Saving Faith = Obedient Faith

1. Saving Faith = Obedient Faith “Just believe in Jesus.” “Accept Jesus as your personal Savior.” “He’s a good moral man.” Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue (Jn. 12:42). You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! (Jas. 2:19).

2. Why Trust God? • Example: Parent and Child • Child believes the parent exist • But, the child does not always believe the parent. • Sometimes - Parent teaches child not to believe them: • Threaten, but don’t carry it out. BECAUSE HE ALWAYS MEANS WHAT HE SAYS! • Example: Adam & Eve

3. Disobedience = Unbelief • Moses believed in God, but did not obey Him… Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them (Num. 20:12). Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips (Ps. 106:33).

4. Disobedience = Unbelief • Israelites believed in God, but did not obey [believe] Him… For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (Heb. 3:16-19).

5. Partial Obedience = Disobedience Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD? And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites” (1 Sam. 15:19-20).

6. Belief = Obedience But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

7. Belief = Obedience But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense (Heb. 11:17-19).

8. Belief = Obedience But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:24-25). By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days (Heb. 11:30).

9. Relevant Passages He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (Jn. 3:36). “The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’” (Matt. 21:25). And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him (Lk. 7:29-30).

10. Jesus Dealt With This Problem But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Lk. 6:46).

11. What does this mean to us? • Works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Pet. 4:3) • Consume alcoholic drinks • Lasciviousness: dress immodestly, dance, lewd entertainment • Sexual immorality: adultery, homosexuality • Gossip, complain, murmur • Hatred, envy, divisive • Either you believe Christ or you don’t! • You either abstain from these or you don’t! • If not… But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Lk. 6:46).

12. What does this mean to us? • Applies to every relationship, every situation: • Family: • Wives submitting to their husbands • Husbands loving their wives • Church: • Worship of the church • Work of the church • Church discipline • Exposing and avoiding false teachers • Work: employer/employee relationship • Either we believe Christ or we don’t! • We either practice what Christ says or we don’t! • If not… But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Lk. 6:46).

13. What does this mean to us? • Obedience to Jesus’ Plan of Salvation • Faith (Jn. 8:24) • Repentance (Lk. 13:3) • Confession (Matt. 10:32) • Baptism (Mk. 16:16) • Either you believe Christ or you don’t! • You have either obeyed this plan or you haven’t! • If not… But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Lk. 6:46).