“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’” (Romans 10:16).
Because of an obvious misunderstanding of faith and the fruit of obedience it rightfully produces, many people are ignorant of the importance and necessity of obeying the gospel.
Obeying the gospel is a Biblical term. In addition to its use by Paul in Romans 10:16, he also employs it in 2 Thessalonians 1:8. The apostle Peter also makes use of the term in 1 Peter 4:17. With such evidence as the mouth of two inspired witnesses and three Scriptural references, it ought to be forever established that obeying the gospel is a Bible truth which merits careful study and appropriate action.
From the immediate context of Romans 10, obeying the gospel is synonymous with “calling on the name of the Lord” (v. 13). Since the gospel is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16) and calling on the name of the Lord results in salvation (Romans 10:16), obeying the gospel occurs when a confessing believer (Romans 10:10) calls upon the name of the Lord by arising and being baptized and washing away his sins as Paul did (Acts 22:16).
From the remote context of Romans 6, obeying the gospel is synonymous with obeying from the heart that form of doctrine delivered to you (Romans 6:17). The historical facts upon which the gospel rests are the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Therefore, just as Jesus died for my sins, I die to sin in obedience to His command to repent. Just as Jesus was buried in a tomb of stone, I am buried/immersed in the watery grave He commanded and called baptism. And, just as Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God, I too am raised up from baptism to walk in newness of life by the power of God (Romans 6:1-6).
Have you obeyed the gospel?
