Thanks Dr. Bird for this devotional! Your a great teacher and have helped me think deeper. I always liked how you are very well balanced on different angles and viewpoints. Overtime I’ve been learning how to appreciate viewpoints from different traditions and especially the church fathers etc. I’m from Reformed Baptist which tends shy away from learning from anyone else outside there own Calvinist/Reformed/Puritan leaning tribe. Overtime I’ve learned that that be can unhealthy in my spiritual growth. From the USA 🇺🇸. Keep writing !!
Thank you for making an important, but often overlooked, point. The Gospel is to be both believed and obeyed, although most of us fail reach that goal perfectly or literally. The effort continually improves us, however, and makes us better than we would be – which is why we are instructed in Hebrews 12:1-3 to "...run with perseverance the race marked out for us". Though we may never "win" the race, it is running the race to the finish, which keeps us closer to Christ, that is important.
Thanks Dr Bird. Romans 1:5 settles it for me. Paul speaks of receiving grace and apostleship to bring about the "obedience of faith". Obedience flows out from faith. Hence both believing and obeying!
Although I tend to agree, one must never forget that salvation itself rests ONLY on the death of Jesus and his resurrection, as it is that and only that which achieves forgiveness of sins for anyone (as Isaiah was told re The Servant), thus reconciling individuals to God. But as James said, faith without works is dead faith, that is works/good deeds should naturally flow from faith. Faith inevitably leads to obedience and changed behaviour. God have mercy on us all.
This is worth much expansion. Two simple thoughts along that line. Paul bookends the letter to the romans by mentioning that he is an apostle to the Gentiles whose goal is to bring about 'the obedience OF FAITH'. What comes to mind is a differentiation between an obedience of faith, versus an obedience 'of works'-which merits much more expansion which is done across the New Testament. a good concordance looking at the use of two words-'faith' and 'works' in every instance, is a good place to start in sorting out SEVERAL distinct ways to think about 'obedience of faith'; in using the word 'salvation', Francis Shaeffer gives an excellent distinction between three 'temporal' aspects of faith in Christ; one that views salvation in the aorist tense, looking at Christ's work that is 'completed' in space time history on the cross-which we conceptualize as 'redemption' or 'justification' (though these words are used to reference a common concept, they also can be distinguished). the second temporal sense looks at faith in Christ in the Resurrection and our Union at the cross-continuing as we are 'made alive' in Christ and ABLE now to OBEY God, by faith and WALK in LOVE in our union. Ephesians 2:10, often omitted when we consider the gifting of faith, actually leads verses 8 and 9 to the culmination of faith in our present 'sanctification' which involves a faith ACTIVE enough to manifest in our walking in union with Christ Jesus in 'good works' which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in, in Christ (redundant use of 'in Christ' but to leave it off would allow ambiguity i don't want to express). the third temporal look is future, and embodied both in 'yielding our spirits to God' in Romans 6 (where Shaeffer derives the other two temporal aspects-forgot to mention that) but also to I John 3: 1-3, where our 'setting our eyes on Jesus' future return-which we can envision but not with much clarity yet, in terms of our 'glorification' as our bodies are transformed-results in our 'purification as He is pure'. Thus, this 'obedience of faith' that Paul begins and ends the letter of Romans with, is quite comprehensive in describing the christian life.
The second area worth expanding on, is one I already incorporated into the first, by referencing Ephesians 2:10. There are frequent references in the New Testament, to the reality that in the life of a follower of Jesus, there should be the same visible evidence of faith in God that Jesus manifested, and often referenced. He pointed to His Own 'good works' as evidence that He came from the Father; we are called to engage in gospel love with a faith that brings tangible evidence in our lives that we are followers of Jesus, called to engage in good works, told we will do GREATER works than Jesus did while on earth, in fact. How is that even conceivably posssible, that we can do greater works? Because in our UNION with Jesus, HE still is at work in and through US to LOVE PEOPLE in ways that are tangible and visible. Followers of Jesus should manifest tangible evidence of the gospel's impact in our life and through us, to others; bringing forth visible fruit-where 'good works' (as cited above in Ephesians 2) or 'good deeds' are the specific fruit the true gospel produces.
And of course, in a modern area where there are real problems, there is a false dichotomy between the gospel and actual 'gospel ministry to hurting people'. Abuse is SIN, the bailiwick of the church. For some to claim that HELPING people strugglingwith relational sin, particularly the 'only sin against the body'-sexual sin, is a DIVERSION from gospel ministry is a modern yet widespread fallacy... where there is much fruit LACKING today... sadly.
Just to be sure there is no confusion-these comments are not in any way meant to be in conflict with what you have written in your post; just in response, expanding further on them.
As "one bird to another", thank you for your courage to post this.
And, as a older bird who lived a youth prior to the non-denominational Megachurch movements, we kids grew up in a liturgical Lutheran church. Three years of Confirmation Class, and then our Confirmation Sunday. During every Sunday service, every class, Jesus was taught to us as our Lord, our King, as well as our Savior. Our faith in God's gracious gift went hand-in-hand with our living a life of obedience to our King of Kings. We were taught to serve Him with joy because of all He had done on our behalf. His imputed righteousness, Father God's amazing gift to us, His agape/love for us... who could resist? (And yet, people do.)
Only in the last 12 months have I come to read works by the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. In his book "What Does God Want?", the answer to that question is simple: God wants a family, which I've revised to say: "God wants His family back."
In a healthy family, there is allegiance, loyalty, to the family members and to those in leadership who established the family (Mom and Dad). Allegiance and loyalty born out of mutual love for each other.
Why would the gospel of Jesus be any different?
Thank you for giving me opportunity to think this through in this space. You have a new Subscriber today. 😊
Well said and fully true. 2 sides of the same coin. Heads is grace through faith, and tails is obedience following. All real coins have 2 sides. A one-sided coin does not exist, or simply is not real. So a hyper grace gospel, or a works gospel are both not the real gospel! Paul's "rightly dividing" the Word is the key.
Well said!!! "So while a Law and Gospel antithesis is not invalid, nonetheless, its concerns need to be met without narrowing the biblical presentation of the gospel which does warn of judgment as well as call people to obey its pronouncement about the person and work of Christ."
Thanks Dr. Bird for this devotional! Your a great teacher and have helped me think deeper. I always liked how you are very well balanced on different angles and viewpoints. Overtime I’ve been learning how to appreciate viewpoints from different traditions and especially the church fathers etc. I’m from Reformed Baptist which tends shy away from learning from anyone else outside there own Calvinist/Reformed/Puritan leaning tribe. Overtime I’ve learned that that be can unhealthy in my spiritual growth. From the USA 🇺🇸. Keep writing !!
My pleasure to help, thanks for the encouragement.
If you have ears. Use them. Once that’s solved do what the Word of God says.
Thanks Dr. Bird. Beware that this in total disagreement with the American gospel. You may get canceled! 😉
Oh, I've been cancelled many times.
Thank you for making an important, but often overlooked, point. The Gospel is to be both believed and obeyed, although most of us fail reach that goal perfectly or literally. The effort continually improves us, however, and makes us better than we would be – which is why we are instructed in Hebrews 12:1-3 to "...run with perseverance the race marked out for us". Though we may never "win" the race, it is running the race to the finish, which keeps us closer to Christ, that is important.
Thanks Dr Bird. Romans 1:5 settles it for me. Paul speaks of receiving grace and apostleship to bring about the "obedience of faith". Obedience flows out from faith. Hence both believing and obeying!
Yes, I think Rom 1:5 and 16:26 are important book ends to Romans.
I always welcome a reminder to embrace the "both/and" approach.
Although I tend to agree, one must never forget that salvation itself rests ONLY on the death of Jesus and his resurrection, as it is that and only that which achieves forgiveness of sins for anyone (as Isaiah was told re The Servant), thus reconciling individuals to God. But as James said, faith without works is dead faith, that is works/good deeds should naturally flow from faith. Faith inevitably leads to obedience and changed behaviour. God have mercy on us all.
This is worth much expansion. Two simple thoughts along that line. Paul bookends the letter to the romans by mentioning that he is an apostle to the Gentiles whose goal is to bring about 'the obedience OF FAITH'. What comes to mind is a differentiation between an obedience of faith, versus an obedience 'of works'-which merits much more expansion which is done across the New Testament. a good concordance looking at the use of two words-'faith' and 'works' in every instance, is a good place to start in sorting out SEVERAL distinct ways to think about 'obedience of faith'; in using the word 'salvation', Francis Shaeffer gives an excellent distinction between three 'temporal' aspects of faith in Christ; one that views salvation in the aorist tense, looking at Christ's work that is 'completed' in space time history on the cross-which we conceptualize as 'redemption' or 'justification' (though these words are used to reference a common concept, they also can be distinguished). the second temporal sense looks at faith in Christ in the Resurrection and our Union at the cross-continuing as we are 'made alive' in Christ and ABLE now to OBEY God, by faith and WALK in LOVE in our union. Ephesians 2:10, often omitted when we consider the gifting of faith, actually leads verses 8 and 9 to the culmination of faith in our present 'sanctification' which involves a faith ACTIVE enough to manifest in our walking in union with Christ Jesus in 'good works' which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in, in Christ (redundant use of 'in Christ' but to leave it off would allow ambiguity i don't want to express). the third temporal look is future, and embodied both in 'yielding our spirits to God' in Romans 6 (where Shaeffer derives the other two temporal aspects-forgot to mention that) but also to I John 3: 1-3, where our 'setting our eyes on Jesus' future return-which we can envision but not with much clarity yet, in terms of our 'glorification' as our bodies are transformed-results in our 'purification as He is pure'. Thus, this 'obedience of faith' that Paul begins and ends the letter of Romans with, is quite comprehensive in describing the christian life.
The second area worth expanding on, is one I already incorporated into the first, by referencing Ephesians 2:10. There are frequent references in the New Testament, to the reality that in the life of a follower of Jesus, there should be the same visible evidence of faith in God that Jesus manifested, and often referenced. He pointed to His Own 'good works' as evidence that He came from the Father; we are called to engage in gospel love with a faith that brings tangible evidence in our lives that we are followers of Jesus, called to engage in good works, told we will do GREATER works than Jesus did while on earth, in fact. How is that even conceivably posssible, that we can do greater works? Because in our UNION with Jesus, HE still is at work in and through US to LOVE PEOPLE in ways that are tangible and visible. Followers of Jesus should manifest tangible evidence of the gospel's impact in our life and through us, to others; bringing forth visible fruit-where 'good works' (as cited above in Ephesians 2) or 'good deeds' are the specific fruit the true gospel produces.
And of course, in a modern area where there are real problems, there is a false dichotomy between the gospel and actual 'gospel ministry to hurting people'. Abuse is SIN, the bailiwick of the church. For some to claim that HELPING people strugglingwith relational sin, particularly the 'only sin against the body'-sexual sin, is a DIVERSION from gospel ministry is a modern yet widespread fallacy... where there is much fruit LACKING today... sadly.
Just to be sure there is no confusion-these comments are not in any way meant to be in conflict with what you have written in your post; just in response, expanding further on them.
"Because the gospel is - in Wrightonian, McKnightian, and Batian idiom - a summons to allegiance in King Jesus."
Great thought, and I would include "Birdian" (?).
As "one bird to another", thank you for your courage to post this.
And, as a older bird who lived a youth prior to the non-denominational Megachurch movements, we kids grew up in a liturgical Lutheran church. Three years of Confirmation Class, and then our Confirmation Sunday. During every Sunday service, every class, Jesus was taught to us as our Lord, our King, as well as our Savior. Our faith in God's gracious gift went hand-in-hand with our living a life of obedience to our King of Kings. We were taught to serve Him with joy because of all He had done on our behalf. His imputed righteousness, Father God's amazing gift to us, His agape/love for us... who could resist? (And yet, people do.)
Only in the last 12 months have I come to read works by the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. In his book "What Does God Want?", the answer to that question is simple: God wants a family, which I've revised to say: "God wants His family back."
In a healthy family, there is allegiance, loyalty, to the family members and to those in leadership who established the family (Mom and Dad). Allegiance and loyalty born out of mutual love for each other.
Why would the gospel of Jesus be any different?
Thank you for giving me opportunity to think this through in this space. You have a new Subscriber today. 😊
Well said and fully true. 2 sides of the same coin. Heads is grace through faith, and tails is obedience following. All real coins have 2 sides. A one-sided coin does not exist, or simply is not real. So a hyper grace gospel, or a works gospel are both not the real gospel! Paul's "rightly dividing" the Word is the key.
Well said!!! "So while a Law and Gospel antithesis is not invalid, nonetheless, its concerns need to be met without narrowing the biblical presentation of the gospel which does warn of judgment as well as call people to obey its pronouncement about the person and work of Christ."