12-12-2016

Good Morning All,

       James 2: 17; “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

         I was listening to a couple of youngsters of about 3 or 4, who 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 are 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