Faith without works is dead. (James 2:26 NKJV)
If our faith is real, it will be evident for all the world to see. Now, I am not saying we will live perfect lives. Far from it! But what we live will be on display, and our faith must be a practical faith. Notice the “lived-out faith” in the actions of these biblical characters in the book of Hebrews Hall of Faith:
- By faith Abel brought
- By faith Noah built
- By faith Abraham went and offered
- By faith Isaac blessed
- By faith Joseph gave instructions
- By faith Moses chose to be mistreated
- By faith the people passed through the Red Sea
- By faith the prostitute Rahab welcomed
In all these lives and so many more throughout the pages of Scripture, we see how actions spoke louder than words. It has been well said, “What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say.” Christians are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight, but make no mistake, the watching world will judge us by what they see in our works. Our faith is to be lived out if it is a true, living, healthy faith. That faith will always be lived out imperfectly, but it must be lived, nonetheless.
The late Dr. R. C. Sproul was fond of saying that we are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone. Faith in Christ is belief in Christ, but it doesn’t stop there. Belief must always manifest itself in behavior. What we believe will determine how we behave. We are saved to serve our Lord for His glory and the good of others. Jesus said it succinctly:
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8)
What are you doing that demonstrates that you are a disciple of Jesus? Do your actions speak louder than your words? True faith is faith that is acted upon and used by God to expand the cause of His Kingdom in this world – on earth as it is in heaven.
Romans 14:17 tells us that “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Far too many Christian believers have reduced their faith to what they do not do: “We don’t drink or smoke or chew, and we don’t date those folks who do.” Turning away from sinful behaviors is a good start, but the deeper questions you and I must ask ourselves and answer are: What am I doing for the glory of Jesus? How am I living out my faith in a way that makes Jesus attractive to those around me?
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 