We need to clearly see that every act of obedience on our part, with regards to New Testament living, has to done with some activity of faith inside it and not just a legal kind of obedience. It is called the 'obedience of faith'. The benefit of our obedience comes out of believing the truth behind that kind of obedience. For instance, take the two sacraments. In baptism, we are not called to merely obey by dipping ourselves in the water and thinking that in itself, is what God expects. We are called to believe that through the waters of baptism, our old self has being brought low and we are rising up to newness of life. Only that kind of obedience is pleasing to God.
In the Lord's table, we are called to believe that we are partaking of Jesus and eating the bread is a sign of believing His Word and willing to act on it. Let us learn that God is building us up by causing us to believe in Jesus and enter into His life rather than by trying to live out a life that tries to achieve something by mere legal obedience.
In the Lord's table, we are called to believe that we are partaking of Jesus and eating the bread is a sign of believing His Word and willing to act on it. Let us learn that God is building us up by causing us to believe in Jesus and enter into His life rather than by trying to live out a life that tries to achieve something by mere legal obedience.
