“For your obedience has become known to all…” (Romans 16:19).
According to Jesus Himself, an essential ingredient to great faith is a clear understanding of His authority and the sovereign nature of His word (Matthew 8:8-10; Luke 7:7-9).
The citizens of Rome were quite familiar with this connection between an Emperor’s decree and the universal compliance it was expected to receive. The Christians in Rome had taken this earthly fact and properly applied it to spiritual matters. Thus, Paul could truthfully write of their well-known obedience.
Christ and His authority to be obeyed in all things is not a wild heresy imposed upon the Scriptures by crazy-eyed fanatics. Nor is Christ and His authority to be obeyed in all things a nice sounding, yet impossible, theory to which Jesus’ well-wishers are to pay lip service. Christ and His authority to be obeyed in all things is a tangible, observable reality in the life of every faithful disciple Jesus has.
“Your obedience” is not a wishful dream. It is the only acceptable response you can make to Christ and His sovereign authority.
