“Through Him we have received grace and apostleship unto obedience of faith among all nations for His name” Rom.1:5
“but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith” Rom.16:26
The obedience of faith runs throughout the book of Romans and in fact, the entire New Testament.
In the New Testament, when belief is said to lead to eternal life, as is the case [John 3:16,18,36,etc.], the tense expressing continuous action is always used while the tense expressing a single action is** never** used.
The **stress **is thus placed on a continuous faith rather than on an isolated moment of faith.
Never in these passages expressing belief in eternal life is one’s eternal security said to be guaranteed by a** single, isolated act** of faith.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer touched the very essence of Christianity-initial and progressive.
Hear this clear thinking disciple of Christ as he says:
“…the following two propositions hold good and are equally true: **only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.” **
“In the one case faith is the condition of obedience, and in the other obedience the condition of faith.”
“Few comprehend the primary thought of ‘belief.’
It has a two-fold meaning, fraught with deep significance.
In it are combined two old Anglo-Saxon words:** ‘be,’ to live or exist**; and ‘lifan,’ which conveys the thought of accordance.
Thus to believe means literally ‘to live in accordance with’ anything.
We are accustomed to consider ‘belief’ as simply mental acquiescence or agreement with some particular truth.
But its root leads us to action; that which the mind accepts, the will must obey.
We do not truly believe, therefore, unless our conviction is manifested in our life.”
It is impossible to have faith without obedience or obedience without faith.
Faith is an action word and the action is obedience.
Can one believe in Jesus and go to hell? Absolutely! “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19
Scripture references are provided for reading in your preferred Bible translation.
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