“Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, my sister, and my mother.” ~Matthew 12:50 GNT
In this verse at the end of the 12th chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus after turning to those around him states that anyone who “DOES” what His Father in heaven wants is my brother, sister, and mother. In other words he states that anyone who does God’s will is included in the family of God!
This is vital to our lives as God’s people because the actions of our lives reflect the reality of the depth of our relationship. Jesus never separates our actions from our faith! In fact, as I read through the gospels I am more and more convinced that faith without deeds is a useless faith as Jesus’ half-brother James writes in his New Testament letter to the early churches…
“My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life? 17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.” ~James 2:14-17 GNT
In this section, James echoes Jesus’ words to his disciples that the actions of our lives from the heart of our faith is an important component to our lives as God’s people.
Now, let me state that our right standing before God comes from our faith and faith alone… by grace and grace alone! We must never confuse this issue otherwise we reduce our faith to a list of do’s and do not’s!
However, IF we simply reduce our faith to confession, and confession alone then we are at risk of living out a dead faith according to both of these passages. Our faith and beliefs must transfer to our hands and feet because the world around us needs it! Our world needs God’s people to be sources of light and action in this world, vessels of God’s love and faith in all kinds of situations and circumstances.
As God’s people living out the faith we have in a God, who works in all aspects of life, past, present, and future we can be lights into this world in ways that make this place a little bit more like heaven, each and every day!
Seeking to live out my confessed faith every day…
Rev Trev
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