Speak and Act
Here is a question to all who would call themselves Christians. Particularly if you live in North America. Is Christ a reality in your life or are you just giving intellectual consent?
Within parts of North America there is for lack of a better phrase “Christian culture”. People who believe they are Christians but may not be. These people state they believe in Jesus. They believe Jesus is the Son of God that he died for their sins. They say they have prayed the sinners prayer thus they are a Christian. Yet one look at the life they are living seems to say otherwise.
It is easy to give intellectual consent and say Jesus is the Son of God. To say you believe Jesus died for your sins. That you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour by faith. And if you truly believe these things you will get to heaven. The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
However faith in Christ is much more than believing in Jesus. Christianity is very much a faith of works. A faith of actions. Our faith in Christ should spur us to action to do good things. To love God, our neighbour, even our enemy. To reach out with the Salvation message of Christ in word and in deed.
Matthew’s gospel record Jesus as saying,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
If you claim to be a Christian are you truly doing this?
The Talmud while not a Christian book tells this story Christians need to think about,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” The Talmud
If you claim to be Christians when you stand before God, God will not ask you if you believe in Him. As a believer in Christ you have said you do. Thus the next obvious question, God wants you to tell him honestly “do you believe you have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings wit your fellow man?” or as Jesus said in Matthew have you treated others as you would have others treat you?
Jesus tells this story,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31
The Rich man today are Christians and others in the United States, Canada and the western democracies. Lazarus the poor hurting beggar are the poor within our countries boundaries, the homeless and others in need. They are the refugees and others fleeing persecution and war.
How we as individual Christians deal with them is being watched by God whom we will one day stand in front of and be judged.
James the half brother of Jesus states,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12,13.
As Christians we must show love and mercy to all whom we come in contact with. To do less is to bring into question our faith.
James also notes,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.
We as Christians have nothing to fear for doing good works.
By doing good works. By showing love to ones neighbour and ones enemy we may just win souls for Christ. The most important thing Christians can do.
Please think about it.
Here is a question to all who would call themselves Christians. Particularly if you live in North America. Is Christ a reality in your life or are you just giving intellectual consent?
Within parts of North America there is for lack of a better phrase “Christian culture”. People who believe they are Christians but may not be. These people state they believe in Jesus. They believe Jesus is the Son of God that he died for their sins. They say they have prayed the sinners prayer thus they are a Christian. Yet one look at the life they are living seems to say otherwise.
It is easy to give intellectual consent and say Jesus is the Son of God. To say you believe Jesus died for your sins. That you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour by faith. And if you truly believe these things you will get to heaven. The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9
However faith in Christ is much more than believing in Jesus. Christianity is very much a faith of works. A faith of actions. Our faith in Christ should spur us to action to do good things. To love God, our neighbour, even our enemy. To reach out with the Salvation message of Christ in word and in deed.
Matthew’s gospel record Jesus as saying,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
If you claim to be a Christian are you truly doing this?
The Talmud while not a Christian book tells this story Christians need to think about,
“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?” Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual? “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” The Talmud
If you claim to be Christians when you stand before God, God will not ask you if you believe in Him. As a believer in Christ you have said you do. Thus the next obvious question, God wants you to tell him honestly “do you believe you have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings wit your fellow man?” or as Jesus said in Matthew have you treated others as you would have others treat you?
Jesus tells this story,
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31
The Rich man today are Christians and others in the United States, Canada and the western democracies. Lazarus the poor hurting beggar are the poor within our countries boundaries, the homeless and others in need. They are the refugees and others fleeing persecution and war.
How we as individual Christians deal with them is being watched by God whom we will one day stand in front of and be judged.
James the half brother of Jesus states,
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” James 2:12,13.
As Christians we must show love and mercy to all whom we come in contact with. To do less is to bring into question our faith.
James also notes,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” James 2:14-20.
We as Christians have nothing to fear for doing good works.
By doing good works. By showing love to ones neighbour and ones enemy we may just win souls for Christ. The most important thing Christians can do.
Please think about it.
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