Abandon = Faith = Obedience = Trust

2/9/2025

“Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26

“If you love me you will obey me.” John 14:15

1. True faith and obedience are inseparable (James 2). One does not earn anything whatsoever by obedience. Just like a man does not earn love by not beating his wife and a woman does not earn love by doing the dishes. Love is love, and those things are the product of respect and relationship and gratitude—not a way to earn love. Obedience to the King of kings, the baby boy Jesus who died for you, is how we say thank you, not a way to earn heaven or avoid hell... blah blah blah. That is total selfishness, not abandonment. To obey for those reasons (rather than God is God, and you are not) is not acceptable to Abba.

2. Abandonment means you DIE to your “right” to ignore or rebel against God.

3. The “down payment that guarantees the inheritance” is the Spirit of God living within, which comes from abandoning our right to ourselves and our opinion.

4. If a person has given themselves to God and has the Spirit, they will have God living inside to assist them in the commitment they already made to never be a god or goddess again. (1 John 3)

5. Temptations still exist, and by definition, temptations are tempting. And there will be times we fail, but we will not justify or blame or pretend that it’s OK and make excuses (1 John 1) but turn to God for washing. At that point, His purity becomes our purity. Only Jesus can go to heaven. Only. Jesus. And those who are hidden in Him by abandoning into His purposes rather than their own purposes.

Why are Faith, obedience, and abandonment so intertwined? Salvation has a lot more to do with trust than it does with obedience, PER SE.

“If you trust Me and have actual faith in Me, you will obey Me.” That’s just how it is.

Imagine you’re six years old, and mom wakes you up earlier than normal and says, “Get up. We need to leave now.” Maybe she’s smiling warmly, maybe she is firm, but she’s surprised you with a “Let’s go. You have five minutes to get dressed, grab a plushie you want, and get in the car. Five minutes. Starting now. Let’s go.”

You’re six years old, tired and hungry and surprised. But! A child who trusts Mom REALLY is going to get out of bed, even with some physical “waking up” difficulty, and do what Mom says—IF you trust Mom means well; she is wise and loving and protective—not dangerous and hateful.

You “not throwing a fit” or “demanding information”—and JUST DOING IT—is TRUST, not “obedience” PER SE. Faith in Mom’s character and wisdom, IS, and ISN’T, “obedience” at the same time. It’s FAITH/TRUST/LOVE at the root—to “do what I ask”—without a fit or demanding to “understand.” IT’S VERY LIKELY ABOVE YOUR PAY-GRADE!

Just get out of bed (obey?) and TRUST because of mom’s character, love, wisdom, and much better knowledge. TRUST! Obedience is not a LAW but TRUST! FAITH! Wheelbarrow. Falling back in the chair. TRUST!

Get out of bed and go. Stop any inclination to fuss, or to procrastinate, or to rebel, or to “demand further explanation” or to “understand.” Obey?! Yeah, I guess. LAW?! No stinking way.

So, it turns out, snotty six year old, that your suitcase is already packed and your family has to be in the car in five minutes to make it to the airport in time to fly to Hawaii! Surprise! Aren’t you glad that you “obeyed” without making a stink because you “Trusted”?!

Or it turns out that the house is on fire, and you have five minutes to get out of the house before you’re trapped and it burns to the ground with you in it.

Seriously? You’re going to interrogate your mom and make her explain something to you that you can’t possibly understand, but she’s protecting you because she loves you? Seriously, you have to have information to “obey”?

No. Trust, obedience, faith, abandonment, love... They are all the same thing. If He gave his only Son for you, how much more all things. Get a move on. Obey! Or trust! Or abandon in faith! Call it whatever you want. Who cares. Just do it :-)

Unless you...
take up your cross,
deny your very self,
die to the world and the world to you,
count the cost,
enter the kingdom through much tribulation,
enjoy the Prince of Peace at the same time,
and have this man be King over you,
...then you’ve missed entirely what Christianity is or could be.

You've made it into the tree of knowledge where you get to stay in control and do what you want by “deciding” what’s good and evil and whether you “agree” or not. Versus the Tree of Life, where maybe we’re all going to Hawaii, but it doesn’t matter because we trust. :-)

Psalm 32

In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

•  In a Time When He May Be Found... Trust