Faith as 'to obey'

Faith as 'to obey'               

Introduction: faith is very important factor to the human life, because it makes life meaningful and manageable. We keep faith to one another and thus we make relationship. In other word we can say; we cannot see future, therefore we believe to someone or to something and relay on it/ them and this way faith brings peace; otherwise we would become restless an unhappy person. That is why we believe our doctors, cooks , our teachers husband believe wife and wife believe husband and others who are important figure in our lives. Therefore, faith is our constant human companion. Faith gives assurance and conviction, which make our life to live manageable. Faith relates to something or someone that we do not control. In religious sense, faith is gift of God. In the New Testament Jesus, the Son of God is our faith to whom God has given to us to believe Him and through Him God calls us to a close personal relationship with Him (Jn17, 3). 

–  Terminology

 Faith is coming from the Greek word Pisteuo that is verb and 'Pistis' is noun. Pisteuo means I believe and 'Pistis' means is faith. It derails as to action. In Hebrew, we find some words related to faith which indicating some form of trust or confidence. 'Batah' to be confident, 'Qawah' to look or call out hopefully, 'Yahal' to wait, ' Hasah' to trust or confidence, 'Hakar' to wait. All these words emphasize more in a personal attitude of hope and fidelity toward God. [1]

–  Faith in Christian perspective

In Christian understanding, faith requires more than an act of the intellect. This double approach, the underscoring of the intellect but the activation of other human responses, shows up in all major catholic presentations. Thomas Aquinas says faith as an act of the intellect emphasizes to divine truth, which God moves through grace. The obedience of faith must be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which a person entrusts their whole self freely to God offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals and freely assents to the truth revealed by Him. It is at once an act of conviction and truth, which spread through all the personality of the believer and it engages one's entire manner of living. Faith is supernatural virtue that operates in the intellect and uniting his faculty with God. This way the object of faith reaches beyond dogma to the person of God who is revealing a mysterious way of life.

–  Obedient to God

First let us see, what obedient is, obedient is being submissive to the restraint or command of authority: willing to obey. Therefore, to be obedient to someone is to be submissive and willing to obey him or her. Willing means to obey with joy. To be willing to obey means that you should have already realized what needs to be done and do it without being asked. This is something that I have found hard to do (just ask my family). However, it is also something that the Lord is teaching me how to be obedient.

–  Faith as 'to obey'

Faith emphasis on an act; clearly mentioned on our action. In the letter of Hebrew st. Paul mentioned some events from Old Testament in Hebrew ch. 11, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things no seen (Heb1, 1). By faith, our ancestors received approval. By faith, we understand that the Word of God prepared the world, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible (Heb11, 1-3). Only keeping faith on God Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice. Keeping faith Noah built ark and Abraham left his own country, Moses unafraid of the king's anger. Walls of Jericho fell down, st. Paul was very much obedience to God and obedience to the gospel that is why he taught to the Romance to be obedience in faith (Rom 1, 8). Faith urges obedience to Christ not remain silence, it is practical part of our life. More we practice our faith the more we deepen our faith in Christ Jesus. For example, we go the Church because we believe in Jesus Christ and believe in Eucharist.
There is much more we could say about the specifics of the obedience of faith, we have enough compelling evidence to show that believing and behaving are inseparable (Jn 15:10).

–  Christ’s Obedience

We have in the Old Testament how people responded in the way of salvation of God. Abraham, Moses and many prophets they show their obedience to God. In New Testament, we find Mother Mary and st. Joseph and in the life of John the Baptist, they were very much committed to God’s word. In the John’s gospel, we find the Word of God became flesh and lived among us so that He can save us from our sinness and bring salvation for us. During His last day’s we see Jesus as a suffering servant of God. He was so obedient to God that He suffered, died, and raised from the death after three days. As Jesus, we should keep faith to God and keep faith to Jesus do our duties as Jesus done in His time, obedience unto the cross.

–  Our obedience to God

Faith is a very essential component of the active expression of our daily life in communion with God. We are taught when we are child that ‘what is faith’, as a Christian how to behave, how to respect our elders and how God is working in every person, how God speak with God. So, how we will respond to God’s call and how, to be obedient to God’s command. We should follow the Christian teaching according  to  gospel values.

–  Obedience to God must be whole-hearted.

That does not necessarily mean we have to become missionaries nor Pentecostals  but it does mean our obedience must be whole and complete. We also have an example in Abraham of this. Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son. God commanded this to test Abraham. Sure enough, he was willing to obey, but didn't have to. Rather, God provided a goat to take the place of the son. We will never be called on to do something like that, of course, as sacrifices to God where all in the Old Testament. However, that is not the point, the point is this: in order to be obedient to God, we have to be whole-hearted.

–  Prayer

Prayer indicates our action. I relate myself with God and asking for blessings and save from danger, asking for daily needs. I make my God as my friend and I personally pray to him, it is for me and for others. If I do not have faith, it is impossible to pray to God. It is one of obeying.

–  The sacraments

I have faith that is why I response to the sacraments. When I have faith and feel I am a sinner I confess to the priest, I baptize my children in the name of God. I take wife through the sacrament and taking oath in front of God. I take receive communion with great believe. I am sick; I take anointment of the sick sacrament. Therefore, we can say sacraments are great factor where we show our faith as we are responding in jour faith.

–  Love  my Neighbor

Because of my faith I am being taught to love my neighbor , Because in scripture Jesus told me to love my God with my whole heartedly and love my neighbor as myself. By loving my neighbor, I love my god. It is only possible when I am faithful to God. It is shows my obedience to God’s command.

–  Liturgy: the action of faith

The liturgy cannot be separated form this dynamic context of doing of movement gesture and celebration and it is not to teach the faith but rather to celebrate it in a symbolic act. The purpose of the liturgy is to incorporate those who share in its action into a faith, which is not only professed but also lived. All the elements that make up the liturgical rite have as their common purpose the proclamation of the paschal mystery that is the redemptive action of God seen in its most intense focus in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We try to connect our lives in scripture reading a fuller awareness in order to deepen our insight in to the ways in which God   continues to be present and active in the world. Through liturgy, we express our highest reverence to God and where we deepen our faith and put it in action in our daily.

–  Faith is confidence

As we are discussing faith as to obeying, on the other hand we can say faith is confidence because if we do not have confidence on God we will not obey God. As we see small children when they are very small, they do not believe others except their parents. Because they are not much confidence, such as we have confidence that is why we rely upon God and call “Abba” father.

–  Hearing the word of God

Faith is as to obeying. When I have faith in Jesus Christ the Son God and Father the creator and Holy Spirit the sanctifier. In everyday life, I will go to the Church and hear the word of God, where words of the gospel will lead my life after the reflecting that word. I will get enjoyment when I will go to the church and hear good news as God’s speeches to me.

–  Faith is becoming

To believe in Christ means to be grounded and to exist in Jesus Christ as expressed in the passage from part. It is now no longer I that live but Christ live in me (Gal2, 20).Faith therefore is a way in which Christ lives in us. The Christian faith signifies participation in Jesus who heaving risen from the dead dies no longer.

Conclusion

Finally, I can say that faith is to obey God’s commands where I find more action in obeying God’s command and more obedience to God whether doing his commandments participating in the liturgy, in other way respect to God and bowing head in from the church altar. As I think that, I must respect others, as each person is the son of God. One day we all will meet in heaven with God. We should follow the gospel values in our lives as st. Paul did in his life and preach good news by our lives through action and behavior. Blessings, joy and happiness one receives when he obeys God's commands. If we believed in God, and believed that His Word is The Truth we would obey His commands and live a holy life.

Bibliography

1.      JOLY, Eugene: What is faith. Hawthorn Books Publishers, New York, 1958.

2.      LEE, James Michael ed.: Handbook of faith. Religious Education Press. Birmingham, Alabama, 1990.

3.      FRIES, Heinrich:     Faith under Challenge. Herder and Herder, Hew York,     1969.

4.      GOMES, James Shyamol: Class note on Faith. HSNH Sem.,    2010.

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[1] James Michael lee ed.:  Handbook of faith. Religious Education Press, Birmingham, Alabama, 1990, p-101.