Trust and Obey

Trust and Obey

It can be difficult to understand, and consequently to articulate, how faith and obedience—both of which are clearly taught in the New Testament—properly coexist in the life of a Believer.

On the one hand, it’s important that we learn to rest in the finished work of Christ. On the other hand, the New Testament does talk a lot about behavior and what we ought to do. In some cases it couches this in terms of putting off old behaviors and putting on new ones. A few weeks ago my sermon was all about the idea of putting on the things that fit us, given who we are in Christ.

So this week I want to share a few things the Lord has been illuminating for me. I think an excellent place to start is I John 5:1-5.

1 John 5:1-5 (NASB)

1  Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

5  Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

John is great at expressing the Good News simply. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” What a lot of theology is packed into this single statement.

Believing that Jesus is the Christ is far different from believing He was a good man, or a great teacher. It includes belief in His resurrection, belief in what He did by His death on a tree, belief in Who He claimed to be. There’s a lot wrapped up in believing He is “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”, as Peter once put it.

But John adds a consequence, or result, or effect of this belief. Everyone who believes this is born of God. This immediately brings to mind the discussion Jesus had with the teacher of the law about being born again—born of the Spirit. Another passage that springs to mind is Paul’s statement in II Corinthians 5 about those who are in Christ being new creations.

But John is just getting started. He wants to lay out a line of reasoning for us. He concludes his sentence by telling us that “Everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well.” It’s a little curious. John has switched from a simple statement of the Gospel to a discussion of its effect on those who trust in its Truth—and that Truth is a person; Jesus Christ.

This statement that everyone who loves the Father loves His child is a general proverbial statement, but it has significant implications for Believers. Clearly when we love our earthly father we also love our siblings—even when we don’t like them, we can hardly help but love them. So it is with our love for our heavenly Father. Love for Him includes and produces love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

John continues making his case telling us how we know that we love the children of God. We know it is true when we find ourselves obeying God’s commands.

An example of this is that I have found myself surprised by feelings, and even expressions, of love toward others that I would have considered uncharacteristic of me. I think that unexpected expression of love is part of what John is talking about here. It’s loving behavior that is the result of our love of the Father. Keep in mind that Jesus said that He was giving us a new command; that we love one another as He loved us.

John clarifies this point a bit by saying, “This is love for God: to obey his commands.”

We love because He first loved us. He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus the Messiah. He was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ. Love begets love, so our response is to believe Him and be reconciled to Him—loving because He first loved. Given this, His command that we love one another as He loved us makes perfect sense. Love for God is obeying his commands.

And John goes on to say that His commands are not burdensome. Certainly the commands that were given by Moses were pretty burdensome, but God’s commands are not. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Since love for God overflows in love for others, there is no burdensome weight we carry around. We simply do what we are predisposed in Christ to do—we love.

But wait; there’s more!

“his commands are not burdensome, for (because) everyone born of God overcomes the world.”

Now we are getting to the heart of what I want to try to communicate. This statement about overcoming the world seems a bit misplaced. It’s another logical leap like the one where John shifted from belief to love. So far John has talked about belief, love, and obedience. Now he is adding overcoming the world into the mix. He’s doing this to show us how faith—his next topic—and obedience fit together. He’s going to show us what it means to trust and obey.

Here’s what he says, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

Let’s take a look at a couple of verses from Hebrews 11 and then jump back to Genesis chapter 4.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NASB)

1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2  For by it the men of old gained approval.

This is followed by a litany of examples of the effect of faith in the lives of the ancients. I just want to look at one example; the one provided by Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam.

Hebrews 11:4 (NASB)

4  By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Abel continues to speak because he shows us the result of right believing, the result of faith and trust in God and what He declares to be True.

Genesis 4:2-7 (NASB)

2  Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3  So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.

4  Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;

Note that we aren’t told how this was communicated, but it is obvious (and indicated in the Hebrew) that Cain and Abel knew immediately.

This passage in Hebrews explains the difference between the brothers as one of faith - Abel by faith offered a better sacrifice. Cain's offering as well as his reaction to God's displeasure did not reflect faith.

--NET Bible.

5  but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

6  Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

7  "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.",

The Hebrew construct here prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right.

--NET Bible.

“But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

The Hebrew reads “and toward you [is] its desire, but you must rule over it.” The Hebrew noun “desire” refers to an urge to control or dominate. --NET Bible.

Not doing well leads to sinful attack; doing well leads to victory.

Sin leads to death, but the Spirit is life.

What I am beginning to understand in a way that I think I can apply is the connection between true Belief and right behavior, but also the connection between temptation and poor choices or bad behavior.

Sin is crouching at the door. It wants to control me. To the extent I believe the lies of the accuser and choose poorly, sin is able to do just that. Then, with Paul, I begin to cry about what a wretched man I am.

This is why Paul says that when he does evil things he does not want to do, and fails to do the righteous things he does want to do, it is no longer he who does them, but sin living in him.

As Believers, our poor behavior stems from temptation and lies from the accuser—sin, crouching at our doors. It does not come from who we are.

I John 5:5 “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Now John has come full circle; back to believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

When we say we need to rest in Him, to rest in His finished work, we are expressing this belief.

When we keep this truth in mind, we naturally do righteous things, we naturally think good thoughts, we naturally love others—we naturally obey God’s commands.

When we forget, and believe lies about ourselves, we allow sin to leap upon us and we fail to obey.

2 Peter 1:5-9 (NASB)

5  Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

6  and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

7  and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

8  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Notice how Peter makes it clear that the problem is that we forget who we are. We forget we are forgiven children of God, made pure, holy, and blameless.

When we keep our focus on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith; when we walk by the Spirit; when we remember who we are in Christ; when we trust that his love in us produces the fruit of the Spirit, our behavior reflects Him. It can’t do anything else.

Faith causes action. This is starting to sound like the Book of James.