Good Morning
All,
James
2: 17; “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
As I was listening to a youngster of about 3
or 4, he and his friend were deciding on how to classify various things that
they saw. Now for a couple of three and
four year-olds, they were doing alright.
“If it moves then that means it’s alive; if it doesn’t move then it’s a rock.” Now I didn’t go into a discussion with them;
this was their theory to work from. It
was simple and their deduction was based on the observation that something alive
moved. Rocks did not move and were not
alive so that was their choice.
So do you move or are you a rock? While it really isn’t that simple on some
level it is. It can be this simple in
our understanding. We can look at our life
as having two parts. The first part is
proper faith or right believing.
It is here that we understand that Jesus
died and rose again for our sins. He has
declared us to be his righteous children.
By his grace we are saved. By his
mercy, he gives us faith, the desire to trust in his promise of salvation. This desire is to supplant and replace the
desire to sin. God brings us into his active
reign of grace and mercy, to change our sad and broken life and to recreate us
as his new creature. We know this to be
true. God can do anything but do you
believe that he will do this in your life?
This is where the faith in our head, the
knowledge that God can do anything, moves into our heart where we cling to that
promise that is made to us, personally.
God saves the redeemed of the world and you are one. God’s grace is poured into you. God’s love is directed at you. You are the beneficiary of his wonderful mercy. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and
ascension into heaven was done for you.
It was done in order to bring you into his family of redeemed children. It is done out of love for you, especially
for you.
So now our faith has gone from our head to
our heart. It needs one more step; it
needs to go to our hands. Here is where
we look at proper living or doing the right thing. This is where we now see and live our new
life and because of this new life; God calls us by his love to love others just
as he loves us. Now some get nervous
here. Yet we need to look at it in
truth. God may call you to sell
everything and move to the Congo and minister but more likely He will use you
right where you are with the talents you already have. If you like music then use it to praise
God. If you like to cook then make meals
for your struggling neighbors. If you have
time then visit the lonely and the shut-ins.
Maybe you are a numbers person then help with the book work. If you are a handyman then help fix windows
and doors. There is no end to what you
can do; the only question is will you do it.
Our faith should move us to compassion for our neighbors; like the shoe
company says just do it; don't be a rock.
God
of all mercy, through you alone we have salvation. Move us by your grace to be your hands in
this world that is so void of love and filled with darkness. Guide us to make your light our light that
all may see your wonderful mercy and give you praise and honor. All this we ask in Jesus’ precious name,
amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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