“…To bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name.” -Romans 1:5-
“If you love me you will keep my commandments.” -John 14:15-
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” -John 15:14-
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I call you friends, for all that I have heard from my father I have made known to you.” -John 15:15-
What did Jesus command us?
Some examples that we either have forgotten or do not understand in context
Seek first the kingdom
-Matthew 6:33-
Love God first
-Deuteronomy 6;5-
Remove the speck in a brother’s eye.
-Matthew 7:5-
Leave a lifestyle of sin, including a sexually immoral lifestyle.
-John 8:11-
Heal the sick.
-Matthew 10:8-
Cast out demons.
-Matthew 10:8-
Speak in tongues.
-Mark 16:17-
Cure leprosy.
-Matthew 10:8-
Freely give.
-Matthew 10:8-
Preach the kingdom.
-Matthew 4:17-
Repent.
-Matthew 4:17-
The obedience of faith…. Faith possesses a certain level of obedience. Are we walking in growing levels of obedience to His counsel? If not, then we cannot call ourselves “believers” in any meaningful sense of the word.
“Faith without works is dead.”
-James 2:17-
That level increases as we grow in the Lord. The one who keeps refusing what the Lord tells him or her is the one who will not see growth in his or her life. Growth means more in our lives that is not Him will die, be thrown into the fire, etc. There is a process of refinement. Painful, but necessary.
As we grow in the Lord, we will see more fruit…
“Thus you will recognize them by their fruit.”
-Matthew 7:20-
If there is no fruit, then the fruitless branches will be cut off and destroyed. And, fruit-bearing branches will be pruned in order to bear much fruit.
