“But now…this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey Him.” – Romans 16:26 (NLT)
Paul exclaims that it is wonderful to be alive when the plan, God’s secret, His way of saving the Gentiles, is becoming known throughout the world! All the Old Testament prophecies were coming true, and God was using Paul as His instrument to tell the Good News – Romans 16:25-27.
We are saved by grace through faith, not of our own doing. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved…” (Acts 16:31 – NLT) says. If obedience were a second condition for being saved, those verses would say we are saved by grace through faith and obedience, but they don’t. We are saved by grace through faith alone!
The more our hearts want to obey our heavenly Father, the more we believe that His way is life and our way ultimately leads to death. This is obedience. Trust and obedience are harmonious twins because joyful obedience comes from trusting faith. Biblical faith means humbly receiving Christ as our King and giving Him the rule over our lives.
If our faith is weak, our obedience will be weak. The answer is to draw near to Christ, fill ourselves with His love, truth, and goodness, and watch Him work in our lives.
The purpose of Paul’s ministry is to call all nations, all peoples around the world, to faith in Christ, so that we can know we belong to Him, and He belongs to us. Why don’t you obey today?
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that we can recognise that faithful obedience stems from faith in You. Help us to understand Your will and align our actions with Your path. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
Read: Ephesians 2:8-9; James 2:20-24
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 83; Acts 28:1-16; 2 Kings 19:14-37; 2 Kings 20