How do you know that a person has a saving faith in Jesus Christ? The answer is simple: He or she pursues a life of obedience.

This theme runs through Jesus’ teaching: “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14). “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mat. 7:21).

Many Christians are resistant to this teaching. They reduce faith in Jesus to a formula, an event, or a prayer. But the whole purpose of the death of Christ is that you should live a new life to the glory of God: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24).

God saves you by His grace, and you receive that grace by faith alone. But the evidence that you have received this grace will be seen in your pursuit of obedience. John Calvin put it well: "We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone."

The gospel leads to a life of obedience: “Through [Jesus] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5). Paul’s mission is to call people, not just to “faith,” but to “the obedience of faith.”

If you’re not a Christian today, God calls you to the obedience of faith. And if you are a Christian today, God also calls you to the obedience of faith.

What is “the obedience of faith,” in your own words?