Faith and obedience
 

The intricate relationship between faith and obedience

*Faith as the Foundation:
Hebrews 11:6 states that "without faith it is impossible to please God." This highlights that faith is the fundamental basis for a relationship with God. Faith involves trusting in God's character, promises, and commands.

*Obedience as the Expression of Faith:
True faith is not merely intellectual assent; it is demonstrated through action. Obedience to God's commandments is a tangible expression of that faith. Examples like Noah, who built the ark, and Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice Isaac, illustrate that genuine faith leads to obedient actions. When we trust God, we naturally desire to follow His instructions.

*Blessings as a Result of Obedience:
Deuteronomy emphasizes that God's blessings are often tied to obedience. This reflects a covenant relationship where faithfulness is rewarded. However, it's important to understand that obedience is not a means of "earning" God's favor. Rather, it's a response to His grace and love.

*The Consequences of Disobedience:
The examples of Saul, and the captivity of Israel and Judah, demonstrate that disobedience, stemming from a lack of faith, has consequences. These historical accounts serve as warnings about the importance of remaining faithful to God's covenant.

*The Intertwined Nature:
Therefore, faith and obedience are not separate entities but rather two sides of the same coin. Faith motivates obedience, and obedience validates faith. In essence, the biblical perspective suggests that genuine faith manifests in obedient living, which in turn opens the way for God's blessings.

Re: Faith and obedience
 

*Hebrews 11:6
"Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

*Romans 14:23
"...for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."

*Numbers 5:6-7
"When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes their guilt, they shall confess their sin that they have committed."

These verses emphasize the importance of faith in maintaining a right relationship with God and how breaking faith with God is considered sin.

Re: Faith and obedience
 

Just my 2 shekels:

The idea that there is any kind of tension or dichotomy or paradox between "faith" and "obedience" is a post-apostolic Calvinistic Reformation theological issue. Even Luther, in spite of his skepticism regarding the canonicity of the Epistle of James, had no misunderstanding that "faith" and "obedience" were somehow contrasts or in competition with one another. Biblically, and prior to the errors introduced by certain radical sectors of the Reformation, nobody had any problem understanding the relationship between faith and obedience, nor did anyone think there was some kind of distinction between faith and obedience.

James, however, addresses a concern that apparently had arisen in the apostolic era, and which persists today, which is the idea that faith is contrasted with WORKS. Paul clearly taught that faith (in Jesus, Gospel faith) was contrasted with "works (of the law)". Works of the law was and still is a specific rabbinical theological term for rabbinic halachah (rules or methods of how to specifically obey God, primarily how to obey the mishna or "oral law" aka "traditions of the elders" or "customs of the fathers"). Paul had no dichotomy between "faith" and "obedience to God" as is clearly proven by a perusal of his epistle to the Romans. James, however, had to deal with people who disconnected faith from "works", and HIS teaching was that faith is not visible unless it is acted out and demonstrated by works (actions). Again, the issue in James isn't really about "faith versus obedience" but "faith versus works". As he says, a man may say "I have faith apart from works". Really? Okay, show us this faith without reference to any works or actions, and *I* will show you my faith by/through my actions/works. In other words, claiming to have faith, but not living according to that faith, means one has "dead faith" which is no real faith at all.