Growing in Faith and Obedience
Scripture: Romans 1:1-6
“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”
Have you ever washed your hair twice in the shower by accident? This relatable experience prompts a deeper reflection on the routines in our lives and how they can sometimes overshadow our faith.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, declares himself as a servant of Christ Jesus, set apart for the gospel of God. He acknowledges that his life is different because of God’s presence and the transformation he has experienced. This serves as a reminder that as believers, our lives should reflect the change that God has brought about in us.
Paul highlights that the gospel is not exclusive to a particular group but is meant for all people, including the Gentiles. This challenges any notion of exclusivity and reminds us that Jesus came for everyone. Our faith should extend beyond our comfort zones and reach out to those who may be different from us.
The key insight from this passage is that obedience flows from faith. It is not merely about following a set of rules or routines, but about having a genuine faith in God. When our faith in Him grows, our obedience to His commands naturally follows. We are called not only to do what He has instructed but to have unwavering faith in Him, which will transform our lives and make us different from the world around us.
Practical Action Steps:
- Reflect on your routines and habits. Are there areas where you have become complacent or lost sight of the importance of faith? Take time to evaluate and identify any areas where you can infuse more faith into your daily life.
Seek opportunities to extend your faith beyond your comfort zone. Engage with people who may be different from you, showing them the love and acceptance that Jesus has shown to all. Look for ways to share the gospel with others, regardless of their background or beliefs.
Cultivate a deeper relationship with God through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. As your faith grows, your obedience will naturally follow, leading to a life that honors and glorifies God.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that our lives should be different because of our faith in You. Help us to break free from the routines that may hinder our relationship with You and infuse our daily lives with unwavering faith. May our obedience flow from a genuine love for You and a desire to honor You in all that we do. Empower us to reach out to others, sharing the good news of Jesus with everyone we encounter. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Podcast Transcript: Avoid This Faith Killer
Introduction
Am I the only one that will sometimes wash their hair twice in the shower? Not because it’s extra dirty or anything, but I think because I forget that I’ve already washed it. I don’t know if that’s because I’m getting older or not, but I think it’s because it’s just a routine for me. And then I get thinking about other things, and then sometimes I forget where I’m at in my routine, and I’ll just, just to better be safe than sorry, I just wash it again. I know that I’ve already washed it when I put the shampoo conditioner in and it’s like super sudsy. I just know immediately. I’m like, well, I already did this. I’m already past that part in my routine this morning. After I do something like that, I’m like, man, get your head in the game. Come on, man. We’re in here to do something. Get it done. Move on. Let’s go. It’s like I just I get lost in my thoughts and what I have going on for the rest of the day or what have you. I’ve come to realize I have a lot of routines in my life.
Reflection on Routines
When I’ve been reading through, I stopped reading through 2 Thessalonians after Easter, and I just been going, I want to go through Romans. Romans, the first chapter, there’s a lot of times where the Apostle Paul is just talking about faith here. Faith, faith, faith, faith, all the time. I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of my Bible underlined, and I have words circled, and I put little notes in the side of the scripture, just that impacted me. So it’s really fun to go back and see stuff that I underlined or highlighted like six, seven, eight years ago. So, I’ve just been cruising through and I see, man, there’s a lot of places where Romans is talking about faith.
Reading from Romans Chapter 1
I want to read the first six verses of Romans chapter one. This is Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets and the holy scriptures regarding his son, who is to his human nature was a descendant of David and who through the spirit of holiness was declared the power to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his namesake, we receive grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. That’s verses one through six. And it just hits me in two spots.
Set Apart for the Gospel
Beginning, he says, I, the Apostle Paul, have been set apart for the gospel. My life is different. It looks different. I’m going to be different than those around me because God is in my life and he’s changed my life. And then he’s talking about how he is going to be sharing that to everybody, including the Gentiles, as the Jewish people thought it was just for them. Jesus came not only for the Jew, but the Gentile. He came for everybody. And he talks about how it is important for us to have obedience, but the obedience comes from faith.
Faith and Obedience
And in my life, I’m concerned, for me, that maybe my life has become too routine. And while I’m in this routine that I can get lost in the routine, and I just keep doing what I’ve always been doing, and that maybe I’ve left a little bit of the faith out. And obedience will come from faith. So as my faith grows, my obedience is going to grow in Him. We’re not called just to do what He’s told us to do, but we’ve been called to have faith in Him. And through that faith, our life’s going to look different. And we’re going to have this obedience to Him because we want to love Him and we want to honor Him.
