ROMANS 1:5

“through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles in behalf of His name,”

The ultimate witness of the love a child has for their parents is their willingness to obey. Obedience shows their faith in what their parents are teaching them. They may not always agree with their parents, but they obey them because they love them. Chances are somewhere down the road they will realize their parents only want what is best for them. I realize not all children have great parents. In fact, some have really bad parents. In that case, they must obey God the Father and trust that He has a plan for their lives to make things better.

Paul uses a phrase in today’s verse which caused me to take pause. What did he mean by “obedience of faith”? Scholars vary in their interpretation of this phrase, but all would agree that real faith is not present unless there also exists obedience. Paul uses the same phrase again in Romans 16:26. Paul knew real faith required obedience. Just take a look at his own journey of faith. That really required obedience on his part to believe and trust God to sustain him through shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments and even a stoning. Obedience of faith was more than just a nice sounding phrase for Paul. It was his walk.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you to think about moments in your life when you had to step out on faith and obey. I can recall several times in my ministry when God was calling my wife and I to do something that didn’t make a lot of sense. We moved several times in our ministry. I truly believe each and every time we moved, God was directing us. Some of those moves were hard, but we went believing He was directing us and was requiring obedience.

The Greek word for “obedience” is hupakoé and literally means submission to what is heard. True obedience requires more than just hearing God’s voice. It requires doing what He says. I think about Jesus in the garden right before He was betrayed. Do you remember His prayer? He prayed if there was another way for the Father to accomplish His Will. He didn’t want to suffer and die an agonizing death of a cross. Who wants that?! But He knew the choice was clear. Only His obedience on that cross would pave the way for mankind’s redemption.

Are you struggling with a decision right now regarding something you know the Lord is telling you to do? Join the club. We’ve all been there. But, if you want to show the “obedience of faith” to the Faithful One, yield your will to His. Submit to what you have heard Him say to you. Trust He is able to see you through, in this life or the one to come.

O Lord, sometimes it is hard to obey when I want my way. Crucify my flesh today and help me yield my will to Your Will.

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