In relation to God we are always in a position of response. Primarily we must respond to what God has already said and done as recorded in Scripture. God has spoken to us in the Bible and in Christ and we have a lot of replying to do. In fact, much of the Christian life will consist in replying to what God has said and done in Scripture and Christ. The reply that God is looking for is the reply of faith. This is modelled by Mary’s reply to the angel Gabriel: “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). “Faith,” says Paul in Romans 10:17, “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” The response God is looking for, therefore, is not just one of belief, but of trust and consequent obedience. In other words, our whole life is our reply to God’s summons to faith. Faith is not an extreme form of positive wishful thinking. It is a reply to God. Jesus only did what he saw his father doing (John 5:19), and in this he modelled perfect obedience. The Christian life is not a matter of doing enough or being convinced enough as though quantity of trust and obedience is the issue. This kind of thinking puts God in the position of response, that is, if we believe enough and work enough, he will respond to us and bless us. No, our trust and obedience must be based on his promise to bless us in Christ. The promise of blessing is something we must step into by trust and obedience.
What is God asking you to trust him with?
Read Romans 4:18-25.
