Faith or Obedience?

This is a question that is very common: are we saved by faith or are we saved by obedience? This is a very troubling question, and I think it is the wrong question.

If you have heard the gospel of Jesus, and have made a decision to believe that it is true. If you have started to read or listen to the teachings of Jesus in some way, and still believe that what Jesus says is true, do you truly think that the intention of Jesus was for us to say yes to following him and then ignore his teaching?

Salvation, without a doubt, is a gift from God. None of us has earned it. None of us have any hope of earning it. When the Holy Spirit moves among us, and prompts us to believe and trust in Jesus, that is a gift we have not earned.

If you identify yourself as a disciple of Jesus, and if you believe that because you are a disciple of Jesus that you belong to the kingdom of heaven, then your life will be filled with a complete allegiance to your King and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And allegiance to him involves learning his teachings and giving yourself to them in a daily surrender of your will.

When is the last time you found yourself in prayer surrendering yourself to the grace of God? When is the last time you were desperate for God to save you from the corruption of sin?

Jesus said that those who think they can come to him based on what they have done will be cast aside by him. But those who set themselves to learning and obeying his teaching find that they are unworthy and undeserving of his acceptance.

This is where we need to be as followers of Jesus. Not asking whether we are saved by faith or obedience. Rather, desperate to be as close to Jesus as possible because there is no other place we would rather be.