February 23rd Devotional
February 23, 2010
By Susan Demick
What good is it my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? So faith by itself, if it has no works is dead. James 2:14, 17
I often have a conversation about this verse with my brother, who is a born again Christian and a deacon in the Southern Baptist church. He KNOWS that we are justified by faith alone and that hell is full of people who have done good works but who did not have faith in Jesus. Often times, I wonder if he thinks I am going to be one of them! I, on the other hand, do of course, believe that our faith in Jesus and God is a very necessary part of our Christian life, however I do believe our faith should be manifested in good works to help our community and our world. These good works, I believe, are a sign of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As a United Methodist, I believe, we carry out the work of Jesus and the apostles and deacons and early Christians every time we help others in any way. It is our faith in action and in no way takes the place of our faith in thought. However, I can’t accept that I can just think myself a Christian and live the Christian life without actually LIVING as a Christian in the world. By love and acceptance and by helping those who need us, we are bringing the good news of Christ to them in a tangible way. Who knows where that may lead them and us!
Comments