Our Actions Reflect Our Beliefs

Scripture:

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.

You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe - and they shudder.
James 2:18-19


Observation:

As human beings, action naturally flows out of our belief system. We sit on a chair because we believe it is strong enough to hold us up. We flip the light switch because we believe the light will turn on. We turn the key in the ignition because we believe the car will start. With this in mind, it can reasonably be assumed that our actions in life reflect our true, deep down beliefs about our faith.

The brothers to whom James writes believe that God is one. But do they really understand what that means? (Do we?) The demons also believe that God is one, and they are “struck with extreme fear*” (they shudder).


Application:

When I truly UNDERSTAND Who God is, I then know that I should be extremely afraid to be in His presence. It is ONLY because Jesus became sin on my behalf that I can have a relationship with Him. That He desires close fellowship with even me is SO VERY HUMBLING.

That being said, here are some random thoughts:

• If I truly BELIEVE God is merciful to me, I will show mercy to others.
• When I truly KNOW God’s love is a gift to me that I don’t deserve, I can then freely share that love with others.
• If I want to make changes in my behavior, that has to start by changing what I believe about that behavior.

God uses His Word to show us how our beliefs are in error. It is IMPERATIVE that my beliefs line up with Scripture. This can only happen if I’m spending time reading, meditating on, and applying His Word to my life.


Prayer:

Thank You for Your Word. Continue to speak to me through It. Use It to make me more like You!




*from The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon