Grace is God's part and faith is our part. Faith, in order to be saving faith, includes within itself the obedience which God asks of us. We are disturbed by those whose interpretation of faith leads them to preach, in many pulpits across the land and on many radio and television programs, that all one must do in order to be saved is to believe in one's heart. The emphasis often made is that whenever a person believes in the Lord and mentally commits himself to the Lord, he is immediately saved. This interpretation of faith, commonly held by many people, is not the interpretation of faith reflected in the pages of the inspired Scriptures.
Biblical faith is an obedient faith.
In this sentence, believing is the positive side, while its opposite is disobedience, the negative side. But, the gift must be appropriated by man's response in obedient faith. When man responds in Biblical faith to God's offer of salvation, he is neither earning nor deserving the gift, but only accepting it on the condition on which the Lord has promised to give it. These passages obviously indi- cate that obedience to the commands of God is imperative if one expects to be saved eternally. Do not misunderstand this emphasis upon obedience.