Some may claim that we honor God through obedience as part of our salvation. The simplest answer to this is found in Romans. Paul received a new understanding of obedience that the Gospel teaches or makes possible. In Romans 1:5 Paul speaks of "the obedience of faith." While some have attempted to say that Paul meant that true faith is obedience, THIS IS THE VERY OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE MEANT. Paul claims that TRUE OBEDIENCE is FAITH! We do not show true faith by obeying something, we show true obedience by rejecting our own actions and responses and trusting Christ for everything.

This is a radical transformation of the meaning of obedience for a one time Pharisee. Still, we can see that this is consistent with the claim for justification by faith. We can also marvel at the beauty of it. Throughout Romans and his other epistles, Paul declares and constantly argues for faith as the basis for salvation. The obedience of faith is that, by believing, we have reached or shown the highest form of obedience possible. By faith in God we have truly obeyed Him because we totally trust in Him to be God. We trust in God’s means of saving us - Jesus Christ alone! By faith in Jesus Christ we truly obey God’s call to, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)

Some will say that obedience is obeying enabled by the "grace of God." They may say that we are justified by grace in that "grace" or the "Holy Ghost" enables us to act righteously. They then conclude we are justified by the righteousness which God enables us to produce in our own lives. I must constantly remind us that this is exactly the Romanists argument against the Reformers and Protestants. The serious flaw in this interpretation is that our righteousness is never complete or perfect. This is what Paul is explaining in Romans chapter seven. The believer is never righteous or holy enough in this life to merit God’s verdict or pronouncement of righteous.

It is true that righteousness is produced in cooperation with grace or the Spirit. But it is not SAVING RIGHTEOUSNESS. Only Jesus Christ’s righteousness is sufficient to save us! Our righteousness by the Spirit is a RESULT of salvation, not FOR our salvation. Justification is faith in Jesus’ obedience FOR us. It is not faith in Jesus’ obedience IN us. Also, it is HIS personal righteousness that justifies, and not OUR personal righteousness created by his help.

Neither is the baptism of the Holy Ghost a baptism of justifying righteousness. The Spirit is given to the one who is justified by faith. In Acts Peter explained to the counsel of elders that God had given the Holy Ghost to Cornelius’ household as a result of justifying faith.

And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:8-11 KJV)

It is clear that, throughout the New Testament, God gave His Spirit to those who were justified by faith (Ephesians 1:13, 14). It was their faith in the work of Christ which made it possible for them to receive the GIFT of the Spirit. It is a "gift" because Jesus Christ earned it by His death, resurrection, and glorification. When He ascended He gave gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8-11). The gift of the Holy Ghost comes by Jesus’ work of justification (Galatians 3:2). All receive the Holy Spirit by believing in Jesus and not by seeking it directly (John 7:38.39). In all instances faith was first because it was the most important. Everything in the believer’s life is contingent and dependent on their justification by faith.