Is Your Spirit Dead

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
(James 2:26)

Meditation

I know none of my good works have any bearing on whether I’m saved or not. Faith in Jesus and the work he did on the cross are what save me. I don’t do things to prove to anyone I’m good enough to go to heaven. The good things I do still do not measure up to the goodness of Jesus. His servanthood is the example I choose to live by. Not to earn his favor but to show his love to unbelievers through my actions. If I told everyone I met that Jesus loves them, but didn’t do anything else to meet their needs, would many of them repent and turn to Jesus? It’s doubtful. If I were homeless and starving, and someone told me Jesus loves me and walked on, I wouldn’t think very highly of Jesus.
The clothes I wear are what people can see about me, but they cannot see what’s in my heart. They cannot see how much I love Jesus, or how much he loves me. They do not know what Jesus did for them by just looking at or listening to me. I cannot approach an unbeliever in need, and simply tell them Jesus loves them, unless I have first showed them his love. I will, most likely, offend the needy unbeliever if I only hand them a Bible tract, tell them Jesus loves them, and walk away. I want to use Jesus example for how to treat my fellow man. He didn’t ignore those who called out for help. He didn’t treat them with scorn, but with love and compassion. He could have walked past every one of them and just said he loved them. Instead, he stopped and gave them his time, attention, and love.
The outward signs of my faith are more telling about what kind of Christian I am, than anything that comes out of my mouth. My works reveal something of what’s inside my heart. If Christ is there, then charity will be there, and it will become outwardly visible with my acts of service. If there is no charity in my heart, it probably means my spirit is dead also. That will also be visible, especially to the secular world. What does is say about my faith if I can’t bring myself to help a fellow believer, let alone a total stranger, with my good deeds or money. It says my faith, if I have any at all, is very shallow. Christ came to be an example of how to be a servant. We should go through our Christian walk looking for ways to serve and help our fellow man. Our good deeds are not what save us, but they show our faith in Christ is real.




Daily Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father you are so powerful and good, and we are so weak and wicked. We are in awe of your power and might, Father. We bow to our knees and worship you because you alone are worthy of our praises. You are the Maker and Guardian of everything; from each star in the universe to the tiniest particles of the atomic structure. You have always been so generous with us all our lives. You provide everything we have. Help us to be as generous with those is need as you have been with us. Put the purpose of helping others in our hearts. Never let us turn our backs on anyone in need. When we have it in our means, have the Holy Spirit urge us on to provide to the best of our ability. Remind us, if we claim to have faith in Jesus Christ, that faith must be accompanied by good works. Without our acts of service to others, our faith is in nothing. Without good deeds, we demonstrate we have learned nothing about Jesus to believers and unbelievers alike. Help us to remember to pray to be alert for the chance to help someone at a moment’s notice. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!

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