JUST DO IT: WALK THE TALK
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning
There is a lot of counterfeit Christianity on the market today and our world is longing to see what genuine religion looks like. Secular teachings are trying to win over the younger generation through the media and education. Therefore, it is imperative that the true church rises up and makes a difference in our world. Genuine or “pure” religion is the focus of the book of James. The latter part of Chapter 1 teaches us that the genuineness of our faith shows up in two ways: in our talk and in our walk.
James says we need the Word of God to be planted in us because it roots out sins and produces good fruit evidenced in the way we talk and walk. That is the proof of genuine faith. When we listen to, or read the Word of God, we should not walk away unchanged; rather, we should actually do what it says. We need to ask ourselves daily: “Do my conversations and lifestyle make it evident that I am a Christian?” Pure religion that pleases God is when we recognize that we have an obligation to personally reach out to those in need, and to ensure that our talk and walk are consistent with the Word of God. To quote Martin Luther: “The world does not need a definition of religion as much as it needs a demonstration.”
If you’re going to say you’re a Christian, then do what a Christian does. Before Nike came up with the slogan ‘Just Do It’, James was instructing Christians to just do it - do it according to God’s Word. “Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:22-24)
In Him,
Pastor Brian
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