Faith, Then Obedience

While reading through the Bible and considering the major people in Scripture, I encourage one particular question - How did they work-out their faith-walk with God? Was their relationship rather smooth? Was their rapport littered with human mistakes? Was it pot-holed with doubt? Or did the bond contain a complete trust? How would all the tandems of God be perceived?

In many of the personal narratives, there is an introduction of God to the person, a set-up of their relationship (covenants, promises, prophecies, etc.), the development of their relationship with stumbles and successes by the "Faith-Walker", then they die as one of the Heroes of The Faith.

Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, Faith is stressed as the great starting block with God because "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6). But, Obedience must follow.

Faith declares that a person is part of a family that believes God "exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Obedience supports one's faith through actions and words by observing God's lifestyle requirements. Observing faith in action is the evidence because - "faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26)

There were some major people in Scripture that had great faith in Yahweh, but due to a great mistake of disobedience, the Holy consequence of God had to prevail. The critical "If...Then" conditional standard, that God repeatedly made in His Law, was a huge influencer in these people not realizing God's promises come to fruition. 

This standard defined Israel's behavior - if they followed God's commands and edicts, God would do His part and bless them in all areas of life. Conversely, if the people went against His commands and statutes, then consequences like punishments to the degree of death would follow.

In the Old Testament, there are several key examples of those in the faith that lost out on God's promise for them because of some disobedience in their life - 

• Moses, 
• the adult generation of the Hebrew people Moses led, 
• King Saul and 
• priest Eli and his family - 

would all experience a next level judgement of their mistake during their faith journeys. These mistakes were born out of a neglect of God's conditional "If...Then..." proclamations.

Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock at Meribah. This was in direct disobedience to God's command to speak to it. Because of this act of disobedience and failure to honor God's holiness, God's decision of consequence was he shall not enter the Promised Land of Canaan (Numbers 20:12). Important to note is that Moses was still precious to God. God's mercy and grace were present then also. God's relationship with Moses was not deleted because of that one mistake. Only the earthly promise was withheld. Later on, in the Word of God we even see Moses with Jesus and Elijah during the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John (Matthew 17:1-13).

The next example of a promise lost to faith-walkers is the same as the first, but instead of an individual, we now see a whole people judged. The adult generation of Israelites grumbled plenty. However, the Hebrews grumbled and rebelled at Kadesh-barnea by refusing to enter Canaan out of fear and unbelief. God denied that entire generation (except Caleb and Joshua) from the Promised Land, decreeing they would wander and die in the wilderness for 40 years (Numbers 14).

Next is Israel's first human king, Saul, who could not follow directions by God through Samuel. Samuel instructed - “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” (1 Samuel 10:8)

When Saul grew impatient and fearful of the surrounding Philistine enemy, he jumped the gun, took the role he didn't possess of priest and attempted a burnt offering himself.

"Saul replied, 'When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.'" (1 Samuel 13:11-12)

Samuel's response from the Lord was dire. No sooner as Saul had been named King of Israel, Samuel declared God was preparing to strip it from him.

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

So, as a result of his mistake, God rejected him and the promise of an enduring dynasty was taken from his family and given to David.

In one more Old Testament example of a person of faith denied a promise, God's promise to Eli of a priestly line forever (1 Samuel 2:30) was revoked because Eli failed to restrain his wicked sons and honored his sons above God.

This expectation of Obedience after Faith continues in the New Testament. While the nature of God's promises shifts heavily from physical land and earthly dynasties to spiritual inheritance and eternal life, the principle remains: people miss out on divine promises due to disobedience, lack of faith, or personal failure.

Some key New Testament examples of potential Christ followers not receiving their spiritual promise were - the rich young ruler, Judas Iscariot and turncoats via a look back to the Hebrew people for a warning not to turn away from the faith.

In the account of the rich young ruler, Jesus implicitly promised him "treasure in heaven" and eternal life if he would sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him (Matthew 19:16–22). We see what the young ruler valued more than radical obedience and a faith-based walk with Jesus. The ruler walked away sorrowful, failing to receive what Jesus offered with just his earthly wealth that he clung too.

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve chosen disciples and originally included in the promise that they would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). Because of his greed, betrayal, and ultimate apostasy, he lost his place, his apostolic inheritance (Acts 1:16–20) and took his own life in post-view of his actions. 

Finally, while addressing believers, the author of Hebrews explicitly uses the Old Testament wilderness generation as a warning (Hebrews 3:12–19). The warning involves the ancient Israelites consequently missing out on the promise of Canaan because of unbelief and disobedience and how now believers can "fall short" of God's promised spiritual "rest" through an evil, unbelieving heart.

"See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.”

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."

Just because we live in the age of grace and mercy through Faith, does not mean that there is still not a huge stress to continue obeying God. Paul echoes these sentiments - 

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:1-4)

If anything, the awesome price that was paid by Christ Jesus should persuade that our every breath be dedicated to living His lifestyle requirements, a lifestyle that demands Faith, Then Obedience.