Faith In Action!

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? - James 2:20 KJV

Many say that they have faith. It is easy to say that we have faith, but our actions really tell the truth. Let’s journey through the book of 2 Kings 4 and discover indeed that faith without works is dead.

The chapter begins with a widow whose husband was a prophet; he died and left her with two sons. Her husband feared Adonai, and he was the provider for the family. His death caused a lack and she owed the creditors whom she could not pay. This led to the creditors threat to take her sons as slaves to repay the debt.

In her desperation, she cried out to Elisha the prophet, who is a representative of God in the earth. She sought after a solution to her problem. He did not pray for her and send her away. Interestingly, Elisha did not even give her a direct answer to her problem, but instead he asked her a question. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house? - vs. 2. This miracle that was about to happen required the participation of the widow. It required her faith in action. Elisha was not going to do it by himself.

The widow’s response was, ‘nothing at all, ‘except’ a flask of oil’. Well, God does not need much to move. Actually, what God requires of us is to have faith in Him. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him – Hebrews 11:6 KJV. The only thing the widow had physically was a flask of oil. Well, that was something. That was enough for God to work. The song writer says, ‘little is much when God is in it’.

Elisha gave the widow some instructions and she obeyed them. Now, that is where her faith was in action. What he asked of her did not make sense to the natural mind. She had a flask of oil, yet Elisha the prophet told her to borrow jars from her neighbors, then pour the olive oil from her flask into the jars. Wow! We know that in the end the widow was able to pay her debt and had a surplus to sustain her and her sons.

What are your circumstances? What situation are you faced with? You see, faith and actions work together. Your actions make your faith complete. Put your faith in action and watch God do the miraculous. Remember, faith without works is dead!

Stay Out The Woods!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

In 2 Samuel, King David’s son Absalom rebelled and wanted to take over the kingdom. In chapter 18, the two armies met in a battle to decide who would be king of Israel- David or Absalom. During the war, Absalom led his men off of the battlefield into the woods. This was a wrong decision. The Bible tells us that the woods devoured more than the sword devoured. Twenty thousand men lost their lives. Their location and environment did something to them that their armor could not save them from. 

You see, if you put yourself in situations, settings, or the wrong environment, not even the whole armor of God will keep you. Your own determination and will to love Jesus can’t always stop you from sinning when you put yourself in the wrong environment. Soldiers don’t belong in the woods; soldiers belong on the battlefield. The Bible said the woods slaughtered them. Many people fall away from God, not because the enemy is too strong, but because they put themselves in the wrong situations. There is no demon in hell that can take you out of the palm of God’s hand if you love the Lord. That’s why the enemy tries to keep you away from gathering with other Believers. He wants to lure you away from the right people and get you into the wrong environment. Stay out of the woods!

So many young people with great potential have fallen away from God’s calling on their lives just because they got too comfortable in places they didn’t belong. They got too comfortable in relationships and friendships they needed to distance themselves from. Little by little, they began to go into the woods, just one lousy website, just experimenting, just one date, just one drink, just one party, just sex one time. They didn’t ever think the woods would get a hold of them and keep them longer than they wanted to stay, but the woods began to devour them.

You are in the woods when you’re peeping at pornography on your phone or when you’re listening to sensual music on iTunes. And even though you may be a faithful churchgoer and the blood of Jesus has forgiven you, you have to stay out of the woods, or you will suffer a humiliating, painful defeat. Don't return to that old lifestyle if you have given your life to Christ. Don’t go back to those old relationships. Don’t go back to that old filthy language. Stay out of the woods. Even your armor can’t help you there. A blind man can beat you up anytime he wants to. All he has to do is turn out the lights because you’re on his turf. And when you’re looking at filth, listening to filth, and hanging out with bad company, you’re going into the woods, and the woods will do to you what Satan can’t. You have to come out of the woods and stay out of the woods! 

The Old Self Have To Die

“We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” - Romans 6:6 ESV

What happens when we are born again? We don’t just become better people. Paul explained the change this way: Our “old self was crucified.” It was put to death. Through Jesus, we have become new creatures.

This truth can be hard to understand. We still think in old ways sometimes. These are reasons Paul stressed the analogy of death for the transformation to be complete: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death.” This is necessary that we “might walk in newness of life” (v. 4). In fact, we are new creatures in Christ.

The Bible encourages us to approach life in new ways, to realize why God gave us the Holy Spirit, to help us think in new ways, and to have power we don’t have in ourselves.

I’m from the Islands and when it have Fete, Carnival or J’ouvert…I was front and center. Anywhere a pan knock especially Jam Band, I had to be there. I didn’t care how I look or who say what! Every Carnival, I was ready. I spent hundreds of dollars on my troop costume for the adult parade. But when the Lord got a whole of me, the war within began. I was saved (accepted Christ as Savior), but the Pan Man was still ruling in my soul. Going to jam; out tramping in the street and going to church. I just didn’t have the power to stay away…when I hear “ping deh deh pong”, it’s as if Pan Man was calling my name! One day the Spirit of God came on the inside (Born Again) and kick Pan Man out.  I made Christ Lord of my life and I embraced the Holy Spirit’s help. No matter how I try to go back, I couldn’t. The conviction was too strong. Now, I have no desire or interest...that was just a phase on my journey. I know some of you Islanders (if you’re honest) can relate.

The “old self” thinks about the things of this world…our reputations and pleasures, our feelings and interests. But everything changes when we realize that we “died to this life, and [our] real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3 NLT).

Therefore, we are to give our hearts “to the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2 NLT). We are to set our minds on the things above.

So tell me, what does walking in the newness of life mean for you practically. Today, ask God to give you a deeper revelation of this new life. Truly walk in the Spirit, and don’t be controlled by your old self.

Prayer: Father, I desire to walk in the newness of life. Help me embrace the complete change that has taken place because of Jesus. In His Name, Amen.