Yes, faith and obedience go hand in hand. God calls us to believe certain things in the Scriptures and God calls us to obey certain things. God calling us to believe something in His Word is a form of obedience, just as God calling us to preach the Word is a form of obedience.
As for faith and works: Well, the way I understand "the faith" that we are to have as Christians is two-fold.
#1. Faith Type #1 (Belief in certain things that God calls us to have). You are to first believe the saving gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This is believing that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and risen the third day for our salvation. This is how we first get saved, which is why Paul says we are saved by God's grace without works. We see Cornelius and his household believed a form of this saving message and they received the Holy Spirit (Which would have been the down payment of their inheritance) (Note: This does not mean that a believer who receives the Spirit or downpayment of their inheritance can later fall away due to justifying sin or disobedience toward God). Other beliefs God calls us to have are: "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3). We are to have faith in his blood (Romans 3:25). We must believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, which is a part of one of His commandments (1 John 3:23). If we come to God, we must believe that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (See: Hebrews 11:6). In addition to believing the gospel, there are beliefs we must have that are salvific. For example: Telling others that the resurrection is past already can overthrow the faith of others (2 Timothy 2:18). These are simply beliefs that God calls us to have and not works (Or works of faith).
#2. Faith Type #2, which is the 2nd step of our Faith (Works of Faith and Cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit). These are labors or works that a Christian does that God calls us to do according to His Word, which is in line with the New Covenant or New Testament. These are actions. For example: We are to preach the gospel. Jesus warns that if we turn back after having put our hand on the plow (preaching or spreading the gospel message), we are not fit for the Kingdom of God. We are commanded to love God and love our neighbor. In Luke 10:25-37, we learn that helping the poor beat-up guy on the side of the road is akin to loving your neighbor, which is a part of inheriting eternal life. In Matthew 25, we are to help the poor and unfortunate. If refuse to do so in this life, then we will go away into a fiery punishment. We are told to love our brother as a part of the faith (1 John 3:23). This is not just saying, "I love you" but it involves showing that we love them in our actions, like helping them if they need financial help, or physical help if they are sick, etcetera. The person who hates his brother has no eternal life abiding in them (1 John 3:15). He that does righteousness and loves his brother is of God (1 John 3:10).
The best way to simplify this is that...
#1. Believers are first saved by God's grace through a belief in the gospel message (which is a process of salvation without works)
(Ephesians 2:8-9) (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
This is how we GET saved. It is our "Initial Salvation." We are to believe that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and risen the third day for our salvation. Note: Calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus, seeking forgiveness of your past life of sin (Romans 10:9, and Romans 10:13) would not really be a work in my view. One is simply praying to the Lord Jesus and throwing themselves down before the mercy of their Lord and God for the forgiveness of one's past life of sin.
#2. God has chosen us to salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). This a the next step of our faith whereby we are to live a holy life as a part of God's plan of salvation. This can only happen after a person is first saved by God's grace without works (Which is by faith). Again, Sanctification is the second step of our faith. 2 Corinthians 7:1 says we are to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is obeying God and His commands under the New Covenant. Now, it needs to be stated that Christians do not have to keep the Saturday Sabbath, circumcision, holy days, dietary laws, animal sacrifices, etcetera. That is all a part of the Old Covenant that does not apply to believers today. We are not under the Law (i.e., the Laws of Moses). Although certain laws have repeated themselves in the New Covenant like, "do not murder," "do not commit adultery, "do not covet," etcetera.
Most believe in "Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism," which is unbiblical. They believe that all you need to do is just believe in Jesus or the gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 in order to be saved. Nothing else is required. These believers need to plainly believe James 2:17, James 2:24, Galatians 6:8-9, and 1 Timothy 5:8.
While not as popular, others hold to "Perpetual Works Alone Salvationism," which is also unbiblical. These believers deny that you can ever be initially saved by simply believing the gospel message without water baptism. While we must be water baptized at some point in our faith, it is not for salvation. They believe you must continue to do works of faith after this to be saved. However, Luke 18:9-14 refutes this kind of belief. In short, they never gave God's grace his glory or do ever in their life by a simple belief alone in Christ. Remember, Cornelius and his family were saved before they were even water baptized. The thief on the cross was saved without doing any kind of works of faith that we Christians are called to do (Which is salvific). The thief simply appeared to be begging for mercy in asking Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into His Kingdom. Jesus said He would be with Him in paradise in response of this plea.
....
As for faith and works: Well, the way I understand "the faith" that we are to have as Christians is two-fold.
#1. Faith Type #1 (Belief in certain things that God calls us to have). You are to first believe the saving gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This is believing that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and risen the third day for our salvation. This is how we first get saved, which is why Paul says we are saved by God's grace without works. We see Cornelius and his household believed a form of this saving message and they received the Holy Spirit (Which would have been the down payment of their inheritance) (Note: This does not mean that a believer who receives the Spirit or downpayment of their inheritance can later fall away due to justifying sin or disobedience toward God). Other beliefs God calls us to have are: "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:3). We are to have faith in his blood (Romans 3:25). We must believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, which is a part of one of His commandments (1 John 3:23). If we come to God, we must believe that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (See: Hebrews 11:6). In addition to believing the gospel, there are beliefs we must have that are salvific. For example: Telling others that the resurrection is past already can overthrow the faith of others (2 Timothy 2:18). These are simply beliefs that God calls us to have and not works (Or works of faith).
#2. Faith Type #2, which is the 2nd step of our Faith (Works of Faith and Cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit). These are labors or works that a Christian does that God calls us to do according to His Word, which is in line with the New Covenant or New Testament. These are actions. For example: We are to preach the gospel. Jesus warns that if we turn back after having put our hand on the plow (preaching or spreading the gospel message), we are not fit for the Kingdom of God. We are commanded to love God and love our neighbor. In Luke 10:25-37, we learn that helping the poor beat-up guy on the side of the road is akin to loving your neighbor, which is a part of inheriting eternal life. In Matthew 25, we are to help the poor and unfortunate. If refuse to do so in this life, then we will go away into a fiery punishment. We are told to love our brother as a part of the faith (1 John 3:23). This is not just saying, "I love you" but it involves showing that we love them in our actions, like helping them if they need financial help, or physical help if they are sick, etcetera. The person who hates his brother has no eternal life abiding in them (1 John 3:15). He that does righteousness and loves his brother is of God (1 John 3:10).
The best way to simplify this is that...
#1. Believers are first saved by God's grace through a belief in the gospel message (which is a process of salvation without works)
(Ephesians 2:8-9) (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
This is how we GET saved. It is our "Initial Salvation." We are to believe that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and risen the third day for our salvation. Note: Calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus, seeking forgiveness of your past life of sin (Romans 10:9, and Romans 10:13) would not really be a work in my view. One is simply praying to the Lord Jesus and throwing themselves down before the mercy of their Lord and God for the forgiveness of one's past life of sin.
#2. God has chosen us to salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). This a the next step of our faith whereby we are to live a holy life as a part of God's plan of salvation. This can only happen after a person is first saved by God's grace without works (Which is by faith). Again, Sanctification is the second step of our faith. 2 Corinthians 7:1 says we are to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is obeying God and His commands under the New Covenant. Now, it needs to be stated that Christians do not have to keep the Saturday Sabbath, circumcision, holy days, dietary laws, animal sacrifices, etcetera. That is all a part of the Old Covenant that does not apply to believers today. We are not under the Law (i.e., the Laws of Moses). Although certain laws have repeated themselves in the New Covenant like, "do not murder," "do not commit adultery, "do not covet," etcetera.
Most believe in "Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism," which is unbiblical. They believe that all you need to do is just believe in Jesus or the gospel message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 in order to be saved. Nothing else is required. These believers need to plainly believe James 2:17, James 2:24, Galatians 6:8-9, and 1 Timothy 5:8.
While not as popular, others hold to "Perpetual Works Alone Salvationism," which is also unbiblical. These believers deny that you can ever be initially saved by simply believing the gospel message without water baptism. While we must be water baptized at some point in our faith, it is not for salvation. They believe you must continue to do works of faith after this to be saved. However, Luke 18:9-14 refutes this kind of belief. In short, they never gave God's grace his glory or do ever in their life by a simple belief alone in Christ. Remember, Cornelius and his family were saved before they were even water baptized. The thief on the cross was saved without doing any kind of works of faith that we Christians are called to do (Which is salvific). The thief simply appeared to be begging for mercy in asking Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into His Kingdom. Jesus said He would be with Him in paradise in response of this plea.
....
