Putting Faith Into Action

Last night I had the opportunity to watch two people put their faith into action.

I was with my daughter as a man worked on the brakes on her car. When he had finished putting the new brakes on she asked him how much she owed him. She had been told that the labor for putting on new brakes was about $100 or maybe a little more. She stood there shocked when he told her $40.

She handed him more than he asked and we left.

Now you might be asking what does this have to do with putting ones faith in action and that is a good question.

Here is my take on what happened.

The guy works as a mechanic in a dealership and gets paid for each car he works on. He has a family and one of his children is a special needs child. The day he worked on my daughter's car was a slow day and he spent all day at the dealership and did not work on any cars so he received no pay for that day. Getting $100 for the brake job would have gone a good way toward replacing the income he did not receive that day.

The church this man attends teaches that we are to help the widows, single moms and orphans. He was putting into practice what he was being taught. The roots of his actions are found in James 1: 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

My daughter is a single mom who is working and going to school. Every dollar is needed as she takes care of four children with little other financial assistance. When she heard him say what he was charging she could have given him exactly what he asked for but instead she gave him more although not as much as she thought she would have to pay. She was practicing what the church she attends in paying a man a fair wage for the services he performed. Her actions are based in Proverbs 3:27-28 (The Message) 27-29 Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God's hand for that person. Don't tell your neighbor "Maybe some other time" or "Try me tomorrow" when the money's right there in your pocket. Don't figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor when he's sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.

Both the man who worked on my daughter's car and my daughter put their faith into action. Their actions were not acts to be saved but acts resulting from their salvation.

As I walked to my car the Holy Spirit moved me to tears because I was able to watch two followers of Jesus acting in such a way that made the Father smile.

Are You a CINO?

Larry came out of the building feeling excited about what he had heard. He was pumped and ready to do something. He and his wife went out to eat with friends and had a great time. He went home pulled the lawn mower out of the shed and mowed the yard. Then he and his wife watched television and went to bed.

Monday morning Larry got up at his usual time, ate his usual breakfast with his usual cup of coffee. He showered, shaved, dressed for work and headed off on the same usual route to work. He worked just as he usually did and left work at the usual time. As he drove home he took the same usual route and arrived at the usual time. He got on some work clothes just as he usually did and went to work in the yard. When his wife arrived home he gave her the usual smile and wave. After working together in the yard as they usually did they went in for a similar meal as they usually did, watched some television and then went to bed at the usual time.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were just like Monday with same usual routine. When Saturday rolled around he and his wife did the same usual routine they did every Saturday. On Sunday they got up as they usually did and headed off excited to hear another great sermon and worship to stirring music just as they usually did.

The above story is about Larry who is a CINO, a Christian In Name Only. Each week he worships to stirring music and listens to a terrific sermon. Each week he leaves services pumped but each week he begins Monday an unchanged man just as usual.

What are the characteristics of a real Christian? Is it found in performing miracles? Is it found in having high morals? Is it found in church attendance? Is it found in your church? As I close this post I am not going to point my finger at you and tell you that you are probably no different than Larry and YOU are a CINO. What I am going to do is list some scriptures for you to look up and decide for yourself, with the help of the Holy Spirit, whether you have been living a CINO life style. If you do not find yourself in these scriptures you are probably a CINO. 

Matthew 5: 1-12

Matthew 5: 13-16

Matthew 5: 23-24

Matthew 12: 36-37

Matthew 18: 15-15

Matthew 25: 35-36

The good news is the Holy Spirit with your permission is waiting to change that.

James 1: 22-23

James 5: 16

If you found that you are living a CINO life I would love to hear from you because you are now taking the first step in becoming a Follower of Jesus because you are acting upon His words.

How do people see you?

Mark 2: 14 And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose and followed Him.

John 10: 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

1 John 2: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Jesus is calling you to be His follower, to hear His voice and to walk as He walked.

In a court of law would there be enough evidence to find you a follower of Jesus? or Would the court instead find that you were a follower of an organization?

It is natural for us to want to belong to and be identified as part of a group. It is something I have to fight daily. I once was involved with a church that was a cult and that put more importance in keeping the law, the Holy Days of Israel and watching the foods we ate than we did in the life and sacrifice of Jesus. I would have been found to be a follower of that church instead of being a follower of Jesus.

I once heard a joke about a Baptist who arrived at the gates of Heaven and was met by St. Peter. The Baptist proud that he had arrived at the gates of Heaven asked St. Peter, "How many Methodist are in Heaven?" St. Peter replied, "Oh there are no Methodist in Heaven." Then the Baptist asked, "How many Lutherans made it to Heaven?" St. Peter looked him in the eye and said, "There are no Lutherans in Heaven." The Baptist feeling safe then asked, "So Heaven is full of Baptist?" St. Peter looked at him and smiled, "My friend there are no Baptist in Heaven, only followers of Jesus are in Heaven."

Are you known as a Methodist, a Baptist, a Catholic, a Lutheran, or some other Christian organization more than you are known as a follower of Jesus? Are the traditions of your church more important than the things Jesus instructed us to do? Does your heart go out to those of your church more than it does to those outside of the church?

Jesus Is Our Pattern
Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, but He is also our pattern. The Bible teaches that we are to imitate Him.

PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Think as Christ Jesus thought.
PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Imitate Jesus
1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

I want to encourage you to take the time and look at the Gospels to discover Jesus' actions, what His heart was moved by and what His ministry was. You are called to take those same actions. You are called to have the same heart. You are called to ministry. You are called to think and be like Jesus. You are not called to be religious or to be anything but a follower of Jesus.

As a follower of Jesus I believe you will find the following:
1. You will think like Jesus.
2. You will begin to identify with the ministry of Jesus.
3. You will find it easier to share the Gospel with others.
4. You will not feel pressured to convert those you share the Gospel with.

People are more interested in Jesus than your membership with an organization.