Radical Living
"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well' - but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, 'Some people have faith; others have good deeds.' But I say, 'How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.' You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?" James 2:14-20 NLT
Radical living is witnessed by the world watching the church intently.
Is there a difference?
The world naturally questions God's existence and watches Christians for evidence - is He real? They do not recognize spirit; they recognize reality right before them. They see difference or same in conduct and words. They see peace in the righteous and want to experience it or they see unrest and recognize their own lived experience. Therefore, it is important for us Christians to live out what we preach to others. The evidence of our faith has more impact than we know.
Do we understand why it is important to bear fruit of our salvation?
Wise is the Christian, walking through end times, who makes it difficult for the world to question their faith in Jesus Christ by refusing to cave to sin's temptations and standing strong on God given conviction.
This radical living is as consistent as Jesus Christ and is counter the world's inconsistent, self-serving culture.
This radical living is found in those who go to church to experience God’s glory, excited and motivated to live out their faith. Truly, sharing Christ’s love with others becomes as natural as breathing. Fighting the sin in our own lives becomes second-nature. Seeking to be holy, for God is holy, becomes our ultimate desire—1 Peter 1:16.
We know we can’t earn our way to heaven by our good works. We are saved by grace alone—Ephesians 2:8-9.
But we should demonstrate our faith by our works. For faith without works is dead—James 2:17. So live radically! Put your faith into action.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us long ago, God planned specific work for us to do that fits in His grand plan in regard to His Kingdom advancing. As the church is united in the Spirit, everyone personally seeking to obey Jesus Christ, the outworking of our faith in our good works all aligns with each other and the world witnesses the power in a unified church.
Satan seeks to cause dissension, as dissension undermines godly power in the church. Thus, he doesn't want us to produce good deeds, but experience "dead faith" through apathy or defiance to God. Paul says in Ephesians 5:14, "For the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, 'Awake, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.'"
God chose you—Ephesians 1:4.
He gave you specific gifts to use to edify the church and to further His Kingdom—1 Corinthians 12:2728; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-13. Are you using them?
Sometimes we wait for God to hit us over the head with an opportunity to share our faith with others. But don’t wait for an opportunity! Look for the opportunities or create opportunities. Everywhere around you there are people hurting and needing to not only hear about Jesus but to see His presence manifested as you become His hands and feet in their lives. Put your faith into action.
Have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the needs right before you - Proverbs 20:12.
No one is perfect! We all need God’s grace. Know this, if your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart and knows all things - 1 John 3:20 - you are right enough to be used by God to further His Kingdom.
Do the good thing that God has burdened your heart with. You never know, what if that good thing that seems so incredibly small to you, is huge to someone else. What if it will make all the difference in a situation? Will you obey God—James 4:17? Obedience to God is the visible proof that you have true saving faith.
Prayer: Abba, please open my eyes and ears to what You are calling me to do today in living out my faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.
