Where There Is Faith There is Obedience

July 13, 2025

Where There Is Faith There Is Obedience

Just like an athlete trains diligently because they trust their coach, or a patient changes their lifestyle because they believe their doctor’s advice, or a person begins to heal by following the guidance of a counselor, or a musician improves by obeying their instructor’s methods—faith is not merely a feeling or intellectual agreement. True faith is a conviction that leads to obedient action. The depth of that belief is revealed in how faithfully instructions are followed. Desired growth and reward are directly tied to how well we respond to the voice of direction.

With faith in God, the possibilities are limitless. When our hearts truly love and trust in His will—to save, deliver, and provide—we must also accept His will in every area of life. Ignoring His direction about our relationships, our sources of entertainment, or what we allow into our minds and hearts weakens our faith in His promises.

Though His grace restores us when we fall short, the power of His presence is most evident when we develop a habit of promptly and accurately responding to His known instructions. When obedience flows from a heart of love, faith becomes active—turning what was once impossible into reality, according to His perfect will.

Notes

Faith = belief’s corresponding actions.

Faith in God:

  • His desires – acquired in His presence – Psalms 37:4
  • His motive – works by love – Galatians 5:6
  • His will – committed to fulfill – 1 John 5:14

1 John 5:14 (NKJV) 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

God’s will is the basis for every possibility of faith.

His will must be applied internally before it can be effectively applied externally.

Words that wield God’s will over mountains come from a heart that has come under His will.

For a command to move a mountain, its heart must have been moved by God’s.

Obedience – faith in God/His will applied inside.

Being under precedes being over.

Matthew 8:9 (NLT) 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

Manifestations of God’s glory follow obedience.

John 14:21 (NKJV) 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

Under(obedience) precedes lifting.

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NLT) 5 … “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

Examples:

Abraham (Genesis 22:1–18)

  • He believed God, and obeyed by offering Isaac.
  • Fulfillment of the impossible followed obedience.

Noah (Hebrews 11:7)

  • Built an ark out of reverent obedience.
  • Salvation of his family and the human race followed obedience.

Jesus (Philippians 2:8)

  • Ultimate obedience unto death.
  • Obedience was the expression of faith in the Father’s plan.

Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT) 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God commands:

Love – God and each other

1 John 4:21 (NLT) 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

Be Holy –

Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Follow – be and make disciples

Matthew 16:24 (NLT) 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

Obstacles to Obedient Faith

  • Pride (insisting on our way)
  • Fear (of what it will cost)
  • Insecurity (doubting God's goodness or power)
  • Procrastination (waiting for better time)

Practical Obedience: What Does it Look Like Today?

  • Forgiving someone who hurt you
  • Giving through financial difficulty
  • Sharing the testimony of God’s goodness unashamed
  • Committing to faithfulness in relationships, in ministry, in service/discipleship

Unaltered adherence

1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT) 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

The Reward of Faith’s Obedience

Hebrews 3:14 (NLT) 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

Overview:

  • All faith in God is applied alignment with His will.
  • His will must be obeyed internally before it can be effectively applied externally.
  • Coming under God’s authority in humble obedience enables wielding His authority with confidence.
  • Obeying God’s commands to love, be holy, follow, and disciple empowers faith’s miracles.
  • Beyond the obstacles of pride, fear, and insecurity, there is hope of immediate and eternal manifestations of God’s glory for the obedient.

Prayer:

Father, Your will and Your ways are higher than mine—beyond what I can fully understand. Yet You’ve made Your heart known through Your Word and by Your Spirit. It is my passionate honor to let my belief in You be seen in my obedience to what You’ve said. I surrender every thought, every word, and every action to You. Let my life become a demonstration of love-driven obedience—faith expressed not just in words, but in how I follow You daily. Draw me closer, Lord, so that obedience flows naturally from intimacy with You. Shape my will, cleanse my motives, and stir my heart with holy desire. May Your commands be my joy, and may my submission be a song of worship to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

🔊 Declarations of Obedient Faith

I believe God’s Word, and I respond with obedient action.

(James 1:22 – I am not a hearer only, but a doer of the Word.)

Because I love Jesus, I keep His commands with joy and devotion.

(John 14:15 – If I love Him, I obey Him.)

My faith is alive, visible, and active through obedience.

(James 2:26 – Faith without works is dead; my faith is alive in action.)

I trust God's will in every area of my life and walk in step with it.

(1 John 5:14 – His will is the basis of my confidence in prayer and life.)

I am under God’s authority and walk in His delegated power.

(Matthew 8:9 – Submission to God gives me spiritual authority.)

I am quick to obey because I am filled with His love and led by His Spirit.

(John 14:21 – As I obey, Jesus reveals Himself to me.)

God is lifting me as I humble myself under His mighty hand.

(1 Peter 5:6 – He exalts me in due season because I walk in humility.)

Like Abraham, Noah, and Jesus, I walk in radical obedience and see divine results.

(Genesis 22, Hebrews 11:7, Philippians 2:8 – Obedience opens the door to miracles.)

I overcome pride, fear, and insecurity by anchoring my heart in God’s truth.

(2 Timothy 1:7 – God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind.)

Today, I choose full obedience—not partial compliance or delayed surrender.

(1 Samuel 15:22 – Obedience is better than sacrifice; I obey the voice of the Lord.)

I will be faithful to the end and receive everything God has promised me.

(Hebrews 3:14 – I share in all that belongs to Christ because I remain faithful.)