# Obedience determines identity



## FritzMichaels (Oct 28, 2010)

http://blog.apprehendingtruth.net/?p=30

Obedience Determines Identity
BY JEPHWALLACE, ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2010


Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  – Romans 6:16-22

Be not deceived, if you do not obey the Bible, you are NOT a Christian.

Obedience to sin identifies you as a sinner,  “. . . without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” (Ephesians 2:12)

Obedience to God identifies you as a child of God, made possible by the atoning blood of the precious Lamb of God.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; – Hebrews 5:9

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  – 1 Peter 1:18-19

O! the Blood of Jesus!!

Because of the blood, we can be found obedient and faithful at His return.  Glory to God!


Wondering what you good people think of this article...


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## gordon 2 (Oct 29, 2010)

All good in my view except I have a resistance to this:
"Be not deceived, if you do not obey the Bible, you are NOT a Christian"

I have to question if Jesus or the apostles would say such a thing. I don't think so.

I would agree that christians should not be motivated to act due to the rewards found in corruptible things ...obeying the bible can be a screen to such a thing.

In our will, as christians, to be good or righteousness we are often towing the line of other men and women and serving their notions and dogmas yet stating we are in intimate service to God.

The statement that we are to obey the bible for me is  a shotgun blast into a New Year's night. It is a lot of noise but really hits nothing.

Man is immoral and this is his corruption. He will preach that his camp is moral and this is his lie. Pride and survival make a joker of truth and this is why when his sentences begin with "do not be decieved" he probably is decieveing himself if not others.


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## formula1 (Oct 29, 2010)

*Re:*

Fritz:

Got to be honest, most of it was quoting scriptures.  But these are the two thoughts offered:

Be not deceived, if you do not obey the Bible, you are NOT a Christian.

and

O! the Blood of Jesus!!
Because of the blood, we can be found obedient and faithful at His return. Glory to God!


Romans 10
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says,  "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 

It is belief in Jesus Christ that is the key to being a Christian. In my view, the author's first statement is too narrow and rigid to stand on its own.  There is much more to it than the Bible though believe in its words is a huge part of it.

But then he more than makes up for it in his final statement maintaining that in the wonderful blood of Jesus we are found obedient.  That is freedom in Christ.


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## StriperAddict (Oct 29, 2010)

formula1 said:


> It is belief in Jesus Christ that is the key to being a Christian. In my view, the author's first statement is too narrow and rigid to stand on its own. There is much more to it than the Bible though believe in its words is a huge part of it.
> 
> But then he more than makes up for it in his final statement maintaining that in the wonderful blood of Jesus we are found obedient. That is freedom in Christ.


 
I thought the same, and appreciate your reply.


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## Ronnie T (Oct 30, 2010)

I think if chap 5 and 6 and looked at, even casually, one will see that Paul is addressing Christians who have not taken the need for obedience very seriously.

Paul says:  "God forbid that you continue on in sin."  "You've been born again".  

Christians deceive themselves, and others when they minimize God's expectation of obedience from those He saved thru the death of His very own son.

Will we be perfect?  Naw.
But we can be as righteous, or even more righteous than Noah was when God recognized his life.


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