"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).John teaches us an important truth through the use of this parallel structure. If one "believes in the Son" they have life, but if one "does not obey the Son" they don't have life. The expression teaches us that believing the Son and obeying the Son are the same thing. To put it another way, failure to obey Jesus is disbelief.
Our trust must go beyond mere head knowledge. Our faith isn't just acknowledging certain doctrines are true. Jesus borrowed an image from the world of construction to stress this point. He said that those who hear his words and obey them are like one who builds his house upon a rock. Their structure is stable. However, those who hear Jesus' teaching, but fail to practice it are like fools who build their house upon the sand. Their structure will be washed away in time.
Obedience matters. I am not speaking of rigid legalism. I am speaking about loving obedience. The simple truth is that truly trusting in Jesus produces obedience. If we know him, or more correctly, are known by him, then we will walk as he did. To walk in obedience is to walk in life. Consistent, habitual, unrepentant disobedience exposes a unbelieving (and unconverted) heart. If a person has an unbelieving heart, then the wrath of God remains on him.
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