True faith is more than an intellectual exercise. Faith affects not only beliefs, but actions. A faith that is not acted on is no faith at all. Or as the Bible says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17). If we truly believe in God, if we truly have faith in Him, we will do what He has told us to do. If our lives are not lives of obedience, they are not lives of faith.

Christianity isn't about the opinions we hold, it's about the life that we live.

To me, the story of Noah and the ark illustrates this point. God spoke to Noah and told him to build a large boat, an ark, to save himself and his family from a great flood that was coming. Noah believed God. How do we know? Because he built the ark that God told him to build. What if Noah had stood on a hilltop, proclaiming his faith in God instead of building that ark? I believe that Noah would have perished. Faith that is not lived out is not faith at all.

Jesus once asked those that followed Him: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). Simply believing in God is not enough. If that belief does not lead us to want to do what He wants us to do, it is nothing more than an intellectual exercise. And it's not faith.

We need faith put in practice, faith that expresses itself in actions. Christianity isn't about the opinions we hold, it's about the life that we live. In the apostle Paul's writings, he speaks of the "obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5). If you've come to believe in Jesus, that's a great first step. Now it's time to turn belief into faith by learning what He wants of you and doing your best to do it. If you have questions about that, I'd love to discuss it with you. Write to me at tim@hopeforlife.org. Together, we can learn to live the life of faith.

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Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you, sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions about becoming a new creation.

 

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© 2007 Herald of Truth

Title: "The Obedience of Faith"
Author: Tim Archer
Publication Date: September 19, 2007

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Tim coordinates the Spanish-Speaking Ministries of Herald of Truth and writes for HopeForLife. You can reach him at (866) 814-4673 or (866) 814-HOPE or by writing to tarcher@heraldoftruth.org.

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