Faith is a Verb

At my place of employment, we celebrate work anniversaries. I celebrated my second anniversary a couple of weeks ago. I received a Starbucks gift card, flowers, and a card signed by all my co-workers. The picture on the front of the card was a woman in a business suit with several arms, each busy doing something. The words on the front said, "To the woman who wears many hats."

It's become a bit of a joke around the office. I do many things. Much more than the job description I was originally hired for. My supervisor tells me sometimes she worries about the day when I leave, as she says it will be impossible to replace me with one person who can do all the same things - she'd likely need to hire at least two (her words). 

Let's say, though, that I had a different attitude. Let's say two years ago when they offered me the position, I accepted it, but then never went into work. Or maybe I came in only for an hour a week to attend staff meetings. Perhaps I even put a few dollars into a jar for someone's birthday celebration now and then. Possibly I thought about my job occasionally during the week while going about my day. I might even have picked-up something position-related to read it for 5-10 minutes once a week or so. I tried to personify what someone in my position should, but since I was never there, what did I really know?

How long would that fly? No doubt they would have tired of such an attitude rather quickly - and I would have been fired.

I fear sometimes many Christians believe faith is like that. Two years ago - or perhaps, when they were a kid - they "accepted Jesus" through a prayer they repeated after the pastor. Now they go once a week to church, or less, if they are too busy. They occasionally drop a dollar or two in the offering plate when it goes by. They think off and on about God while going through their day. Might pick-up the Bible to read for 5-10 minutes once a week or so... or not. They try to be a "good person", as much as they can. And they believe that's all there is to it.

How long can that fly? 

In the words of James, can such a faith actually save you (James 2:14-24)?

If we are merely "calling it in", claiming the name of Jesus but not obeying His commands, should we truly even call ourselves Christians? Christian - which means, "little Christ"? Christianity is about discipleship. About striving to be like Jesus. 

But wait, doesn't Paul say, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Yes, AND... don't stop reading there. The very next verse states, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Created to do good works.

NOT... created to believe. 

NOT... created to attend church.

NOT... created to live a good life.

No, created to do good works.

You were created with a purpose. You were given the grace and strength necessary to live out that purpose. God has given you unique talents and gifts and skills and abilities and experiences that this world needs. That the Kingdom needs.

Christianity is not about what church you attend (though church attendance does help us stay strong in the faith!) or about the bumper sticker on your car or the music you listen to. It is certainly not about who you vote for or your political stances.

Christianity is about following Christ.

Faith is a verb, not an adjective. 

We are to love, as He loved.

We are to serve, as He served.

We are to sacrifice, as He sacrificed.

We are to obey, as He obeyed.

We are to forgive, as He forgave.

We are to make disciples, as He made disciples. To teach and to train up the next generation.

This is an active, living, breathing faith.

What about Romans, however, where Paul writes, "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (10:9)*? Doesn't this negate the importance of our actions?

Let's consider the context. In this section of Romans, Paul is lamenting Jews who have rejected Christ. They rejected Christ because they believed their inheritance as the Jewish people and their adherence to the law was sufficient to save them. In other words, they believed their religion would save them, not God. Paul argues that the law was created in order to point us to our need for grace, and that no one was ever saved by following the law alone - they were saved by faith, put into action through the following of the law. 

Faith... and obedience.

Together.

If you read on in the next few chapters, Paul goes on to talk about how our response to this faith is to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God and to use the gifts He has given us for the benefit of the Church (chapter 12). Clearly, faith is more than mere belief - it moves us to action.

To live differently.

To be different.

Paul saw a connection between faith and action. James, the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the early church, also, when he penned, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26). Some translations say, "faith without deeds is useless."

Useless. Useless to make a difference in this world. Useless to bring others to Jesus. 

Useless even to save us?

Faith is a verb. How will you live out yours?

* It is believed that the so-called "Sinner's Prayer" comes from this verse.