Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:5 (NLT)
Paul wrote the above verse at the very beginning of his thorough exposition of the gospel of grace in Romans. Lest there be any confusion, he informed us that the gospel is not man-centered or consumerist. Although it benefits the child of God immensely by bringing him or her into God’s eternal family, its primary goal is always God’s glory.
Put succinctly, the goal of salvation is our obedience, which brings glory to God.
God’s glory as the final goal is entirely fitting, since he deserves worship, honor, and glory from all his creatures. Disobedience dishonors God, calls into question the effectiveness of Christ’s death and resurrection, and hurts us.
The obedience of faith brings us the highest and purest form of joy.
Jesus knew this joy better than anyone. The verses below show this.
You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.Psalm 45:7 (NLT)
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
The allegiance or faithfulness which faith produces, the topic of my previous article in this series, produces this obedience. Obedience is the natural outcome of surrender to Christ’s lordship and will. One way we confess Christ is by serving him. When we disobey him, it is a form of denial, bringing dishonor to him. The essence of sin is living a self-directed life. The essence of obedience is living a God-directed life.
It takes faith to obey God. He often asks us to do things that are beyond our ability. Faith taps into God’s ability, which is called grace. Faith believes that Christ, through his indwelling and outpoured Spirit, is sufficient to enable to do all things he commands.
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
The context of the above passage informs us that faith enables us to do the hard things associated with following Jesus. Consumerist theology views faith mainly from the point of view of the things it gains for us – healing, wealth, joy, and peace, to name a few.
The faith that produces obedience is willing to forego what might bring comfort and ease in order to faithfully serve the Lord.
The faith that produces obedience wells us from the humility that understands human frailty and weakness. Out of our weakness, through faith, God’s power is perfected in our lives.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)
Only the faith that produces obedience can rejoice in weakness and all the other things Paul listed because such faith is God-centered. Man-centered faith only seeks what benefits us.
God-centered faith seeks the glory of God, no matter what the cost to us.
Such faith depends on God’s grace. No one in herself or himself is sufficient for such things. Only the faith of Christ can accomplish this, and it will.
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
