Greeting to all in the name of Jesus. After a period of introspection and reflection, the author of the blog has returned. This is a great lesson for a re-appearance.
“SHOW YOUR FAITH BY YOUR WORKS”–Devotional Reading: Luke 7:1-10; Background Scripture: James 2:14-26
KEY VERSE: As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. James 2:26
In the above referenced text, James is questioning how the Christians, during that time, could identify true faith. While we all know that only God knows what is truly in a man’s heart, James says that we can identify true faith in ourselves by what we produce. Now this is probably close to an age-old debate: Am I saved by faith or by my works? What is your response to that question? The scripture tells us that we are saved to do good works. In other words, the good works of upbuilding the Kingdom have already been pre-ordained. We are saved to walk out the purpose for which God has called us.
James’ readers struggled to reflect God’s mercy toward others–much like us sometimes. The readers’ faith in God who met their needs, was not being expressed in their meeting the needs of others. Again, sometimes it seems like nothing has changed in over 2000 years.
Think about:
How has someone’s good deeds made a lasting difference in your life?
How does the example of the faith patriarch, Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son help you act on what you believe?
What examples can you discuss to demonstrate how your faith is evident in your deeds?
I would love to read your comments. Look forward to hearing from you.
Weeping Willow AMEZ Church 