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Verse of the Day
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has not deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed.??? But does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.??? Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder."
~James 2:14-18
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Today's Devotional Thought
April 27, 2010 by Wendy Foreman
True Faith
Have you ever stopped and thought about faith and what it is? It is a term that we use all the time in the Christian life.
I heard a woman last night who was giving her testimony and she was talking about when she was younger she always thought that as long as her good deeds far outweighed her bad deeds then she would go to heaven. She talked about how she knew she needed to do good and that as long as she continued to do well in her life and God saw it, then she would see Him someday in Heaven. She obviously realized at some point in her life that the only way to get to Heaven and spend eternity with God was by receiving Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.
I began to think about her as I read these scriptures today. When we become a believer and commit ourselves to living a life that honors Him, our lives should show that change, people should be able to see it. It is one thing to say that you believe in Jesus and the things that He represents, but it is another thing for that faith to change our conduct as well as our thoughts. If we claim to have faith but our lives remain unchanged then we haven’t truly believed.
On the other hand we also can’t serve and do in order to receive salvation from God. Our actions and deeds must come out of our love and faith in God and the salvation He has provided for us through his son Jesus Christ. The things that we do should be proof of our love of and love for God.
These scriptures tell us that even the demons know who Jesus is and they shudder. This makes the point that it can’t just be about believing we must also put action to our belief. True faith involves a commitment of our whole self to God.
Are you committed to God with your whole heart? Do you live your life serving Him in a way that shows others that you have true faith in Him? Have you made changes that honor Him and show Him you love Him?
If you have then I rejoice with you!!! If you haven’t then my prayer is that you will make that decision today. That you will accept Him as your Savior and truly know that He loves you and sent His son to die for you so that you could have eternal life.
Memorize this verse today:
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has not deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed.??? But does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.??? Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder."
~James 2:14-18
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December