“Only he who believes
is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.”
These next pages get deep, and can be summed up by
reading James
2:14-26. However let’s go deeper and see how faith and works should be married
in our walks with Christ, for we truly cannot divorce faith and works if we are
Disciples of the One who calls.
“For
faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only
becomes faith in the act of obedience…In one case faith is the condition of
obedience, and in the other obedience is the condition of faith.”
Divorcing faith from works creates multiple
problems. Works in and of themselves
cannot save us- they only provide an external show of religion. On the flip side, as James says, “Faith without works is dead.”
Bonhoeffer delves deeper, “If a drunkard signs a pledge, or a rich man gives all his money away,
they are both of them freeing themselves from their slavery to alcohol or
riches, but not from their bondage to themselves. They are still subject to the commandment of
works, still as submerged in the death of the old life as they were before.”
This external show of obedience has left the heart
unchanged. Faith was left out of the equation.
So how does one know if their hearts are aligned
with their external works?
“[W]e
can only take this step aright if we fix our eyes not on the work we do, but on
the word with which Jesus calls us to do it.”
Next Bonhoeffer explains the account of Peter
walking on water. Before he stepped out of the boat, he asked Jesus to bid him
to come and Jesus complies. Jesus calls,
Peter fixes his eyes on Christ (for a time) and takes that step of faith
necessary to walk on water-remember there was a storm going on. Faith + Works =
Miracles.
Time
to get your toes stepped on.
“Unless
he obeys, a man cannot believe.”
Re-read that statement.
When I do, I hear that unless I am willing to obey
in EVERYTHING, I am not believing in Christ. But my brain immediately rejects
this saying, “I’m a Christian, I believe, I follow my Savior.” But do I?
Is there something I am holding back? Some area of my life that is off
limits to God? Some hurt I refuse to let go of? If so, I am lacking in faith, I
am being disobedient- even if it is unintentional.
“The man who disobeys cannot believe, for only
he who obeys can believe.”
Is your walk with Christ difficult? Do you struggle
with hearing God? Is reading the Bible boring and your prayer life stagnant?
Perhaps there is an area of disobedience (even unintentional or subconscious)
that needs to be addressed first. Perhaps before God can expand your faith, re-kindle your passion or answer your prayers
you first have to become obedient by
aligning your faith with your works.
When I read this chapter, I think not only of people
who are trying to work their way to heaven, but also of those who take too much
pride in their works and their works become their trophy/idol/god in place of
Jesus.
We must make sure we are fixing our eyes on Christ,
listening to His directives and following HIM, not our works.
Relating this back to the original call to follow
Christ (look at last
week’s post) we know that when Jesus calls and we must decide if we will
follow. This next statement by Bonhoeffer is true of our first calling to
follow, as well as all future callings to listen and obey.
“Do
not say you have not got faith. You will not have it so long as you persist in
disobedience and refuse to take the first step.
Neither must you say that you have faith, and therefore there is no need
for you to take the first step.”
Growing up in a Baptist church, each Sunday we had
an alter call. Each Sunday the preacher would say we could be saved if we sat
in the pew and prayed the prayer but he encouraged us to take that step of
faith and come forward. Looking back, I think this is wise. That step doesn’t
save you, neither do magical words/prayers. It is faith in Christ’s work on the
cross that saves and that faith in Christ requires action by us.
Christ does not call us into inactivity. His ministry
was extremely active, that hasn’t changed. Following Christ is hard WORK! But
we do that work by and with FAITH. Faith + Works = Discipleship
Now to those who want to argue that they don’t have
the faith to step out, that they are not sure if they ‘believe’ or ‘hear the call’(whatever
that call may be) here is what Bonhoeffer says, “If you believe, take the first
step, it leads to Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe, take the first step all
the same, for you are bidden to take it.”
Do
you hear?
Will
you obey?
Questions:
(you
do not have to answer these on this blog, but I encourage you to prayerfully
meditate over this). Of course comments are greatly appreciated and help others
learn.
1. Is there an area of your life you are
struggling to surrender to Christ? If so I encourage you
to acknowledge it and to ask God to help you let go. I also encourage you to realize it has taken
a life time to make you into who you are, change will not happen overnight.
Discipleship takes time, it requires training to become like Christ and to
follow Him- give yourself some grace, Jesus is.
2.
Can
you see how crafty Satan can be by twisting the message of faith and works?
What are some other distortions to this Biblical truth you
see/hear/witness/experience?
3. Is this message difficult for you?
Are you struggling with your faith and works? If so, I pray
you ask God to bring revelation to your heart and mind and to reveal HIS word
for YOU.
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