Faith without works is dead...

For many years I yearned to be useful for God. I also thought in the back of my mind that if I did some good works hopefully God would let me into heaven. In the front of my mind I knew that no works that I could do would help me to earn salvation. That Jesus of Nazareth has died for my sins on the cross and I am purchased by Christ Jesus and hidden in Christ before the Father. 

 

The enemy had planted the thought that I wasn’t worthy and therefore perhaps if I tried really hard to keep doing the right type of things that I might still earn my way into heaven. Even though I already knew that thought was foolishness. This was very depressing. I felt that I didn’t measure up and I had doubts that I could be saved or that God could really love someone like me at all. The enemy had planted that seed that he often plants in the hearts of Christians to damage our faith and to hinder our witness to those around us. 

 

As a consequence I compared myself to others around me and found myself lacking. This made going to church nearly impossible because I saw myself as being worthless and just an impediment to those around me. The result is that I stayed away rather than go to church and constantly feel inadequate. Actually I still don’t attend church for that reason. I know I should but I just devote myself to being useful to God through blogging and trying to be prayerful and obedient at home. Hopefully at some point Jesus will help me to overcome my feelings of inadequacy. Maybe some of us are supposed to be solitary individuals like some of the Old Testament prophets of God were?

 

James 2: 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. NKJV

 

Faith without works is dead. I believe this to be absolutely the case. Everyone I know who is a genuine John three sixteen Christian has over time become obsessed with the need to win people to Christ and devote every effort to become a temple of God and dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Part of being grafted into the vine is being aware that God is pruning with the intention of the believer bearing fruit. Those who bear no fruit run the risk of being cut off so you see this is a serious business. Works won’t get you into heaven. Only Christ’s redemptive work on the cross will, but if there are no works... Is your faith in Jesus of Nazareth alive?

 

John 15: 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

 

So regardless of what the devil brings against you. You need to know that Christ Jesus has won the victory for you already. You want to bear fruit. God wants you to bear fruit. So ask God to show you where you can bear fruit and look at the areas that you know you can contribute too. Think about your strengths and talk to the Lord about your gifting and what he would inspire you to do. Everyone has a different part to play.

 

I have a gift to write. My writing is connected to the work of the Spirit in my heart. He guides me to write the things that he wants me to get out there. He inspires me and I follow the themes he reveals to me. Sometimes I run out of ideas and I have to pray for the next topic to come to my mind and I always quickly move on to the next focus. If I were to do video I don’t think that I would be very successful because my mouth is connected to the flesh. My writing comes from within and isn’t connected to the flesh or the world. I feel that the Lord uses my best part when he gets me to write about something.

 

So don’t let the enemy talk you out of what ever you feel the Lord Jesus is leading you to do for Him. Just pray about it and He will show you the way he needs you to go. I remember a story about a man who felt that he couldn’t witness to anyone. He decided he needed to serve Jesus Christ as best he could. So what he did was pray for the lost and walk up to complete strangers as the Spirit led and he would ask “Where will you spend your eternity?” One day the pastor of a church asked his congregation if anyone would like to share testimony of how they got saved. Several people stood and told of how a man had come up to them and asked “How will you spend your eternity.” and described how this had led them to give their hearts to the Savior.

 

Their is simply no need to be afraid to do what you can to promote the gospel at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Remember to resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4: 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. NKJV The the apostle James also said “Faith without works is dead.” Now works may not get you into heaven but they will certainly ensure that you are not friendless when you get there. If you can’t do it for yourself then do it for the dear folk that you know that aren’t going to be in the Kingdom of God if you say nothing at all. Do it for Jesus of Nazareth and Dare to be a Daniel. 

 

Reference List

 

All scriptures reproduced from http://www.biblegateway.com and the New King James Bible. 15.11.2018