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IMPLICIT
OBEDIENCE
A
sight of God leads to a realization of our littleness and nothingness,
and issues in a sense of dependency and of casting ourselves upon God.
Or, again; a view of the Divine Majesty promotes the spirit of godly fear
and this, in turn, begets an obedient walk. Here then is the Divine antidote
for the native evil of our hearts. Naturally, man is filled with a sense
of his own importance, with his greatness and self-sufficiency; in a word,
with pride and rebellion. But, the great corrective is to behold the Mighty
God, for this alone will really humble him. Man will glory either in himself
or in God. Man will live either to serve and please himself, or he will
seek to serve and please the Lord. No man can serve two masters.
Arthur
Pink
FAITH
AND OBEDIENCE
Anyone
who claims salvation by grace in Christ Jesus, who claims he is righteous
before God based solely upon the righteousness of Christ freely imputed
and received by faith, but who does not see the value, the importance,
and even the necessity of morality, virtuous character and conduct, temperance,
good works, obedience, diligence in worship and love, needs to examine
the validity of his faith. James wrote that the kind of faith that is
not accompanied by good works cannot save (James 2:14). He called it dead
faith (James 2:17).
It is true our sins can never bring us back under the wrath of God because
we have already suffered the penalty of our sins, not in our persons,
but in the Person of Christ who suffered and died for us. It is true the
law can demand no obedience of us as the ground of salvation, holiness,
fitness for Heaven, or of final glory. Our works cannot add to the merits
of Christ's righteousness. We can honestly say we have kept every precept
of God's law, not by our obedience, but in the Person of Christ our Substitute
who obeyed the law for us. We have a righteousness that answers the law's
demands, not in any degree by our works of righteousness, but by Christ,
the Lord our Righteousness.
How should a believer react to these glorious truths? He should react
with love, devotion, obedience, and diligence in all things to honor our
Savior. He should be ashamed, without fear of wrath, of not being more
obedient and dedicated in the things of God. Make no mistake about this.
If you claim saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but that faith is
not accompanied in some degree by obedience and good works, that kind
of faith is not saving faith. It is just as dead as the faith of those
who claim to be saved by their works.
Bill Parker
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