SCRIPTURE: James (NIV) 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? …
17 … faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead….
22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did….
24 … a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. …
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
OBSERVATION: This past week, Sharon and I drove upon a motorcycle accident that had just happened. The driver and his cycle were lying near the side of the roadway; the passenger was lying across the center line of the two-lane road. The first thing I did was to check for vital signs. Breathing? Heartbeat? Response? Movement? …all vital signs that life was still present. They had vital signs. The driver soon got up on his own and was answering questions. We kept the passenger quiet and still until emergency medical technicians could properly move her and load her into an ambulance to take to the hospital for further evaluation.
Vital signs are important because they come from inside one’s body. I did not lift an arm or leg from the pavement and say, “There is movement, there must be life.” The movement must be motivated from inside to be a vital sign.
APPLICATION: I cannot use these scriptures as a club to motivate others to give. When I give in response to someone putting a guilt trip on me if I do not give, that is not a vital sign. It is only a sign that others are motivating my life. It is only a vital sign when the motivation comes from the life inside.
These scriptures tell me that the life of Jesus in me must be visible to those on the outside. Do I show favoritism? Do I love my neighbor as myself? Do I show mercy? Do I help my brother and sister in need?
PRAYER: Lord, I want your life to be seen in me. The purpose of my life is to reveal your life. Amen
Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!
On Facebook: Today’s SOAP from Pastor Leon
Personal SOAP Saga: Today Sharon and I attended church with our friends. It was a special time with a message about being so in love with Jesus that we do things for him that may be considered a waste by others. It has been a great week with the life group that meets in their home. The members joined together in donating and in conducting a yard sale to raise money for one of their members. God added what He could do to what they did and greatly increased their expected receipts! It is so special to be a part of something that God blesses above our expectations. We stopped to visit my friend Eugene. Tomorrow we will visit Sharon’s cousin. 😊
SOAPs by Pastor Leon 