# Biblical Verses on Faithfulness / Obedience

- Link: https://lordjesuschristreigns.blog/2025/09/10/biblical-verses-on-faithfulness-obedience/
- Published: 2025-09-10T23:30:00-07:00
- Author: LordJesusChristReigns

In this relatively short post, I will highlight verses that testify that saving 
faith is being faithful to obey God’s commandments.

Note, for instance, what John wrote in his inspired Gospel:

“But to all who did receive him, **who believed in his name**, he gave the right
to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh
nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, **that whoever believes** **in him** may have eternal life. For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that **whoever believes in him** should
not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. **Whoever
believes in him** is not condemned, but **whoever does not believe** is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this
is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness
rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked
things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be 
exposed. But **whoever does what is true** comes to the light, so that it may be
clearly seen **that his works have been carried out in God**.” John 3:14-21 English
Standard Version (ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, **whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me**
has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
John 5:24 ESV

“‘Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal
life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his
seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘**What must we do, to be doing the works of God?**’
Jesus answered them, ‘**This is the work of God**, that you believe in him whom 
he has sent.’” John 6:27-29 ESV

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; **whoever comes to me** shall not 
hunger, and **whoever believes in me** shall never thirst. But I said to you that
you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come 
to me, and **whoever comes to me** I will never cast out. For I have come down from
heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will
of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but 
raise it up on the last day.**^( )**For this is the will of my Father, that **everyone
who looks on the Son and believes in him** should have eternal life, and I will 
raise him up on the last day.”” John 6:35-40

The words rendered as “whoever hears/believes/believed/does/comes/looks” are all
present active participles and literally mean that it is the one who is continuously
hearing, believing, coming, and looking to the Son that shall be saved. I.e., everlasting
life is granted to those who are actively trusting and continuously believing in
Christ till the end:

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But
the one **who endures to the end will be saved**.” Matthew 24:12-13 ESV

And the way one does so is by obeying Christ’s commandments, just as the following
verses show:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever **does not obey** the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36 ESV

“As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews 
who had believed him, ‘**If you abide in my word**, you are truly my disciples, 
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:30-32 ESV

“‘If you love me, **you will keep my commandments**… In that day you will know that
I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. **Whoever has my commandments and
keeps them**, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and manifest myself to him.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him,‘
Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus
answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, **he will keep my word**, and my Father will 
love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love
me **does not keep my words**. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s
who sent me.’” John 14:15, 20-24 ESV

“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**. On that day many 
will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons
in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to
them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Everyone then**
who hears these words of mine and DOES THEM **will be like a wise man who built 
his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the 
rock.And everyone who hears these words of mine **and does not do them (lit. the
one not doing them)** will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:21-27 ESV – Cf. 25:
34-45

“but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, **if indeed
we hold fast our confidence** and our boasting in our hope… For we have come to 
share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence **firm to the end**.”
Hebrews 3:6, 14 ESV

“And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all **who 
obey him**,” Hebrews 5:9 ESV

Here are examples where individuals are said to be condemned for being disobedient:

“For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit
them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened… Since, therefore,
it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed
to enter **because of disobedience**,” Hebrews 4:2, 6 ESV

“‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they **disobey**
the word, as they were destined to do.” 1 Peter 2:8 ESV

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some **do not****
obey the word**, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives… because
they formerly **did not obey**, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, 
while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought
safely through water.” 1 Peter 3:1, 20 ESV

This again highlights that true saving faith is being obedient to God’s commandments.

The following case is quite interesting:

“**By faith,** the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for 
seven days. **By faith** Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were
disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews 11:
30-31 ESV

Contrast this with what James writes:

“And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute **justified by works** when
she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? **^( )**For as the
body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” James
2:25-26 ESV

Note that what Hebrews calls faith, James describes as the works of faith. I.e.,
the faith that Rahab exhibited and which pleased God is said to be her very works
that resulted in God justifying her!

The following examples are illustrative of faith being faithful to do and carry 
out God’s will:

“For we through the Spirit, **by faith (_ek pisteos_)**, are waiting for the hope
of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means
anything, **but faith _WORKING_ through love (_alla pistis di’ agapes energoumene_)**…
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, **
faithfulness (_pistis_)**,” Galatians 5:5-6, 22 New American Standard Bible 1995(
NASB 1995)

Here’s another version:

“For through the Spirit**, by faith**, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of
righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts
for anything, **but only faith _WORKING_ through love**. But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, **faithfulness**,” Galatians 
5:5-6, 22 ESV

Finally:

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also
reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,**
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us
not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap** if we do not grow weary.”
Galatians 6:7-9 NASB 1995

Here, Paul defines justifying faith as active obedience and righteous deeds done
in love, which result in obtaining everlasting life.

Lord willing, I will have more to say concerning the biblical understanding of what
true saving faith actually means in future posts.

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