Faith is a curious thing. It is simple, yet people complicate it. They want to add to what Jesus has done. They want us to believe that we can make ourselves acceptable to God on our terms.They use a false standard and this only muddies the waters and perhaps endangers their salvation. They think that they have to do something better or in a certain way when in fact it isn't about doing anything and in fact it isn't even about us. Jesus has done all of the work. All we need to do is to receive what he has done.However, just calling ourselves Christian does not make us one. Jesus said,
Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
This appears to add confusion, but if you read the previous passages you will see that Jesus is talking about putting faith into action be loving others and taking care of the poor and needy.Our faith then cannot save us if it is false. We need to not only speak the words, but live them. It isn't the words or the actions that save us. when we genuinely believe then we act differently towards God and others. It is something that just happens. James says a similar thing,
James 2: 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 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? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
There is a synergy that exists between faith and action. When we believe we act. If we don't act then we do not truly believe. It isn't the action or deeds that save us. They merely mirror our faith.John sees the same thing when he says,
1 John 3; 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Notice in all three instances the emphasis on action. Love is a verb. It is action. When we love God we act in obedience and we love him and others as God loves us.This is not written to add confusion. John tells us that we can be confident if we have God's love in us. All of 1 John talks about what it means to be an authentic Christian and gives the signs and tells us how to distinguish real from counterfeit. James has a similar theme.What distinguishes Christians is love. Love for God and love for others. It isn't just talking about love but acting loving. Words can lie. People can lie to themselves, but God can't be fooled. That is why Jesus said he will denounce people who call him Lord. They never really understood the message. Their works were meant to impress and were selfish in nature. Christian love is selfless.We can't know for absolute certain, but we can be confident if we truly love God with all of our hearts and minds and love others more than we love ourselves. These things should not only show themselves in our words, but they should be mirrored in every aspect of our lives.There is faith that is insufficient. It is superficial and self centered. It is based on the lie of "what is in it for me?" We don't become Christians out of fear of what will happen if we don't believe or because there is reward in it. We become Christian because we love God and it is this simple truth that makes all else possible. It puts God first, others second and us last. It is the way God designed the universe.The truth is so simple and so wonderful that it escapes many people. For most people Christianity is just an extension of their busy lives, an add-on, a mere blip and then they go on as before, unchanged and unimpacted. They are in for a rude awakening. God does not want to share the spotlight with anyone else or anything else. For the authentic Christian, knowing God changes everything. It sets everything to right. It puts things in the right perspective and we cannot help but change. It is a life altering experience to be in a relationship with the great majestic God who made the universe. He becomes glorified in everything we say or do. He is our reason for being. Nothing else matters to us and so God never has to share the spotlight.When you look at society at large or even the church, you have to be worried for people. They may say they have God, but he is shared so many ways. He is just a small part of their existence. They cannot be Christian or they would not want to him to compete for their attention.