LESSON TWELVE – FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

Rom. 6:11-14 — So also you, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but living to God in Christ Jesus. Do not let sin therefore reign in your mortal body so that you obey the body’s lusts; neither present your members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as weapons of righteousness to God. For sin will not lord it over you, for you are not under the law but under grace.

There are only two principles of Christian living: one is faith; the other is obedience. All good fruit issues from these two principles. In our fellowship with the Lord, we need faith and obedience every day.

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE TRUTH

What are faith and obedience? All the objective truths are in Christ and have been accomplished. All the subjective truths are in the Holy Spirit and will be accomplished by Him.…Redemption was accomplished more than nineteen hundred years ago, while salvation was accomplished on the day you believed in the Lord. Therefore, redemption is objective; it has been accomplished in Christ. Salvation is subjective; it is what the Holy Spirit accomplishes in us. The order of these two matters cannot be reversed.

Everything objective is in the past; it is absolute, complete, and nothing can be added. Everything subjective is accomplished in the present and in the future. Receiving something objective and receiving something subjective require two completely different principles. Since the objective has been accomplished, we should just believe. Since the subjective is accomplished now and in the future, we need to obey. If we pay attention only to one side, we will go astray by either becoming theoretical or ascetic. The objective death, resurrection, and ascension require our believing. However, it is not enough just to believe. Day by day we also need to obey. Crucifixion with Christ requires obedience; the power of resurrection requires obedience; and the place of ascension requires obedience.

BELIEVING IN THE SAVIOR AND OBEYING THE HOLY SPIRIT

Brothers and sisters, we need an outward Savior and an inward Savior. We need the Word incarnated in the flesh and the Word manifested in the Holy Spirit. We need the Christ of Golgotha and the Christ in the Spirit. The Savior who is without demands our faith, whereas the Holy Spirit who is within demands our obedience. Now I would like to speak about some experiences in order for us to understand faith and obedience.

Believing is not changing God’s word into reality. It is believing that God’s word is reality.…The grace of God comprises three things: the promise, the fact, and the covenant. The promise is something that will be accomplished. The fact is something that has been accomplished. All the objective truths have been accomplished and are real. We only need to say to God, “Your Word says that I have died, resurrected, and ascended. Therefore, I also say that I have died, resurrected, and ascended.” Indeed, this is the way we can stand firm. God has spoken, and it is so.

We must believe in God’s Word more than our circumstances, feelings, trials, sins, lusts, and unclean thoughts. If we can do this, we definitely will be different. It is not enough that we listen. We must have the faith. May we see that God has accomplished everything in Christ.

However, we have to know that merely believing like this is not enough. The one thing that has to follow is obedience. On the one hand, we must believe. On the other hand, we must obey. Our self-will must be subdued, and we must present every member to God. Brothers and sisters, after we have a living faith, day by day we have to learn to obey God.

There must be a time when we say to God, “From now on I offer You my time, my mind, my money, my family, and my all.” God touches everyone in a specific way. With some, God touches them on one point; with others, God touches them on another point. Many times God’s demand appears to be harsh and severe. But whatever God demands of us, we must obey. God wants us to prove that we will obey Him. Nothing is more precious to Him than Isaac. It is not enough just to say verbally, “I offer Isaac as a sacrifice.” We must present Isaac as an offering in reality. If we do this, we will see the lamb that God has prepared. God is not satisfied until we have fully obeyed. We must experience specific dealings with the Lord.

OBEDIENCE WITHOUT FAITH BEING POWERLESS, AND FAITH WITHOUT OBEDIENCE BEING IDEALISTIC

We must believe and also obey. Not only do we need to obey once, but we must obey continuously. Otherwise, we will come short and be unbalanced. Obedience without faith is powerless. Faith without obedience is idealistic. It is very painful to be obedient without faith. Please remember the scriptural principles for our living: believing and obeying. (CWWN, vol. 10, pp. 605-607, 610 612-614)

Reference: CWWN, vol. 10, ch. 19

TRUST AND OBEY

Experience of Christ— Obeying Him – 582

• When we walk with the Lord
  In the light of His Word,
  What a glory He sheds on our way;
  While we do His good will,
  He abides with us still,
  And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

• Not a shadow can rise,
  Not a cloud in the skies,
  But His smile quickly drives it away;
  Not a doubt or a fear,
  Not a sigh or a tear,
  Can abide while we trust and obey.

• Not a burden we bear,
  Not a sorrow we share,
  But our toil He doth richly repay;
  Not grief or a loss,
  Not a frown or a cross,
  But is blest if we trust and obey.

• But we never can prove
  The delights of His love,
  Until all on the altar we lay;
  For the favor He shows,
  And the joy He bestows,
  Are for them who will trust and obey.

• Then in fellowship sweet
  We will sit at His feet,
  Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
  What He says we will do;
  Where He sends, we will go,
  Never fear, only trust and obey.