What About Obedience?

What About Obedience?

For nearly 36 years I have consistently preached about the essential truth of the Gospel, i.e., the justification of all God's elect based exclusively on Christ's accomplished death, HIS IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1) A more literal translation of this verse is: "Having been justified (based on Christ's accomplished death), by faith we have peace with God." Faith isn't the cause of our justification, but the evidence of our JUSTIFICATION based on Christ's accomplished work as our Surety and Substitute. This ONE ESSENTIAL TRUTH forever excludes any sinner's faith or obedience as a cause of salvation - "Not by works of righteousness (including faith, obedience, and morality) which we have done, but according to his mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour."(Titus 3:5-6) That being said I know that unregenerate sons and daughters of Adam will always come up with the same questions: If salvation is based solely on Christ's obedience unto death, and our obedience makes up no part of saving us, keeping us saved, or recommending us to God, why even bother? We can just live like hell, can't we? Isn't it amazing that men haven't changed? Paul faced the same question in his day-"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"(Romans 5:20-21, Romans 6:1) What's the answer to this seeming paradox? What about obedience?

God's true children should be the most obedient, moral, dedicated people on this planet. We should set examples of humility, faithfulness, love, and devotion to our God and our fellow man. Aren't believers encouraged, even commanded, to pray? "Pray without ceasing."(1 Thessalonians 5:17; also see Luke 18:1) Aren't believers encouraged, even commanded, to be faithful to attend the fellowship of God's elect? "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."(Hebrews 10:25) Shouldn't believers seek to love God with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength, as well as seek to love their neighbors (INCLUDING THEIR WORST ENEMY) as themselves? Surely they should! You might be thinking: "Well I'm doing all these things and I've done them all my life." Here is the difference dear friend: The self-righteous religionist has for his or her goal what every justified sinner has for his or her starting place. The self-righteous religionist's goal is to attain or maintain righteousness by their obedience. Every saint Christ justified by His imputed righteousness at Calvary starts from a position of perfect righteousness by imputation (2 Corinthians 5:21) and out of grace and gratitude to Him who loved them and gave Himself for them, they DO LOVE HIM - "WE LOVE HIM because He first loved us."(1 John 4:19) The difference is you'll NEVER find a child of God who is satisfied with or dependent on their obedience or morality as making up any part of their hope of eternal life. I hope and pray your obedience is motivated by an assurance of eternal life based solely on Christ's accomplished death as your Representative and Substitute. If not, I encourage you to flee to Him and rest in His imputed righteousness alone.

- written by Richard Warmack, pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Ruston, Louisiana, via the September 1, 2024, bulletin