Since I’m saved by faith, is obedience to God really necessary? - Obedience - TouchPoints

Matthew 7:17-19“A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

Ephesians 2:8-10God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

James 2:14-17What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

We are saved by grace through faith alone, and our salvation gives us the freedom to live in any way compatible with God’s will.

Deuteronomy 6:18, 24-25“Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. . . . ‘And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’”

John 14:15“If you love me, obey my commandments.”

1 John 3:24Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

God’s commandments are not burdensome obligations but pathways to a joyful, meaningful, satisfying life. And obeying them, living the way God wants, keeps us in fellowship with God. God’s call for our obedience is based on his own commitment to our wellbeing. God is the Creator of life, so he knows how life is supposed to work. Obedience demonstrates our willingness to follow through on what he says is best, our trust that God’s way will work for us, and our desire to have a close relationship with him.

Exodus 19:5“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.”

Deuteronomy 7:9“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”

Jeremiah 7:23“This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’”

John 14:15-16, 21“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. . . . Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Obeying God is the visible expression of our love for him.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”

Philippians 2:12Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

When we put our trust in Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us and changes our desires—we want to obey him. And he gives us the power to obey. Our obedience reveals our reverence and love for God.

Hebrews 11:8It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

Obedience to God is an act of continuous faith, demonstrating that we trust God enough to submit to his will and follow his commands.

Titus 1:16Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

James 1:22Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

If we are consistently disobedient to God, our claim to know him is meaningless.

Acts 5:32“We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”

God’s presence in our lives becomes a powerful force for good when we obey him.

Leviticus 9:5-6So the people presented all these things at the entrance of the Tabernacle, just as Moses had commanded. Then the whole community came forward and stood before the Lord. And Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.”

Obedience to God brings us close to him, synchronizing our desires with his.

Romans 1:5Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

Romans 6:17Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.

Our first and most important act of obedience was putting our trust in Christ for salvation.