OBEDIENCE TO GOD THE WAY TO FAITH IN CHRIST

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Today’s Scripture talks about delighting in the law.

“I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you.  I lead you in the way that you must go.  If only you had been alert to my commands, your happiness would have been like a river….”  Isaiah 4:8

“Happy the man whose delight is in the law, who ponders his law day and night.”  Psalm 1

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Below is the transcript from a sermon by St John Henry Newman.

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OUR CONSCIENCE AND SCRIPTURE

It would have been strange if the God of nature had said one thing and the God of grace taught us another; if the truth which our conscience taught us without the information of Scripture, were contradicted by that information when obtained.  

But it is not so - there are not two way of pleasing God.  

What conscience suggests, God has sanctioned and explained.


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DUTIES OF THE GOSPEL & THE LAW

To love God and our neighbour are the great duties of the Gospel as well as the law.  

He who endeavours to fulfil them by the light of nature is not far from the Kindgom.  

For him that has, more shall be given.

It is not in one or two places merely that this same doctrine is declared to us.  

Indeed all revelation is grounded on those simple truths which our own consciences teach us in a (poor) measure.  

It is one God and none other but He who speaks first in our consciences then in His Holy Word.  

He has mercifully told us in Scripture where He tells us that the great moral law is the foundation of the Truth.

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THE DUTY OF MAN

Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of men.

Although this is so plain, both from our own moral sense and the declaration of scripture, still for many reasons we have to insist upon it, chiefly because it is so hard to keep God’s commandments, men would willingly persuade ourselves that strict obedience is not necessary under the Gospel. 

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OUR DISILLUSION

Instead of labouring under God’s grace to change our wills and to purify our hearts, and so prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God, we imagine that in that Kingdom, we may be saved by something short of this….  by baptism, or by our ceremonial observances, our sacrifices and burnt offerings, or by the correct knowledge of the truth, or by the knowledge of our own sinfulness, or by some past acts of faith which we think will last us during our life, or by some strong habitual persuasion that one is saved.


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OUR RATIONALISATION

And when men wished a thing, it is not hard to find texts in Scripture which may be ingeniously perverted to suit our purposes.  


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OUR ERROR

The error is in believing that Christ came to gain for us easier admittance to Heaven that we have had before. 

Whereas in fact, instead of making obedience less strict, he has enabled us to obey God more strictly and instead of gaining easier terms of admittance, he has gained us altogether our admittance into heaven which before was closed against us.

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THE ONLY WAY - PERFECT OBEDIENCE

Obedience to God is the way to know and believe in Christ. 

Let us consider how plainly we are taught in Scripture that perfect obedience is the standard of Gospel holiness.
  • By St. Paul: "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  [Cor]
  • "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." [Cor]
  • "Whatsoever things are true … honest … just … pure ... lovely ... of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." [Phil] 
  • By St. James: "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." [James] 
  • By St. Peter: "Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue ... knowledge … temperance … patience ... godliness ... brotherly kindness ... charity." [2 Peter] 
  • By St. John: "Hereby do we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." 
  • Lastly, by our Lord Himself: "He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me, shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." [John] 
  • And, above all, the following clear declaration in the Sermon on the Mount: "Whosoever ... shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." [Matt 19]
These texts and multitude of others show that the Gospel leaves us just where it found us as regards the necessity of our obedience to God.

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HE CAME NOT TO RELAX THE RULES BUT TO GIVE US SPIRITUAL AIDS TO ENABLE US TO OBEY

Christ has not obeyed instead of us, but that obedience is quite as imperative as if Christ has never come.  

The difference being not that He relaxes the strict rule of keeping His commandments, but He gives us spiritual aids which we have not accept through him to enable us to keep the commandments. 

Accordingly Christ’s service is represented in Scripture not as different as religious obedience which conscience teaches us naturally but has the perfection of it.  

OBEDIENCE TO GOD LEADS TO FAITH IN CHRIST

We are told repeatedly that obedience is God leads on to faith in Christ.  

It is the only recognised way to Christ, and that therefore to believe in Him, we are living in obedience to God.  For instances, 

  • Everyone who has heard and learnt from the Father comes to me.
  • He who does what is true come to the light (to Christ)
  • No one can come to me unless the Father who sends me draws him.
  • He who hates me hates my Father also.
  • If you know me you worked know my Father also.
  • Anyone who denies the son does not have the Father
  • Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide by the doctrines of Christ does not have God.  He who abides by the doctrine has both the Father and the Son.

At all times and under all circumstances as all parts of the bible informs us that obedience to the light is the way to gain more light.

  • Proverbs:  I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.  I walk in the way of righteousness, in paths of justice.
  • Christ himself:  He who is faithful in a very little, is faithful also in much.
  • To him who has will more be given.




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