He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 3:36 NASB

Martin Luther restored to the church at large the understanding of justification by faith alone with the divine inspiration of the verse, “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  Man was broken, and completely incapable of pleasing a perfect God, and needed the divine to descend and make a demarkation, an end of man’s corruption, and remake him anew.

It was faith, and faith alone, that Paul wrote about, that connected us to the saving Grace made available by Christ.  By faith Abel had made a better offering, and by faith, Abraham was counted righteous when he believed, not wavering with unbelief.

Yet, Jesus, who brought us such a great salvation through faith in His own name, through His blood, became obedient, even unto death (Philippians 2:8).

For many in the church since the days of Martin Luther, the issue of faith or works has been central.  Yet, Paul illustrated the difference in Galatians 5 when he contrasted the “works” of the flesh as compared with the “fruit” of the spirit.

Without obedience, there is no faith.  Jesus said so in Matthew 7:21, and James reiterated the concept saying that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

There are those works which are merely “dead works” (Hebrews 11:1).  They are not growing as fruit, but are cut off from life, meaningless, and empty.  These profit nothing (John 6:63).  Living works, however, are those that flow from the relationship with the Father, and are His works (John 14:10).

It is in this understanding that John 3:36, above, is framed.

We have on the one hand, those who believe who have eternal life.  On the other, those who do not obey the Son will not see life, but are condemned.

We know that this is not talking a particular work that accomplishes anything, but at the same rate, we know that the man without any works is not believing.

True belief, right belief, always results in obedience.  This is how a non-Greek mindset views life.  When the belief changes, so does the action.  To simply change one level of belief and have it not affect how you life reveals how one truly believes on the inside.

It was said of the men in Noah’s day, that every thought and intent of men’s hearts was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5).  For true change to occur, it must happen in the heart.

Here, we say when the heart changes, the actions change.  The man who believes, obeys, and while the obedience may not be perfect, it may be learned and improved upon.  But, the one without a spirit of obeidence does not have the spirit of Christ.  They are unruly, unruled, rebellious, and damned, having not the Spirit.

So, we say that it is by faith alone, yes, but we also test ourselves, that we truly desire to live a life of love, and surrender, and loyalty to the One, the master, the Lord of all, Jesus Christ.