Obedience to God Under Grace (Episode 112)

The Bible clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. But in some places, the Bible seems to suggest that we must live in obedience to God to be saved. So, how do we reconcile these biblical mandates for obedience with grace, since grace is unmerited? Why can’t Christians just live how they want to? Frank King addresses that subject in this episode.

The overarching message of the Scriptures is that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). And we know that grace pertains to those things that are unmerited. We pervert that message when we impose upon the gospel of grace some performance-based requirements to be saved. Some who preach today are guilty of doing exactly that.

 For instance, if we argue that one must give a tithe of his money to church to be saved, we pervert the gospel of grace. Or you must attend church every week. Or that you must involve yourself in the work of the local church. Any attempt to subject one’s salvation to works such as these constitutes perversion of the message of grace.

You are not saved by how much money you give, how often you attend church, how much work you do in the church, none of the above. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Of course, pastors want church members to be good financial stewards. And to attend church regularly and to get involved in serving the Lord. But they must be careful not to pervert the gospel by implying that one’s salvation requires their obedience in those areas.

The Rest of the Message of Grace

But the message of the gospel of grace can be perverted in another way as some do. It can be presented as a license to live a life of sin and pleasure and still name the name of Christ. God forbid! For when we become saved by grace through faith in Christ, we are also born again through faith in Christ. Accordingly, we will live in obedience to God.

In Christ, we became a new creation. According to the Bible, old things were passed away, and all things became new (2 Corinthians 5:17). The evidence that God has changed us is that we obey God. We don’t have to obey Him to be saved. But we will live in obedience to God because we have been saved.

Genuine Christians don’t live a life of practicing sin. For instance, in 1 John 3:9, John writes, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (NASB).

If someone says he is a Christian while living a sinful life, either his is not a Christian, or he is living a disobedient life as a Christian. The apostles’ letters are written on the premise of genuine Christian behavior.

What we are talking about here is the life-changing power of the gospel. Absolutely no one who truly meets the Lord Jesus Christ can remain the same and live the same after meeting the Lord. Through Him, we are translated from death to life.