FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

The topic we covered at the Bible Study on 2-22-11 was about faith and obedience.  We looked at the relationship between faith and obedience and how they go hand in hand.  I am going to write one statement that will briefly summarize and describe the focus of this Bible Study topic.  Before I mention that statement, I have to warn you to please read it with careful attention to detail and please don't misunderstand the point.  In the dangerous times that we are living today, there are certain words that have become taboo in the Christian circle and frankly I think it's a shame because we are missing out on important aspects of the Christian faith because of our ignorance.  Words like...OBEDIENCE, DISCIPLINE, WORKS, FAITHFULNESS, TRAINING, TEACHING..etc.  If one tries to mention these words in churches today you will most definitely not be tolerated.  You will be viewed as religious, over-zealous, works-focused, pharisee and being stuck in an old mentality.  I think it's sad.  I understand that it is possible to go to an extreme in any type of belief, but it is not always the case.  I pray we would use wisdom when reading the Word and when hearing it.  Anyways, this is the statement.  We OBEY because we have FAITH.  You can not apply it backwards, it will become untrue.  We do not have FAITH because we OBEY, BUT rather we OBEY because we have FAITH.  The whole reason why anyone even remotely tries to obey the Word and live for Christ is because they BELIEVE and have FAITH in that Word and most importantly they have FAITH in the One who spoke that Word.  If someone told you that there was a fire in the building you were in and you believed what they were telling you, you would automatically have a response and get out of the building as quickly as you could.  On the other hand if you thought they were joking or pranking you, and you consequently did not believe their word, you would respond with apathy and do nothing about it.  The statement I made a few sentences ago was logical and even spiritual.  Obedience is a natural response to believing God!  The ONLY way that we know that Abraham BELIEVED God and that it was credited to him as righteousness is that he actually took Isaac up to the mountain and made every intention to sacrifice him as God had asked him to.  Enough about this though, let me get to the portion of scripture that we studied.  We studied Matthew 24:45-51.  We see the story of two servants.  A wise one and a wicked one.  The Lord made both of them ruler of His household and to give them food in due season.  The Bible says that the servant will be blessed if the Master comes back and finds him doing what he asked him to do.  In other words....obedience.  If the Lord comes back and finds us obeying what He asked us to do we will be blessed.  The Lord says, that if the wicked servant says in his heart that the master is delaying his coming, and begins to get drunk and beat on his fellow servants the Lord will come back at an hour he doesn't expect him.  The main problem/downfall that I see of this servant is his lack of faith, because in his heart he did not believe that the master would come soon, he decided rather to believe that his master was taking forever to come back.  Many people today have lost faith in God the exact same way as this servant.  Sometimes live gets tricky, sometimes the journey of our lives becomes difficult or hectic and we begin to become weary (spiritually speaking).  That is why it is so important to read the Bible and pray and fast and apply the Word on a DAILY basis.  We have to stay plugged in with a body of believers who can share our burdens.  It is vital to us staying strong spiritually through every test, trial, temptation, etc.  No matter how many people are against us or have forsaken us, we must remain encouraged and keep our faith!  If we lose faith it will affect our obedience towards God!  That is why the devil attacks our faith so hard and he wants to destroy it. 
We also read Hebrews 3:12-15 about how the scripture warns of an unbelieving heart being found in one of us.  It warns against unbelief.  Unbelief leads to rebellion and in departing from the living God.  If we hear God speak to our hearts we must obey and NOT harden our hearts.  It also mentions how we should exhort each other DAILY so that we will not become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  It says that we will be partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our CONFIDENCE steadfast to the end.  FAITH is our complete and utter confidence in God.  It is that very confidence in Him that will pull us through the entire journey of this life to the very end STILL believing 100% in our awesome God! 
To not make this post eternally long, I will end it here encouraging everyone to remain steadfast, keep your confidence in God to the last second.  If He said he is coming soon, then we have to believe Him 100% and LIVE like we believe.  Everyday that goes by, we have to trust that we are one day closer to SEEING GOD HIMSELF.  He who promised is faithful!  Let us be FAITHFUL and WISE SERVANTS!  Blessings!