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Faith & Action
Faith must be connected to action to be genuine faith. There are many today who have misinterpreted the freedom we have in Christ and have turned God’s grace into a license for sin. Titus 2:11-14 is a true interpretation of God’s grace. "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." Faith & action are inseparable. James 2:14, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (1:22), "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Following the instructions of God’s Word is faith acting from love for God and our desire to be a disciple of Christ. "If you love me, you will obey what I command," (Jesus said, John 14:15). And in John 15:14, "You are my friends if you do what I command." The Apostle Paul (Galatians 5:6) reminds us that not acting on our stated faith means nothing. "The only thing that counts" (he says), "is faith expressing itself through love." Doing God’s will (as stated in His Word) is not works but faith in action. Conducting our life according to New Testament teaching is simply an expression of trust in God and faith in Christ. Jesus "the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through [Him]" (John 14:6). Jesus promises His Holy Spirit so we can live by faith. Jesus reminded us of the two most important Bible commands. (Matthew 22:37-39), "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" Follow these two and everything else will fall in place, He meant. To "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," means to live by faith in Christ and what His shed blood did for us. There are many people saying they live by faith, but very few people acting in faith in Christ. Jesus told us (Matthew 7:21), "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' [verbal faith only], will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." ‘The decisive question’ (Jesus means), ‘is whether a person’s faith and their actions are working together.’ A person who is acting in faith on God’s Word, will meet the circumstances of life scripturally. Acting by faith in God means we do not resent insults, that we forgive from the heart, and that we gladly help others (in whatever way we can). That is loving God and loving our fellowman as we love ourselves. We are to confess our sins and be born again to a new life of faith in Christ. We are to surrender our will to God’s will and to receive His Holy Spirit so that we can act in faith. Following God’s will is an expression of our faith in Christ. Church attendance has no merit of itself, but we will want to attend church services because gathering as one in Christ is all part of acting by faith in God’s Word. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another --and all the more as you see the Day approaching," (Hebrews 10:25). We can encourage fellow believers when we show up at church. Works of the flesh and walking by faith, are two different things. Everyone has a choice, and that choice is to trust God and live by faith in Christ, or trust the world and live by faith in man. The Lake of Fire is too horrible and too endless to make any mistake about this. No one should ever jeopardize their eternal interests by being rebellious toward God! We follow Christ because He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," (John 14:6). If a road we are to take splits at a fork, and one way was considered safe (but the other dangerous), then a loving parent would certainly advise us to stay on the safe road (and including instructions about which turns to make and how to proceed). When we come to that decision, it will be our choice to listen to advice or not. If we disregard his instructions and take the dangerous road, we will have to accept the results of that decision (and it could be the Lake of Fire). It is the devil who wants us to take the road that goes to Gehenna. He is out to destroy as many lives as he can and he is having much success with that. Everyone is tempted and sometimes very seriously. Jesus Himself was tempted, but He held to the Word, quoted it, and acted by faith in it. "The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God,'" (Matthew 4:3-4). To live by every Word given in the Bible means living by faith in what God told us. Jesus followed His Father’s Word on Baptism even when He didn’t have to. (Matthew 3:14-15), "John [the Baptist] tried to deter him, [but] Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." 1 John 2:2-6 says that Christ "Is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands [or act in faith]. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did," and Jesus always acted in faith on the Word. The Lord’s Sermon on the Mount gives plain instructions concerning the attitude we are to have toward people who dislike us, how to consider money, the type of prayers we should offer, being a spiritual light to those around us, having no treasures on earth, seeking the kingdom of God, staying on the narrow path of faith, being alert to false teaching, and many other issues of life. Then saying (Matthew 7:24-26), "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand." Many Christians today think that putting God’s Word into practice is works. For that reason they do not act in faith in God regarding finances, divine healing, injustices, protection and many other Bible instructions. They separate faith and actions. To have faith in God is to act on His written instructions. To have faith in human plans and ways is to act like the world (which shows we love the world more than we love God). If someone insults us, criticizes us, or does some mean thing, the world says to resent it, don’t forget what they did, ignore them for now, but get even when you can. Jesus says, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5:44). To act in faith, is to follow that advice. We are to forgive those who wrong us (and we are to forget that it ever happened). Our attitude toward them and our treatment of them will quickly reveal if we want to act in faith on God’s written Word or not. In regard to money, the world’s advice is to lay up treasure (and store up possessions and assets) on earth. ‘Have your money gain interest and make sure you have more than enough for the future’ (the world advises). God’s advice is (Matthew 6:19-21), "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If we place our money in God’s, we are promised 10,000% interest. The world gives 1% or 2%. If we really believed that God would give 10,000% interest on money we give away to obey His Word, we would immediately place it in His bank. The reason people don’t place their treasure in Heaven, is because they don’t believe that God will do that. God’s love for us, compels Him to supply things for us. If He takes care of birds and flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, He will surely take care of human souls committed to Him who will live forever and ever. When physically oppressed, the world says to place your faith in the medical profession. God says, "The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven," (James 5:15). In Matthew 8:8 the centurion responded in faith by saying to Jesus, "Just say the word, and my servant will be healed." Because of the faith he had in a word, Jesus replies, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would. And his servant was healed at that very hour." If we love God (and if we believe that He is faithful), we will call upon Him whenever we need healing, help, or anything. Acting in faith on God’s Word reveals our faith in Him. It is simply faith in action. No matter how religious a person may seem to be outwardly, if they are not actually living by faith in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be left behind at the Rapture of God’s children. Living by faith in Christ’s perfect work of atonement is the core of our faith, and which enables us to be on ‘the narrow road of the few that leads to life eternal.’ The grace of God gives us the freedom to act in faith on His Word. (Titus 2:11-14), "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." Faith in action, is real, saving faith!
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Century Gospel Church © 2010 |
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