Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
3/13 Reading Portions: Exodus 24; John 3; Job 42; 2 Corinthians 12
John 3:36
“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.”
SUBMISSION
True saving faith is accompanied by obedience to Christ. Repentance also accompanies saving faith. If repentance is a change of mind and attitude, allowing us to turn from the sin we once loved to the God we once hated by trusting in the Christ we once rejected, then repentance is a supernatural grace of God, which becomes the seat of our new disposition. Therefore, repentance is not a one-time event, but an ongoing sanctification. From our repentance and renewed mind through the Word, we obey Christ. Because faith is a grace of God (Eph 2:8-9), the obedience accompanying faith is also a grace of God. True belief in Christ carries with it the power to obey Him. To merely believe without a change of life, without obedience to Jesus, is the faith of devils (Jas 2:19). Some may want to treat obedience as a work, when it is a grace of God, a gift from Him. Yet others may treat this grace as something passive because they attempt to justify their lawlessness and disobedience by claiming “grace alone.” This is a fleshly perversion of biblical truth. Obedience is an active grace. How so? It is activated by the grace of faith in the Son of God. Some will (and have) treat obedience to Christ as a work that exalts self; or at least emphasizes the dotting of the i’s and the crossing of the t’s of our Christianity. This is foolish arrogance; and should not be. Our obedience is a loving response to the One who has first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). It’s our absolute surrender and loving submission to Christ that begets obedience. An emphasis upon obedience without loving submission to the Savior is legalistic hogwash. Jesus is God from heaven above (John 3:31), while He was also perfect Man upon earth (John 3:34), so for the saint in Christ, obedience to His commands is not burdensome (1 Jn 5:3). They are a true joy! Hallelujah! What a Savior!
To believe without obeying
Christ opposes truth indeed;
It shuns Christ’s work and fulfills flesh
As self-idolatry.
