Just Live It

My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you?

— James 2:14

One of the fantastic benefits of being a Christ-follower is that our faith in Jesus assures us of a clean slate with God. Think about it — everything we’ve done wrong throughout our lives — none of it

will be held against us! All the pitiful ways we treated others, the lies we told and the potential we wasted over the years: it’s all forgiven because Jesus paid the penalty we deserve when he died for us on the cross.

What’s perhaps the most familiar passage in the Bible (John 3:16) sums it up:

God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

It’s a wonderful promise, but let’s keep in mind that having faith in Jesus is more than an intellectual exercise. The reality is that becoming a Christ-follower should mean a tangible change in who we are, what we think … and especially what we do. It’s all about walking the talk, putting our faith in action and being doers of the Word.

The Book of James explains it this way:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Of course, we’re not saved because of any good deeds (“works”) we can do. If that were the case, it would be possible to earn our way to God’s acceptance. Our feeble efforts and good intentions are never enough. There’s nothing we can do except to follow God’s plan and accept his free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Rather than being saved BY our good works, our faith leads us to being saved FOR good works. It’s as Christ-followers that we’re to be his mouth, eyes, hands and feet in our community and around the world — and all to demonstrate God’s love in action. So with apologies to the famous Nike slogan, let’s Just Live it.