Pleasing God - By Acclaiming Faith - July 3, 2013

James 2:14
14 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?

Matthew 7:21
21“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Real faith is not just something you feel or think or believe. But James tells us that real faith -- the kind that pleases God -- is something you do.

Real faith is not just something you say. The Gallup Poll says there are fifty million people in America who say, "I am a Christian." But just because a person claims to be, doesn't mean they are.

Typically, we label people "believers" today if they vaguely sound Christian. We say, "Oh, he must be a believer." At the end of a World Series, some player will come on TV while the champagne is spraying, and say, 'I just want to thank the good Lord." We think, "Oh, he must be a Christian; he said "Lord'" Well, not necessarily. Many celebrities claim faith but then we see no change in lifestyle or behavior.

So real faith is more than just talk. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, "Not everybody who says to me, `Lord, Lord' is going to enter into heaven." Not everybody who claims to be a believer really is a believer.

James points out there is a big difference between being a professor and a possessor. Talk is cheap, because faith is more than just something you say.

To express our faith completely we have to show it through our actions. How we treat others when people aren’t looking, putting others before ourselves, getting involved at church for the right reasons , etc. Anyone can say that they strongly believe in God, but you can really tell by how they live their lives and through their actions. Instead of just saying that you believe in Jesus, you have to show it: actions speak louder than words. I think if someone truly believes in God whole-heartedly, they wouldn't have to say it to convey their faith, because people would just be able to notice through their actions. I guess it’s the same with what God did for us. God showed us how much He loves us through His actions by sending Jesus, His Only Son, to die for the world.

Many claim to be Christian but what do they do with their faith?
Some think that just showing up occasionally on maybe Christmas and Easter are considered Christians. Some think Christians are people who show up every Sunday and sit in the front row...

But I don't think it matters how many times you show up to church. What matters is if your heart is open to God. Most people with the Holy Spirit do end up comming to church more often than others. But that doesn't mean that everyone who has a close to a perfect attendance in church are true Christians. There are so many who come to church with their parents every Sunday and do not ever actually take in the messages of the sermons.
Our hearts must reflect God. Our lives do change when we let the Holy Spirit enter us. But how can our hearts be filled when we are already filled with other things? That is why we need to consistently practice our faith so that we may grow.

Don't just say you are a Christian, show it!

~Audrey~