James

December 19

James

"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." (James 2:20-22, NIV)

 The key to our foundation is faith. Paul wrote that we are saved by grace through faith. James is not disagreeing with Paul, but unless our faith produces good deeds, we need to question the root of our faith. Faith is not some abstract thought that floats around in our minds. Our faith is the foundation on which our lives are built. We can say we believe whatever we want, but our actions reveal what we really believe. We can check our faith by examining our actions. Faith and action work hand in hand.

 Going to church and listening to the word of God, even reading the scriptures every day does not make us Christian. Once again, our actions should reflect what we are reading and hearing from the scripture. To read the scripture and not allow it to change our thoughts and actions is meaningless. Our lives, as followers of Jesus, should reflect the word of God revealed in scripture. Our actions are the fruit of our lives. Our actions reveal what is really at our heart. What is going on inside of us is revealed by our actions. What do your actions reveal?