Delighting in God’s Word (Part 3): Obedience Because of Grace

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 2:8-9

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.

 (CSB)

The classic philosophical argument over what came first the chicken or the egg applies to the gospel but before those reading this brand me as some heretic let me explain.  Most religions teach adherence to some set of standards or principles and promise that when one meets and obeys all these standards, they receive salvation.  According to T.A. McMahon, we can categorize the many religions of the world into two classifications, those teaching human achievement and those teaching divine accomplishment.  (1)  While the words of Ephesians 2:8-9 make it clear that our salvation is a divine accomplishment and not due to human achievement, some Christian denominations teach a salvation by works doctrine.  Unfortunately, despite these words in Scripture, many Christians believe in salvation by works.  One possible explanation is an innate desire of each of us to be in control of our destiny.  Another possible reason is our lack of understanding of the extent of our sinfulness and the extent of the holiness of God.  (2) The chicken and egg scenario involves the issue of obedience with the chicken involving I obey God and God saves me and the egg representing Jesus completed my work of salvation and I obey out of love for what God’s grace has provided.    

Psalm 119:17 is a plea by the psalmist for the grace of God with a promise to then keep God’s Word.  The gospel is about the divine accomplishment of Jesus on the cross (Romans 5:8,19), our acceptance of this gift of grace (Romans 10:9-10), and our obedience not out of compulsion to receive salvation but love for the God who saves us (1 John 5:3).   In addition to teaching obedience in response to God’s grace, Psalm 119:17-24 teaches us,

1)      The need for the Holy Spirits illumination (Psalm 119:18-19) – Without the aid of the illumination of the Holy Spirit, what is read in the Word of God is perceived as foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:14).  To obey the Word of God we must first understand it but since this understanding requires the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we must find out how one can receive this illumination.  Once again, we find a solution to this dilemma in that our salvation is not based upon our human achievement but the divine accomplishment of Jesus on the Cross.  Because of Jesus provision of forgiveness and salvation from our sins, the Holy Spirit can dwell in us (Ephesians 3:14-21) providing the illumination we need to understand and obey the Word of God. 

2)      The importance of a strong longing for truth from God’s Word (Psalm 119:20) – Just as a thirsty deer longs for life giving water, we must long for the life giving words of Scripture (Psalm 42:1).  All the illumination of the Holy Spirit is useless unless we take the time to read the words.  Obedience to God involves the illumination of the Holy Spirit coupled with a desire to know and meditate on the truths contained in the Word of God.

3)      Rebuke of those arrogantly rejecting God’s Word (Psalm 119:21) – Failure to act on what we learn from scripture through the illumination of the Holy Spirit subjects us to rebuke, preventing us from fully enjoying the benefits of obedience.  This does not negate our salvation for that is due to our acceptance of the finished work of Jesus on the cross but subjects us to a life of misery by not enjoying the benefits of the promises contained in the Word of God.

4)      Removal of insult and contempt through obedience to God’s Word (Psalm 119:22) – The only way to remove the rebuke of rejecting God’s Word and the insult and contempt accompanying this rejection is obedience to it. 

5)      Speaking God’s Word despite public opinion or political correctness (Psalm 119:23) – A world dominated by evil is full of those speaking evil against God and His Word.  The Apostle Paul suffered much for just speaking the truth of God’s Word (2 Corinthians 11:24-29) and yet at the end of his life he spoke of running the race of his life well and looking forward to a reward of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6-8). 

6)      To find counsel and delight in the Word of God (Psalm 119:24) – The psalmist of Psalm 119 ends this section of the Psalm by expressing his finding counsel and delight for the Word of God.

The Word of God provides instruction for Godly living.  It is how we discover the grace of God and what Jesus did for fallen humanity through His death on the Cross.  In response to this great sacrificial gift, we respond and obey the Word of God out of love and not obligation.  However, to receive the illumination necessary for learning and obeying the Word of God, we must accept God’s gift of salvation.  We do this by asking God to forgive our sins, so I invite those reading this that have not already accepted this gift to do so by praying with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I now encourage you to respond by learning and obeying the instructions in the Bible, the Word of God.  Find a church teaching the Bible and join a small group where you can interact with other believers.  I also encourage you to study the Bible for yourself asking the Holy Spirit to provide illumination, so you can begin understanding what the Bible says.  This does not mean you will understand everything you read for God reveals His Word to us little by little as we mature in our faith (Hebrews 5:11-14). 

May God bless everyone reading this.

1. McMahon, T.A. The works-salvation delusion. www.thebereancall.com. [Online] The Berean Call, June 1, 2010. [Cited: January 28, 2018.] https://www.thebereancall.org/content/works-salvation-delusion.

2. Gotquestions.org. Why is salvation by works the predominantly held viewpoint? www.gotquestions.org. [Online] GotQuestions.org. [Cited: January 28, 2018.] https://www.gotquestions.org/salvation-by-works.html.