Faith And Action

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" 'Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man....' " —Matthew 7:24

Bible Reading

MATTHEW 7:24-29

Devotional

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus said many difficult things. The church has had long discussions about the question how we should interpret these sayings. Some say that Jesus preached these radical commandments in order to make us feel guilty: when we feel guilty, we will turn to Christ and ask for the grace of forgiveness.

Others say that Jesus gave the rules in the Sermon on the Mount only for those who are advanced in Christian living. But other commentaries on this sermon try to interpret Jesus' words in such a way that an ordinary Christian "can live with them."

However, the Lord Jesus seemed to have had a different idea. He said that there are only two kinds of hearers or readers. Some hear and do, while others hear and don't do what they are told. The person who obeys is wise, but the person who does not do what Jesus said is a fool.

The purpose of grace is obedience. Grace does not mean that you're OK and I'm OK, and everything is all right because God loves us all. Grace means, indeed, that God accepts sinners. "Just as I am without one plea ... I come." You may come and I may come. But once I am in his company, he does not leave me "just as I am." He teaches obedience.

Some people say, "God loves you," and they paint smiles on their faces, as if to say that now all the lights are green. But the love of God never means a go-ahead for sinners. Once you experience God's love, you can never be the same again.

Only fools think that you may listen to Jesus without doing what you hear him say. And fools, in God's book, are people who do not really believe. Therefore they do not act. But a wise person is a God-fearing person who has been taught by the gospel how to obey the law.

REFLECTIONS

Jesus tells us to be hearers and doers of the Word. What does that look like in your life?

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This entry is SO amazing and I'm glad that I didn't skip over it, for the sake of being on task. How important it is - to understand that while Grace shows that God accepts sinners, we are not to remain in that sin any longer once we become apart of His body. He wants us to obey the rules, the law He instituted. We cannot remain in our sludgy, filthy, gross sin. We must change as we have been called to do. Not only have we been called to change, we've been given the Holy Spirit who helps us to change as well. If you are not changing and you are living just as if you were not saved, only, now saying you're a believer; I fear for your soul and hope that you will reevaluate your situation.

The Bible is very clear on faith coming first and then action.

Read Romans 6:1-14

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

In my life, I am continually looking to better myself in the ways of the Lord. To be more disciplined, to please the Lord and bring Glory to His name through my actions, thoughts and dreams. There are things in my life that cause me to grieve because I know what I've done is wrong and although I know God has forgiven me, sometimes its very difficult for me. Also - there are things in my life that I'm hoping God will work out in me and bring me to a new level in my walk with Him. That any righteousness that I consider my own will be destroyed and that I will remember that any righteousness that is seen in me, is His righteousness being worked out through me. I am just a conduit to the plans He has for His church on this earth. Lord may I be willing to follow you and not live in sin and not hold on to any old pleasures, but delight myself In YOU! Let us all grab tight of You and not look back at our old ways. Amen! Love you, all.