Faith Without Obedience Isn’t Faith

 

If you’re a seasoned Christian you’ve often heard it quoted that without faith one cannot please God. This, of course, is true. However, it must not be forgotten that obedience is the irrefutable evidence of one’s faith. In fact, obedience is the condition upon which hinges our very right to have faith. It’s important to remember that faith is much more than an emotional state of confident expectation. It is an unwavering decision to defer one’s judgmental authority in any given situation to the omnipotent will of God. This isn't likely to happen until & unless we have become fully confident that our God is a God of the highest quality love, faithfulness & protection.

 

In his book to the Hebrews Paul provided a long list of biblical characters who exemplified great faith in God’s desire to reward, protect, nurture & accomplish great things through his people. What each of these characters had in common was the fact that when called to act upon the command of the LORD they didn’t flinch. Abraham left the land of the Chaldees when he was 75 years old because God gave him the promise that he would father a great nation. The word says that God counted Abraham’s faith for righteousness, but what must be understood is that this wasn’t a faith of mere heart emotion. Rather, it was a faith grounded in obedient action.

 

You’ve heard it said that faith is a ‘walk’. Indeed it is. It requires that we consistently seek to comprehend the will & purpose of the Most High God & then to come into alignment with His judgment. It often means walking through places of confusion that test the strength of our ability to believe He will never leave nor forsake us. Admittedly, it’s not always an easy walk but, if done correctly, it will develop our ability to trust God more completely &, for this reason alone, it can be a reward in itself.