Beyond Hearing: The Obedience of True Faith
If confession isn't enough to identify genuine saving faith, so is mere listening disconnected from obedience. This is Rev. Sang Ho Bae's next topic.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows the life of a believer divided into two paths: those who hear the word and do it, and those who only hear but do not do it. This distinction is not merely a difference in the level of faith but an essential difference that separates life and judgment. The Lord said that the one who hears the word and does it is like a man who built his house on the rock, and on the contrary, the one who hears but does not do it is like a man who built his house on the sand. This word shows that the criterion for judging the genuineness of faith is obedience to the word.
The true believer and the false believer are not easily distinguished by outward appearance. Grain and weeds look similar. The full kernel and the empty husk also show no difference at a glance. A house built on sand and a house built on rock show no difference in outward appearance. Likewise, the false believer also attends worship, reads the Bible, believes in miracles, and uses the language of faith. But the Lord said that they can be known “by their fruits” (Matt. 7:20) and then said that they are distinguished “by doing.” The true believer reflects on himself before the word and strives to live according to that word. In contrast, the false believer hears the word but does not keep it in his heart, maintaining only the form of faith without any change in life.
We call Jesus “Lord.” This confession is not a simple title but a confession that the Lord is the Master and we are His servants. A servant is one who follows the will of the Master. A person who acts according to his own will and his own decisions is not a servant. Therefore, the one who calls Jesus “Lord” must naturally live in obedience to the Master’s will. The one who obeys is a servant; the one who does not obey is not a servant.
The Lord, as He concludes the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7, clearly reveals the core of faith. Faith that remains merely in “hearing” and does not continue into life is not true faith. The Lord said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me” (John 14:21). The evidence of loving the Lord is not words but obedience. The word, “The one who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar” (1 John 2:4), likewise shows that obedience is the clear criterion that separates the truth of faith.
The Lord solemnly warns, at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, of the result that faith without obedience will bring. The one who hears the word but does not do it is like a man who builds a house without a foundation and collapses on the day of testing. Scripture says that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor 5:10) and that each person will be judged according to what he has done. Therefore, so that our faith may not collapse like a house built on sand on the last day, we must seriously examine what kind of fruit our life is bearing now and on what foundation our faith is standing. What the Lord desires from us is not knowledge but a life of obedience. The true believer is not a perfect person but a person who looks at himself before the word and moves toward obedience.
For the AI-generated song version of this article, check Faith That Obeys.