"The Lord is righteous and loves good deeds; those who do them will live in His presence" Psalm 11:7 (GNV)
There is a continuous doing that springs from our being; else our being is either dormant or not authentic. In a day of the rising tides/tsunamis of mass media and social networking there is a risk of living vicariously in someone else's faith journey. Instead, you can be inspired by their faith journey into having your own. James put it something like this...
19 Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. 20 God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. 21 So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. 22 Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! 23 Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, 24 walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. 25 But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God - the free life! - even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action. 26 Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. 27 Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. (James 1:19-27 Msg.)
It is only your actions that validate your faith to yourself...'those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.' They are not The Mirror Translation of Jesus! It's not faith for show, it's faith that engenders Father's good works and continually assures you of your secure identity in Jesus! When glancing in that mirror, you see Jesus through yourself acting/doing like Jesus and His true heart in you! That person will daily find delight and affirmation from Papa in the action!
Faith apart from or without action/deeds of good works is dead! That is a very loving thing for Papa to speak to us from His Word! Why? Because He knows how much our security is wrapped up and unveiled through them. Jesus' presence is always verified and experienced by the actions associated with His faith being lived/fleshed out through you and me; who proclaim trusting faith in Him.
Following is another scriptural reason why this is incredibly critical for your security in a very unsure day! His arms, His presence is the only safe place. Run for dear life straight to the arms of God; finding delight and affirmation in the actions associated with His faith life in and through you!
1 I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now when you say, 2 the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. 3 The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance"? 4 But God hasn't moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids Unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing. 5 He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged. 6 Fail the test and you're out, out in a hail of firestones, Drinking from a canteen filled with hot desert wind. 7 God's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. (Psalm 11 Msg.)
This, He has accomplished on Calvary and he puts it on constant display through the fruitful, loving deeds of Jesus in and through us! We are the Mirror Translation of Jesus for us and the world around us!
Safely in His arms where I act like myself in Him! Ron Ross
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