The Obedience of Faith
We have received grace and apostleship through Him to bring about the obedience of faith among all nations, on behalf of His name. (Romans 1:5 HCSB)
Other translations of this phrase include:
KJV – “for obedience to the faith”
NAS – “to bring about obedience of faith”
NIV – “the obedience that comes from faith”
AMP – “to promote obedience to the faith”
Williams – “obedience inspired by faith”
What Paul was saying was that the reason he received grace was to bring all nations (both Jew and Gentile) to obedience to God–obedience that springs from faith in Christ as opposed to obedience that is the result of merely keeping the law. This understanding is also consistent with the message of Paul to the Jews in Rome. In just the first five chapters alone Scripture after Scripture confirms the truth that faith in Christ is the basis for true obedience. True obedience being inward obedience from the heart, not merely external–having only the appearance of righteousness that comes from keeping the law. Faith is a heart issue and cannot be exercised through keeping a set of rules and regulations because rules and regulations can be kept without the exercise of faith. But true obedience–obedience that pleases God is an exercise of faith that springs from the heart.
1:17 – The righteous will live by faith.
2:29 – …a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart–by the Spirit…
3:20 – For no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law…
3:21-22 – But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed…that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ…
3:25-26 – God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, …and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.
3:27-28 – Where then is boasting? It is excluded…by a law of faith. For we conclude that man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
3:30 – There is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. [Another interesting phrase for a later discussion!]
4:4-5 – Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed. But to the one who does not work but believes on Him who declares righteous the ungodly, his faith is credited for reighteousness.
For anyone who questions why God would chose to make salvation accessable through faith alone apart from works in which we could boast, the answer is found in Romans 4:16: This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace… What a wonderful thought! Salvation is not from ourselves because God wants to give it to us! Did you understand that? He doesn’t want us to work for it because He wants to give it to us. And the means by which He gives it to us is faith in the atoning work of His Son, Jesus Christ. What a gracious Father we have! What a loving Savior we have!
For anyone who doesn’t understand faith you don’t have to search any further than Romans 4:21 to find the definition personified in the life of Abraham. …he [Abraham] was fully convinced that what He [God] had promised He [God] was also able to perform. There you have it. Faith is being fully or completely convinced that what God promises (salvation), God is able to do (save). And salvation is just the beginning of what God wants to do for us through faith. To the Colossians Paul says, Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord [by faith], walk in Him [by faith] (2:6).
The conclusion is …we have been declared righteous by faith. (Romans 5:1) Let me restate: Faith is a heart issue that cannot be exercised by keeping a set of rules. However, it should be noted that faith does produce obedience. And that is the kind of obedience that Paul labored to bring to all nations.
We have received grace and apostleship through Him to bring about the obedience of faith among all nations, on behalf of His name. (Romans 1:5)