SCRIPTURE: James (NIV) 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did….
24 You see that 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: How do we know someone loves us? It is by the way their deeds back up their words. If there are no actions, then we come to know that there is no love. Self-serving actions only prove that they love themselves. Self-sacrificing actions are proof that they love another.
And so, it is with faith. Faith is proved by action. When someone has faith, it can be seen. Of course, God sees the heart and is the only true judge of someone’s faith and deeds. But it is impossible to hide true faith from others. Those working in the emergency room check vital signs (respiration, pulse, brain waves) to see if life is present. So, works are the vital signs of faith.
So, in what do I place my faith? I place my faith in the work of Jesus who died on the cross as the payment for my sins. My works (which man can see) show proof that I my faith (which only God can see) is settled in him.
In the Old Testament, the law gave a specific list of things to do i.e. when to pray and what sacrifices to make. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit living within us shows us what to do. The command is “love” and the Spirit nudges us in how to express that love.
APPLICATION: I am to live my life so that my faith is visible. Let my love and devotion to Christ be well known. May my talking about my fith not be the first someone knows about it. May they first see it in the way I live.
PRAYER: Lord, thank you for what you have done for me. Holy Spirit, show me how to express my faith and love today so that others can see it. Amen.
Pastor Leon
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