No More Lip Service

“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone…As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:24 & 26 NIV

I can’t help but believe that one of the greatest causes of atheism in the world today is Christians – people who SAY that they believe in Jesus but fail to live out their faith with action. Perhaps you’ve met them. Maybe someone who can “talk the talk” but doesn’t “walk the walk” is the very reason why you refuse to believe in God. Or perhaps you fall into that category, wearing the label “Christian” but it isn’t much more than that. I hope that for the next few minutes you can choose to put aside your preconceived notions of “Christians” and listen to what the Bible has to say about it.

Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone. So, what does it mean when James tells us that a person is justified by what he does? Let me suggest this to you. When you really believe in God and love Him, you simply cannot refuse to do what He says. Does that make sense? When you love someone, you want to please them. You want to bring them joy. You want to make them happy. When it comes to our faith in God, it works the same way. Merely saying that you believe in God means nothing if there are no actions in your life that would follow up that claim. You know this is true. There are thousands of people today that claim to be Christians, but all you need to do is look around you to see that there is a disconnect. The challenge that we are presented with today is simply this: Either follow Jesus or stop pretending. It’s just that simple. Stop saying you are a Christian and that you believe in God if you’re going to continue to refuse to do what He says. He tells us to care for the poor, to look after the marginalized, to meet the needs of those less fortunate. Are you doing that? Do you care about injustice enough to take a stand today to fight against it? We’re being called out today – no more lip service. You’re either in or you’re out. Stop putting off faith because you saw someone fail at it and you’re bitter about it. Let God’s Word define what faith is, and get on board with that.

Do you need to make a decision today to embrace faith? Will you choose today to get on board with faith in Jesus and what He says it looks like to follow Him?