"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." James 1:22 (NASB)
Sometimes I wonder about some of the Christians who are always in church and involved in activities, yet they really do not know much about what they believe or how to support it. So many believers rely on the truth that Christ came to live and die for their sins and they are saved through His selfless sacrifice. (John 3:16) But believing that Jesus died for you and you will be saved is just the beginning, yet it is the end for so many people. The Bible goes on to say that true Christians will learn and understand Jesus's teachings and abide and live by them daily. Jesus said "therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to the wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24) We may have learned as children in church about the house built on the rock versus the house built on sinking sand. We even sing about it in hymns today. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew, "everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." (7:26) If you have ever watched the Weather Channel in hurricane season you know how foolish it is to build your house on the sand. No matter how deep the pylons are driven into the sand, the houses that rest on the beach always end up getting completely annihilated by the terrible storms. These are the "storms of life" which will erode and destroy your belief system if you do not build it on the teachings of Jesus, which is the Bible.
So we know that we are supposed to read and learn from the Bible, but what does it say we are supposed to do with our knowledge? James writes "even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, 'you have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works'." (2:17-18) We know that we cannot "work" our way to Heaven, for the Jesus said himself "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) But our faith must lead to the desire to do good works, being selfless and humble before God and man. James writes "pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (1:27) So we should want to work because of our faith, not to secure our place in heaven.
Sometimes I wonder about some of the Christians who are always in church and involved in activities, yet they really do not know much about what they believe or how to support it. So many believers rely on the truth that Christ came to live and die for their sins and they are saved through His selfless sacrifice. (John 3:16) But believing that Jesus died for you and you will be saved is just the beginning, yet it is the end for so many people. The Bible goes on to say that true Christians will learn and understand Jesus's teachings and abide and live by them daily. Jesus said "therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to the wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matthew 7:24) We may have learned as children in church about the house built on the rock versus the house built on sinking sand. We even sing about it in hymns today. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew, "everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." (7:26) If you have ever watched the Weather Channel in hurricane season you know how foolish it is to build your house on the sand. No matter how deep the pylons are driven into the sand, the houses that rest on the beach always end up getting completely annihilated by the terrible storms. These are the "storms of life" which will erode and destroy your belief system if you do not build it on the teachings of Jesus, which is the Bible.
So we know that we are supposed to read and learn from the Bible, but what does it say we are supposed to do with our knowledge? James writes "even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, 'you have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works'." (2:17-18) We know that we cannot "work" our way to Heaven, for the Jesus said himself "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) But our faith must lead to the desire to do good works, being selfless and humble before God and man. James writes "pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (1:27) So we should want to work because of our faith, not to secure our place in heaven.
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