James 2:26

James 2:26 – “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

Lukewarm Christianity can be so much more dangerous than those that recognize themselves as open opposition to the word of God. Treating salvation as an excuse to live comfortably in sin is even more treacherous than fully acknowledging Christianity in condemnation. In the second case, there is at least some kind of admission of what is required to truly be a follower of Christ.

While we should be conscious of how lovingly we treat those that appear to be lukewarm, we should also be very cautious about not falling into the same pitfalls – this is easier to do than we may assume. Don’t get it twisted – works are not what get us into Heaven. There is no debating that. However, working to expand God’s kingdom should instead be proof of our salvation. When we are truly followers of Christ, we desire to do God’s work.

When we find ourselves in a lukewarm position where we question whether these works are “really worth it”, we should be quick to remember why we do them. Christ never forgot.

Popular posts from this blog

Proverbs 1:1-7 – Chasing the Why

 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 (ESV) True wisdom comes from following the Lord's instruction, not from trying to co-create a plan with Him. Proverbs is a collection of writings meant to act as an instruction to living faithfully for Jewish youth at the time. While Solomon is believed to have been the primary author of these, it's likely that they were meant to be directed towards his own son Rehoboam (1:8). Regardless of whether they were written directly to him or if they had a more broad purpose to educate young men as a whole, what we know for sure is that they provide a strong foundation for living a life filled with wisdom, authored by the wisest man that only lived once. I've been doing a lot of searching for wisdom, because I think I really struggle with life not being a simple equation. I do good, I receive good. I give love, I receive love. I give effort, I receive effort. That...
Read more

Seasons

I've been a cynic when it comes to New Year's for a while. I don't like when people make "resolutions" when they don't have the discipline to actually follow through with improving, and so I've started to see New Year’s almost as a lazy man's holiday over the years. Which is admittedly pretty unfair, and judgmental. Lately, however, I started viewing this time of year in a different light. Instead of using it to look forward to the New Year, on what I can be doing differently, I've started to use it as a time to reflect on what the Old Year has been, and how God's provided during it. Recently, as the Christ Covenant young adults' ministry ended services for the year, the CCYA pastor Thomas Nelson mentioned a feast that's referenced in the Gospels, called the Feast of Booths. It was a feast that God initially commanded the Israelites to celebrate in Leviticus 23, and He provided little detail in terms of how He wanted them to celebrate ...
Read more

Colossians 3:1-4 – Losing Ourselves

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV) Our personal pursuits are only as valid as who they're really in pursuit of. Revisiting this one in the spirit of a new understanding. It gets really easy to fall into the habit of living our lives for ourselves, even if under the pretense that we're "living for ourselves, for Christ." There's no such thing. I become angry with God when He takes away something from me that brings me happiness, which is evidence that I lost sight of what I'm after. What's our end goal here? Let's use prosperity gospel as an example to highlight how we answer that question often times. Practicing th...
Read more