Ryan was home and wanted to check out the Tanglefoot Trail. We wanted Sam to go with us. The only way to make that happen was to take him in a wheelchair, so that's what we did. Ryan happily pushed Sam along, and had a grand time doing it. Our faith influenced our actions.
I thought about that day when I read James 2:17 this morning.
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." James 2:17 nasb
It's probably the key verse in the book of James.
Faith, without works, is dead. Ponder that for a moment.
Social media is full of declarations of faith and Scripture memes. Our churches are full of people who, by their presence, proclaim their faith. What's not always so apparent are the works that demonstrate and accompany that faith.
Today, I'm writing to us, the body of Christ.
How can the world recognize the faith we say we have if they can't see any works? How can they see that Christ has made a difference in our lives if we do the same things the world does?
When there are elderly believers who are lonely or in need, and we never visit or help, how does the world tell we honor our senior adults?
When there are children in foster care, praying for a "forever" home, and we leave them there, how does the world tell we care about orphans?
When the divorce rate among Christians is equal to the divorce rate outside the church and we choose not to go the distance, how does the world tell that Christ heals relationships?
When immigrants find themselves adrift in a new and strange culture and we do nothing to help, how does the world tell that we welcome strangers?
I'm not perfect at demonstrating my faith by my works, and I don't pretend to be, but I understand the concept.
We demonstrate our faith by our works.
In a very real way, we reveal the power of Christ in our lives by how He changes us and causes us to look outside ourselves to the needs of others.
It's easy to fill a shoebox with toys and send it to a child on the other side of the world. It's not quite as easy to spend our valuable time visiting with the lonely person down the street. It's not as easy to invite strangers into our homes for a meal. It's not as easy to stop by a nursing home to spend time with senior adults who can no longer live alone.
Before we race into the madness of the holidays, let's stop and reconsider our testimony. Our "works" reveal the truth of our faith. What do they say about Christ to a world that is lost in sin and darkness?
Today, let's take a close look at our lives, our faith, our works. What changes do we need to make? Works won't save us, but faith, without works, is not much of a faith at all.
We live in a world in desperate need of a Savior. Let's not just tell them about Christ, let's show them by the things we do.
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Working Together To Get The Job Done
If God leads you to help support this ministry outreach, here's the link to give: Global Outreach Acct 4841
#works #faith
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