“Trust and obey for there is no other way, to be happy
in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey”
James wrote “Faith by itself, without works, is dead” (James 2:17). The implication is that we are to do something. Martin Luther – who rested on Romans and Justification by faith – called the Book of James a “right strawy Epistle” meaning it was difficult for him to swallow given his right rejection of the idea that you could get to heaven by doing good things - by works.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 2:10 gives a hint that the works we are to do cannot be done without Jesus – they have a spiritual context. Good works are a product of our faith. We tend to think of us doing something by ourselves. Not so. If you have faith you will show it by being obedient to the Father, that may mean but, does not necessarily mean, giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty man. Even the unsaved can do that … and they do. There are many who are lost that do “good” things for others.
Think about the story of the rich young ruler. Faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), is all about trust in the Father and in the work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection. Listen, God never reveals Himself to us and through us in the absence of our obedience to His will, it is always after. If you are living your life with a half-baked heart – one foot in heaven and the other planted firmly in the world – you ask God for blessings and then call your new car a blessing which you bought on credit and are indebted to the world?
John wrote, “love not the world or the things of this world” (1 John 2:15) Mark my words, when you are laying on your death bed, it will not be the car that is on your mind and heart. You know what God wants you to do … so do it. You will be blessed beyond measure .. but it won’t be a new car .. and that, frankly, won’t matter to you because your heart will be fixed on the Father.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you [change your desires to His] the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4
James wrote “Faith by itself, without works, is dead” (James 2:17). The implication is that we are to do something. Martin Luther – who rested on Romans and Justification by faith – called the Book of James a “right strawy Epistle” meaning it was difficult for him to swallow given his right rejection of the idea that you could get to heaven by doing good things - by works.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 2:10 gives a hint that the works we are to do cannot be done without Jesus – they have a spiritual context. Good works are a product of our faith. We tend to think of us doing something by ourselves. Not so. If you have faith you will show it by being obedient to the Father, that may mean but, does not necessarily mean, giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty man. Even the unsaved can do that … and they do. There are many who are lost that do “good” things for others.
Think about the story of the rich young ruler. Faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), is all about trust in the Father and in the work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection. Listen, God never reveals Himself to us and through us in the absence of our obedience to His will, it is always after. If you are living your life with a half-baked heart – one foot in heaven and the other planted firmly in the world – you ask God for blessings and then call your new car a blessing which you bought on credit and are indebted to the world?
John wrote, “love not the world or the things of this world” (1 John 2:15) Mark my words, when you are laying on your death bed, it will not be the car that is on your mind and heart. You know what God wants you to do … so do it. You will be blessed beyond measure .. but it won’t be a new car .. and that, frankly, won’t matter to you because your heart will be fixed on the Father.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you [change your desires to His] the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4
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