By Jeffrey E. Carroll and Randal E. Pelton
Listen to Scott Hafemann's understanding of this concept: "The reason for this unity of faith and obedience as two aspects of our one response to God is that the promises of God are always organically linked to corresponding commands. Every command of God is built upon a promise from God. Therefore every divine call to action (obedience) is, at the same time, a divine summons to trust in God's promises (faith). The promises of God are commands in disguise, and vice versa. God commands what he commands because he promises what he promises…. Disbelief always shows up as an act of disobedience, since every promise carries with it a command. Every time we disobey God it is because we are not trusting him" (2001, pp. 86-87).
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It is our understanding, therefore, that every act of disobedience is first and foremost an act of unbelief. This means that if we want to attack disobedience, then we must first attack the presence of unbelief. It is clear from Jesus' interaction with His disciples that unbelief was a major hindrance to their effectiveness in living for and serving Him (i.e., obeying or applying the Scriptures). For instance, there are six occurrences in the Gospels of the Greek term ovligo,pistoj (oligopistos), which BADG interprets as someone being "of little faith/trust" (1979, p. 563; cf. Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20; Luke 12:28).
Taking the first three examples, for example, notice that Jesus did not say: "you of little perspective" or "you of little courage" or "you of little of focus." Yet in those three occasions the disciples did lack perspective, courage, and focus. But according to Jesus, what they really needed was faith in Him. While sermon applications might urge new perspective, greater courage, and clearer focus, only perspective, courage, and focus born of faith in Christ produces real Christian obedience that pleases God.
If, on the other hand, we want to foster obedience, then we must first foster faith. In the chapter entitled "Preaching for True Holiness," Pelton suggests that, "We normally do not fight specific temptation and sin at the point of belief" (2005, p. 313). Rather, like so much ineffective medicine we treat the symptoms of the problem (behaviors) without treating the disease (unbelief).
According to Jesus in John 15:1-6, bearing fruit—which we understand to be an obedient lifestyle—is accomplished through abiding in Him, the true vine. John's purpose for writing his book was that his readers would believe with a life-giving faith (cf. John 20:31). Chapter 15 of John's Gospel provides a graphic metaphor of life-giving faith. The difference between being alive spiritually and bearing fruit and not being alive spiritually and not bearing fruit is abiding in Christ or not abiding in Christ (v. 4). We take it that abiding is believing that results in life in His name. Apart from abiding/faith in the Vine, we cannot do anything that is the result of a supernaturally changed heart (fruit bearing in this context). Without faith in Christ, we cannot truly respond to the biblical text, i.e., apply it to our lives.
