WHAT DOES FAITH WITHOUT OBEDIENCE ACHIEVE? BY STEVE FINNELL
Is salvation effectuated without obedience? Can "faith only" save men from their sins?
Faith and obedience have always been linked to produce positive results.
FAITH ONLY AND LEPROSY?
Naaman thought God would cure his leprosy by "faith only."
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was furious and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.'
Naaman had faith in the God of Elisha, however, his leprosy was not cured without obedience.
2 Kings 5:14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like flesh of a little child and he was clean.
Faith without obedience accomplishes nothing.
FAITH ONLY AND A BRONZE SERPENT?
The people of Israel believed the Lord could save them from dying from snake bites. They had faith.
Numbers 21:7-8 So the people came to Moses and said , "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you; intercede with Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. 8. And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent , and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.
They had faith that God could save them from the serpents, however, without the obedience of looking at the serpent of bronze they would have perished.
Faith without obedience produces nothing.
RAHAB, FAITH ONLY?
Hebrews 11:31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Was Rahab saved from perishing by "faith only" or faith plus obedience?
Joshua 2:17-21 The men said to her, We shall be free from this oath to you which we made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and mother and your brothers and all your father's household.......
Rahab was not saved from death by "faith only". She was saved by faith and she was saved by being obedient, in that, she tied the scarlet thread from her window and kept her family in the house.
Faith without obedience bring about nothing.
WAS NOAH SAVED BY FAITH ONLY?
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepare an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of righteousness which is according to faith.
Was Noah saved from the flood the minute he trusted God or did he need to build the ark? Noah was saved by faith plus obedience. Can you imagine Noah telling God I will build the ark but it has nothing to do with me being saved from the flood?
Faith without obedience produces nothing.
DID THE WALLS OF JERICHO FALL DOWN BY FAITH ONLY?
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
The walls of Jericho did not fall down the moment that Joshua had faith. They fell down after seven days of obedience. (Joshua 6:1-5)
Faith without obedience achieves nothing.
FOR BELIEVERS IN CHRIST "FAITH ONLY" PRODUCES NOTHING.
Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."
Hebrews 5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
FAITH PLUS OBEDIENCE=SALVATION.
OBEDIENT BY BELIEVING: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish , but have eternal life.
OBEDIENCE IN CONFESSION: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart the God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
OBEDIENCE IN REPENTANCE: Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
(Repentance is the commitment to turn from sin and to turn toward God)
OBEDIENCE IN WATER BAPTISM: Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized in the name name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
FAITH PLUS OBEDIENCE, SALVATION IN TWO HOURS MORE OR LESS. NO WORKS OF THE LAW ARE REQUIRED.
RAHAB, FAITH ONLY?
Hebrews 11:31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Was Rahab saved from perishing by "faith only" or faith plus obedience?
Joshua 2:17-21 The men said to her, We shall be free from this oath to you which we made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and mother and your brothers and all your father's household.......
Rahab was not saved from death by "faith only". She was saved by faith and she was saved by being obedient, in that, she tied the scarlet thread from her window and kept her family in the house.
Faith without obedience bring about nothing.
WAS NOAH SAVED BY FAITH ONLY?
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepare an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of righteousness which is according to faith.
Was Noah saved from the flood the minute he trusted God or did he need to build the ark? Noah was saved by faith plus obedience. Can you imagine Noah telling God I will build the ark but it has nothing to do with me being saved from the flood?
Faith without obedience produces nothing.
DID THE WALLS OF JERICHO FALL DOWN BY FAITH ONLY?
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
The walls of Jericho did not fall down the moment that Joshua had faith. They fell down after seven days of obedience. (Joshua 6:1-5)
Faith without obedience achieves nothing.
FOR BELIEVERS IN CHRIST "FAITH ONLY" PRODUCES NOTHING.
Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."
Hebrews 5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
FAITH PLUS OBEDIENCE=SALVATION.
OBEDIENT BY BELIEVING: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish , but have eternal life.
OBEDIENCE IN CONFESSION: Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart the God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
OBEDIENCE IN REPENTANCE: Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
(Repentance is the commitment to turn from sin and to turn toward God)
OBEDIENCE IN WATER BAPTISM: Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized in the name name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
FAITH PLUS OBEDIENCE, SALVATION IN TWO HOURS MORE OR LESS. NO WORKS OF THE LAW ARE REQUIRED.
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