Week 12 The Experience of Life
LESSON TWELVE
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
Hymn 582
Scripture Reading:
Rom. 6:11-14 So also you, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but living to God in Christ Jesus. Do not let sin therefore reign in your mortal body so that you obey the body’s lusts; Neither present your members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as weapons of righteousness to God. For sin will not lord it over you, for you are not under the law but under grace.
There are only two principles of Christian living: one is faith; the other is obedience. All good fruit issues from these two principles. In our fellowship with the Lord, we need faith and obedience every day.
SINCE THE OBJECTIVE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED,
WE SHOULD JUST BELIEVE;
SINCE THE SUBJECTIVE IS ACCOMPLISHED NOW
AND IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO OBEY
What are faith and obedience? All the objective truths are in Christ and have been accomplished. All the subjective truths are in the Holy Spirit and will be accomplished by Him. Redemption was accomplished more than nineteen hundred years ago, while salvation was accomplished on the day you believed in the Lord. Therefore, redemption is objective; it has been accomplished in Christ. Salvation is subjective; it is what the Holy Spirit accomplishes in us. The order of these two matters cannot be reversed. Everything objective is in the past; it is absolute, complete, and nothing can be added. Everything subjective is accomplished in the present and in the future. Receiving something objective and receiving something subjective requires two completely different principles. Since the objective has been accomplished, we should just believe. Since the subjective is accomplished now and in the future, we need to obey. If we pay attention only to one side, we will go astray by either becoming theoretical or ascetic. The objective death, resurrection, and ascension require our believing. However, it is not enough just to believe. Day by day we also need to obey. Crucifixion with Christ requires obedience; the power of resurrection requires obedience; and the place of ascension requires obedience.
THE SAVIOR WHO IS WITHOUT DEMANDING OUR FAITH,
WHEREAS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS WITHIN DEMANDING OUR OBEDIENCE
Brothers and sisters, we need an outward Savior and an inward Savior. We need the Word incarnated in the flesh and the Word manifested in the Holy Spirit. We need the Christ of Golgotha and the Christ in the Spirit. The Savior who is without demands our faith, whereas the Holy Spirit who is within demands our obedience.
Believing is not changing God’s word into reality. It is believing that God’s word is reality. During last year’s special conference, I mentioned that the grace of God comprises three things: the promise, the fact, and the covenant. The promise is something which will be accomplished. The fact is something which has been accomplished. All the objective truths have been accomplished and are real. We only need to say to God, “Your Word says I have died, resurrected, and ascended. Therefore I also say that I have died, resurrected, and ascended.” Indeed, this is the way we can stand firm. God has spoken, and it is so.
We must believe in God’s Word more than our circumstances, feelings, trials, sins, lusts, and unclean thoughts. If we can do this, we definitely will be different. It is not enough that we listen. We must have the faith. May we see that God has accomplished everything in Christ.
WHATEVER GOD DEMANDS OF US, WE MUST OBEY
However, we have to know that merely believing like this is not enough. The one thing that has to follow is obedience. On the one hand, we must believe. On the other hand, we must obey. Our self-will must be subdued, and we must present every member to God. Brothers and sisters, after we have a living faith, day by day we have to learn to obey God.
There must be a point at which we say to God, “From today on, I offer myself to You.” There must be a specific dealing this way. There must be a time when we say to God, “From now on I offer You my time, my mind, my money, my family, and my all.” God touches everyone in a specific way. With some, God touches them on one point; with others, God touches them on another point. Many times God’s demand appears to be harsh and severe. But whatever God demands of us, we must obey. God wants us to prove that we will obey Him. Nothing is more precious to Him than Isaac. It is not enough just to say verbally, “I offer Isaac as a sacrifice.” We must present Isaac as an offering in reality. If we do this, we will see the lamb God has prepared. God is not satisfied until we have fully obeyed. We must experience specific dealings with the Lord.
OBEDIENCE WITHOUT FAITH BEING POWERLESS;
FAITH WITHOUT OBEDIENCE BEING IDEALISTIC
We must believe and also obey. Not only do we need to obey once, but we must obey continuously. Otherwise, we will come short and be unbalanced. Obedience without faith is powerless. Faith without obedience is idealistic. It is very painful to be obedient without faith. Please remember the scriptural principles for our living: believing and obeying (CWWN, Vol. 10, pp. 605-615)
Reference: CWWN, (Set 1) Vol. 10, The Present Testimony (3), ch. 19.
