Obeying the Gospel from the Heart
By Mark Larson
www.cvillechurch.com
“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:17-18, NASB). As important as the doctrine “salvation by grace through faith” is in the Roman letter (e.g., Rom. 3:22-24), obedience to the gospel is also emphasized as essential to gaining eternal life (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). Indeed, genuine faith in Christ will be demonstrated by our obedience to God (James 2:14-26).
The Scriptures make it clear that the gospel not only stands for the good news of Jesus Christ concerning His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-4), but also the word of God or the truth (Eph. 1:13; John 17:17) or the entire law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21). Everyone will be held accountable by God on whether or not they obeyed the gospel on Judgment day (2 Thes. 1:8).
Obeying the gospel necessarily involves the plan of salvation or the conditions one must meet to become a Christian. After a person has heard God’s word with a good and honest heart (Rom. 10:17; Luke 8:15), that person will have faith in Christ. Belief in Jesus is essential for salvation (Acts 16:31). True faith will lead a person to repent of his sins, confess Jesus as Lord, and be baptized into Christ as commanded in Scripture (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:38). All of these conditions must be met to become a Christian and receive all spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3; Gal. 3:27).
In Romans 6:17 (see passage above), the apostle Paul reminded the saints at Rome of their prior obedience to the gospel when they first became Christians. Their obedience was not a mere symbolic ritual or show, but a sincere act of faith that came “from the heart.” “Heart obedience” must be important, for Paul, who was inspired by God, emphasizes it and also gives thanks to God for it. Clearly, conversion to Christ or our salvation is not a passive event, but a conscious choice that a person makes, a decision that comes from the heart.Obedience from the heart has always been important to God. We cannot expect to please the Lord by obeying His commandments if our heart “is not in it.” Without sincerity and true dedication of ourselves to God, we are merely “going through the motions” and fail to gladden or delight the heart of God. When the heart is absent, our worship of God is worthless and we play the hypocrite (Mat. 15:7-9). Only true or genuine obedience will do and such obedience must come from the heart (e.g., 1 Pet. 1:22).
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines the heart (kardia), in part, as “the center and seat of spiritual life” and “the fountain and seat of the thoughts.” Therefore, when we obey from the heart we are truly and fully devoted to God in our service to Him! Our thoughts, which stem from the heart, are held “captive to the obedience of Christ” and every bad attitude, evil motive, doubt, and falsehood is destroyed or put away (See 2 Cor. 10:5). Obedience from the heart means we are whole-heartedly sincere and serious about serving God, not frivolous, superficial, or vain.
Sometimes people obey the gospel in order to please men or obey without true conviction or belief in what they are doing and why. This is not true obedience! When we obey God, let us always remember that this is the way we express our love for Him: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Mat. 22:37); "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
What again did the saints at Rome obey from the heart? The gospel, yet more specifically “that form of teaching to which [they] were committed” (Rom. 6:17). The form of teaching that they obeyed refers to the exact pattern of teaching that they conformed themselves to: The genuine gospel of Jesus Christ! They did not obey something that sort of represented the gospel or followed a substitute for the original (as some people do today - Gal. 1:6-9), they obeyed God’s gospel to become genuine Christians. Genuine Christians conform to the pattern of Jesus Christ who “died to sin, once for all” who also was “raised from the dead” and now “lives to God” (Rom. 6:9-10). Like Christ, true Christians “consider [themselves] to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).
When we commit ourselves to the exact pattern of the gospel and obey it from the heart as the Christians at Rome did, we not only are forgiven of all our sins (Acts 2:38), but we also deliver ourselves to God to become His servants: “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:17-18). Obeying the gospel from the heart means that we have chosen to be a slave of sin no longer. Now freed from sin as our master, we choose to be slaves of righteousness which results in eternal life (Rom. 6:22-23).
www.cvillechurch.com
“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:17-18, NASB). As important as the doctrine “salvation by grace through faith” is in the Roman letter (e.g., Rom. 3:22-24), obedience to the gospel is also emphasized as essential to gaining eternal life (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). Indeed, genuine faith in Christ will be demonstrated by our obedience to God (James 2:14-26).
The Scriptures make it clear that the gospel not only stands for the good news of Jesus Christ concerning His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-4), but also the word of God or the truth (Eph. 1:13; John 17:17) or the entire law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21). Everyone will be held accountable by God on whether or not they obeyed the gospel on Judgment day (2 Thes. 1:8).
Obeying the gospel necessarily involves the plan of salvation or the conditions one must meet to become a Christian. After a person has heard God’s word with a good and honest heart (Rom. 10:17; Luke 8:15), that person will have faith in Christ. Belief in Jesus is essential for salvation (Acts 16:31). True faith will lead a person to repent of his sins, confess Jesus as Lord, and be baptized into Christ as commanded in Scripture (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:38). All of these conditions must be met to become a Christian and receive all spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3; Gal. 3:27).
In Romans 6:17 (see passage above), the apostle Paul reminded the saints at Rome of their prior obedience to the gospel when they first became Christians. Their obedience was not a mere symbolic ritual or show, but a sincere act of faith that came “from the heart.” “Heart obedience” must be important, for Paul, who was inspired by God, emphasizes it and also gives thanks to God for it. Clearly, conversion to Christ or our salvation is not a passive event, but a conscious choice that a person makes, a decision that comes from the heart.Obedience from the heart has always been important to God. We cannot expect to please the Lord by obeying His commandments if our heart “is not in it.” Without sincerity and true dedication of ourselves to God, we are merely “going through the motions” and fail to gladden or delight the heart of God. When the heart is absent, our worship of God is worthless and we play the hypocrite (Mat. 15:7-9). Only true or genuine obedience will do and such obedience must come from the heart (e.g., 1 Pet. 1:22).
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines the heart (kardia), in part, as “the center and seat of spiritual life” and “the fountain and seat of the thoughts.” Therefore, when we obey from the heart we are truly and fully devoted to God in our service to Him! Our thoughts, which stem from the heart, are held “captive to the obedience of Christ” and every bad attitude, evil motive, doubt, and falsehood is destroyed or put away (See 2 Cor. 10:5). Obedience from the heart means we are whole-heartedly sincere and serious about serving God, not frivolous, superficial, or vain.
Sometimes people obey the gospel in order to please men or obey without true conviction or belief in what they are doing and why. This is not true obedience! When we obey God, let us always remember that this is the way we express our love for Him: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Mat. 22:37); "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
What again did the saints at Rome obey from the heart? The gospel, yet more specifically “that form of teaching to which [they] were committed” (Rom. 6:17). The form of teaching that they obeyed refers to the exact pattern of teaching that they conformed themselves to: The genuine gospel of Jesus Christ! They did not obey something that sort of represented the gospel or followed a substitute for the original (as some people do today - Gal. 1:6-9), they obeyed God’s gospel to become genuine Christians. Genuine Christians conform to the pattern of Jesus Christ who “died to sin, once for all” who also was “raised from the dead” and now “lives to God” (Rom. 6:9-10). Like Christ, true Christians “consider [themselves] to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).
When we commit ourselves to the exact pattern of the gospel and obey it from the heart as the Christians at Rome did, we not only are forgiven of all our sins (Acts 2:38), but we also deliver ourselves to God to become His servants: “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:17-18). Obeying the gospel from the heart means that we have chosen to be a slave of sin no longer. Now freed from sin as our master, we choose to be slaves of righteousness which results in eternal life (Rom. 6:22-23).
posted by Mark E Larson | 11:37 AM
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