Wouldn't you consider both faith and obedience acts of the will in response to the authority of God? Since faith is an act of obedience and obedience an act of faith how can you set one to a higher priority than the other?
Certainly humans have the capacity to turn most anything into an
‘angels on the head of a pin’ argument . . .
However, in this case . . . probably the Scripture . . .
‘without faith, it is impossible to please God’
speaks to me a bit louder.
Certainly God insists on both.
I think the author was emphasizing an
ABANDONING ALL TO GOD KIND OF FAITH.
And, I think Paul makes the priority of that reasonably clear in Hebrews.
I think the author’s point that a FOCUS . . . particularly an obsessive . . . perfectionistic, ‘pull one’s self up by one’s bootstraps’ mentality FOCUS
on slavish obedience
without first or primarily being
a CHOSEN LOVE SLAVE OF JESUS
produces DEADLY RELIGION.
I think that’s very true.