Grace, Faith and Obedience- Gods Prerogative
The New Testament presents a unified and seamless pathway to salvation where God’s grace, man’s faith, and the necessary response of obedience are not conflicting concepts but fundamental, harmonious elements of the Divine plan. This unity is essential to understanding what it means to be saved according to the pattern of the Gospel.
1. The Foundation: God’s Grace and Christ’s Atonement
Salvation begins and ends with God’s grace (Charis).
- Grace is the Source: Grace is the undeserved favor of God, the loving initiative that sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins (Romans 5:8). Without this unparalleled gift, no human effort could secure redemption. We are, in the words of the Apostle Paul, “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Grace is also the source of our ability to know what God desires we respond to and do in submission to Him (Titus 2:11-12).
- The Power of Christ’s Obedience: Crucially, Jesus established this saving power through His own perfect obedience. He “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). Christ’s obedient life and sacrificial death are the sole meritorious basis for our salvation.
Our salvation is not earned by merit, but it is received on specific, God-given terms.
2. The Acceptance: Active Faith and the Terms of the Covenant
While salvation is an act of grace, the Bible establishes clear conditions for receiving that grace. The human response is not merely passive mental assent (a faith alone) but an active, responsive faith (Pistis) that includes specific acts of obedience to the Gospel commands.
| Gospel Command | Scriptural Basis | The Action of Faith |
| Hear the Word | Romans 10:17 (Faith comes by hearing) | Intellectual conviction and acceptance (John 6:44-45) |
| Believe the Gospel | Hebrews 11:6 (He that comes to God must believe) | Trust in Jesus as the Son of God. |
| Repent of Sins | Acts 2:38; Luke 13:3 (Unless you repent) | A sincere change of mind leading to a change of life. |
| Confess Christ | Romans 10:9-10 (Confession is made to salvation) | Verbal acknowledgment of Lordship (Acts 8:37) |
| Be Baptized | Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38 (Baptism for the remission of sins) | An act of faith where the blood of Christ washes away sins (Acts 22:16). |
The Power of Hebrews 5:9
The passage in Hebrews 5:9 is foundational: Christ became the “author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
This verse clearly places obedience as the prerequisite action for receiving the salvation Christ authored. It refutes the notion that Christ saves the unconditional believer; rather, He saves the obedient believer. Faith, therefore, is not a competitor to obedience, but the very motive and foundation for it. We obey because we believe His promise is true.
3. The Result: Obedience as the Manifestation of Life
Once a person has obeyed the Gospel commands—being immersed into Christ for the remission of sins—they are placed into Christ, where all spiritual blessings are found (Ephesians 1:3). Obedience is not merely the initiation of the Christian life, but the continuing characteristic of a saved person.
- A Life of Love: Jesus stated simply, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience is the supreme expression of love and gratitude toward the Savior who paid the ultimate price.
- A Covenant Relationship: Salvation establishes a new covenant relationship with God. Entering this covenant requires obedience to its terms, and remaining in it requires continued faithfulness (1 John 2:3-5). Disobedience is evidence of a failure to love or a departure from the faith.
In this divine design, grace is the reason for salvation, faith is the attitude that trusts God’s promise, and the obedience of the Gospel plan is the act through which the grace is received, faith is made active, leading to the remission of sins and life in Christ. They are not in tension, but in perfect harmony.
If you would like to study further the idea of grace and faith, or any other biblical topic, we at the Eastside Church of Christ would love to assist you or answer any questions you have.
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