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James 1:22

Many years ago we bought a cardio-fit machine. It was a relatively simple device that looked something like a stationary bike. You were supposed to sit on the seat and pull the handles back while pushing forward on the foot rests. The actions helped to get your heart beating faster while it developed upper arm and leg strength.

The problem was that the device sat in a spare room and no one used it. It was a great exercise machine but it only worked if you actually used it.

Our faith is a valuable thing. The love of God is a tremendous gift to the world, but if it goes nowhere then we aren’t doing what we are supposed to. James has some simple instruction on living out faith. What should we NOT do? What should we do?

The development of our physical bodies, our health and fitness require that we invest the time and effort to accomplish anything. The same is true of our faith. If we will be children of God and people who believe in Jesus we must live out our faith. The result of belief is living out the belief.

It is so easy to be the type of Christian who likes to be fed by the goodness of God. We can find ourselves attending worship services for years and years. We can be the type of person who takes part in Bible studies and learns all the many lessons of our faith. We can enjoy the comforting and heart-warming knowledge of God’s love.

But we need to be more than that. We cannot simply sit and absorb the lessons Jesus presents and then do nothing. The result of faith must be the living out of faith. As James tells us, “Do what it says.”

The last words of Jesus recorded in Matthew are for believers to go into all the world and make disciples. We cannot simply nod our heads in agreement with this wonderful sentiment. We cannot see the validity and necessity of sharing the love of God and then sit and do nothing.

If we will be children of God and true followers of Jesus Christ we will live out what we have heard. We will live out the teachings of Jesus by actually going out and helping those in need, sharing the love of God with others, and being a force of compassion and comfort for those in need.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you do what the Word of God says today?

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James 1:22-25

Most of the time I am clean-shaven, but there have been occasions where I have grown a beard for various reasons. I must admit that during those times there are instances where I look in the mirror and I am momentarily startled to see the beard. I am so accustomed to not having one that I forget I am growing the beard.

Sometimes we can be that way about our faith. We forget that we are Christians and we forget what we are called to do as Christians. What instruction does James offer in verse 22? What comparison is made in verses 23 and 24? What encouragement is given in verse 25?

It may sound silly to hear that a person can forget what he looks like and be startled by his appearance in the mirror, but it does happen. Unfortunately, the same is true of our spiritual walk. It may sound silly to hear that a person can forget he is a Christian, but it happens all the time.

Too many people allow their faith to become dormant and stale. Too many people who call themselves “Christian” do not live or act as Christians. They have forgotten the teachings of the Bible.

If we will be mature Christians and truly devoted to serving our Lord we must look intently into the perfect law. The perfect law, of course, is the teaching and guidance of Jesus. We must invest our time and efforts, our faith, our whole hearts into being Christians – living out our faith and following the example of Christ.

As Christians we should not forget what we have been taught, nor should we forget the example of Christ. We are to live as Christians at all times and live so that our faith is evident to all. James also emphasizes not just remembering our spiritual heritage, but also putting our faith into practice. Verse 22 states that we should “Do what it says” in reference to the teaching of Scripture, a concept restated in verse 25 (“doing it”).

And what is the result? We will be blessed by living as Christians.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What teaching of Christ do you live out? How do you do it?