus' Words. John 8:31-32 says: Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Christians that want Jesus as their Savior, but not as their Lord, would be ones that don't feed off the Word of God. Why? Because the Bible says that "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

I'll end by saying this....

If you don't desire a life of holiness then you probably don't desire to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

We Christians need to learn to control our earthly bodies. We should strive to train ourselves to be godly! We don't become like Christ because we go to Church or pray a prayer one time. It's not the people around us that will make us more like Christ, it starting with the basics, read your Bible daily, pray daily, reflect on the change in your life.

Work out your salvation with trembling and fear! Don't trust in your own efforts, just trust in God's. It saddens me everyday to see people, including Christians that waste away their freedom and salvation. We should all learn to live life in view of the judgment seat of Christ. Maybe then Christians would act in a rightful manner!

Keep pressing, keep praying, keep pursuing holiness cause without it you won't see the Lord!!!

Are you going to heaven???

Do you think your going to heaven? To spend eternity with God? Will just believing in God get you there?

If you where to die today and go stand before the judgment seat of Christ and you where asked, why should I allow you into my kingdom? What would you answer?

Are you one the feels your works will grant you entrance? What about your parents, will they get you into heaven because they are great Christians? What about your pastor, maybe a good word on how you lived as best you could, would that get you into heaven? What about asking Jesus into your heart, does the Bible even talk about obtaining salvation that way? What does God's Word say about this?

1 John 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 3:14-18
14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[a]16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[b] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

John 12:25
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Does your life reflect the change that is talked about in 2 Corinthians 5:17??

What if you don't live as Jesus did? Since you became a Christian do you see good fruit? Do you love your family? Do you honor your dad & mom?

1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Can a Christian live in sin and still be saved? Will God give us a way out before we sin? Do we really have a choice in the matter?

Galatians 6:8
The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Romans 6:16
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

I'm not talking about falling into sin for we are all sinners.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

So I think you will see that just believing in God will not get-r-done! Even the devil himself believes in one true God (James 2:19).

True saving faith will follow with repentance and also obedience

If you do question if your saved I would recommend a book titled "Saved without a doubt" by John MacArthur. It cost $10.50 and I think that includes shipping.

Church, keep pressing, keep praying, keep your eyes on Jesus!

Why suffer for the cause of Christ???

Why would it seem that most Christians don't want to suffer? I see a lot of people that have a backwards view on how God deals with His children. Most Christians want the glory, good health, great wealth, happiness, pretty simple they just desire a painless life.

They want the crown without the cross....

They want the gain without the pain....

That's how a lot Christians think, that's not God's interest though.

God is the author of our salvation!

Hebrews 2:10 says: In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

God's love is not a pampering love, it's a perfecting love!

Following Jesus Christ is going to cost you everything, even your life!

Sources: John MacArthur, James MacDonald, The Holy Bible