COMPEL SOME


The faith that saves you is a faith that results in corresponding actions. Just like the faith in healthy living that will "save" you is the faith that doesn't merely acknowledge exercise as a good idea, but is a deep enough and profound enough faith to compel you to eat right and exercise. Why does the guy who is irresponsible in so many areas of his life take such good care of his car? Because in this one area he has deep, profound, solid faith in the truth of automobile technology, and he is compelled to act on it. He can't do anything less. Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." (James 2:18).

Please understand your deepest and most profound beliefs inevitably find their way into your behavior. If you have do-nothing faith about something, it won't affect what you do. But if you have real faith, the right kind of faith, do-something kind of faith, it will lead you to take action consistent with your belief.

Genuine faith, the right kind of faith, compels you to act on it. Jesus taught that what you say is a result of where your heart is. In a similar way, it can be said that what you do is a result of where your faith is. Out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak. Therefore, out of the abundance of your faith, you will act.

Being a Christ-follower is not a matter of your saying, "OK, I need to do a bunch of good deeds so that God will be pleased with me, so that I will deserve to receive his forgiveness, and as a reward I will be a Christ-follower and get to go to heaven." That's not it. You are saved by grace through faith. Not of works, so it's nothing you can brag about. If you want to be a Christ-follower, there's only one thing you can do: put your faith in Jesus Christ. That faith you put in him takes root in your life, becoming bigger, stronger, deeper, and it reveals itself through your activity. The right kind of faith compels you to do something.

Comments

  1. essay bestJune 15, 2017 at 1:22 PM

    No wonder if you have faith you can change everything. If you don't have faith you won't get success, beautiful piece of writing, thanks for sharing it with us

    ReplyDelete

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