It requires incredible courage to take the risk of applying faith in God in different areas of our lives. For some there are areas that we feel like applying our faith and trusting God is a no brainier and yet for others those same areas seem like stepping out into the Grand Canyon of trust and faith. Yet, faith separated from application is worthless. The people that I talk to on a week to week basis whose lives are so messed up are often Christians. Not that they don’t have faith for eternity, for their salvation and the forgiveness of their sins, but they are often not applying faith in God’s ways and His Word for their day in and day out living. As a result we often live beneath the privledge God has for us here on this earth, financially, relationally, personally, in every-way.
As we choose to obey and put our faith into action, that is apply it, God promises that we will be blessed. “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” (James 1:22-25)
Last weekend there were a lot of folks who made decisions to put their faith into action, to begin applying their faith. Many of us made a commitment to take the next step this week and apply our faith in one area of our lives that we knew we were not applying it – I love it and can’t wait to here the reports.
Some of you started putting faith into action and applying it for the first time; 2 people made decision to follow Jesus for the first time this last weekend and 10 others made a decision to recommit their lives to follow Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus and you just read that without your heart rate going up – stop and reread it! All of heaven rejoices so we need to as well. Don’t ever let news like that get old.
This coming weekend as we wrap up the Courageous series, I am going to share my personal prayer and wish for all of you (as well as myself) for us to have a courageous resolve as followers of Jesus. I want to share my heart with you this next weekend in a very personal way. If fact if these were the last words that I could say to someone, if this were the last thing you would ever hear me say, this weekend would be what I would say and pray for you.
Can’t wait to see you all this weekend – hope you have a great week. Let this be the week that you don’t just listen to God’s Word but instead that you do what it says: Faith Separated From Application Is Worthless!