Are You Smoking What You're Selling?

I love the book of James...and I struggle with it.  If anyone is looking for a good self-devo, stop reading this and turn to James instead.  Verses just seem to pop out and scream at me when I read this.  It's affirming and convicting all at the same time. I remember in high school (I wasn't a believer at the time) going through the book of James in youth group. James speaks alot  about living out faith-active, moving, doing. It has got so much jam-packed into 5 chapters. As the holy spirit enables me to understand scripture, I am beginning to evaluate myself in the light of God's truth. Along with this, I am starting to notice more and more how this internal transformation has to follow with an outward transformation.

Why do I study the Bible? Why do I read Lucado, Strobel or C.S. Lewis? When it boils down...I want answers. I want to know things and be able to understand things about God and Jesus and my life. I've learned so much from the authors (obviously the Bible), and that's all good. However, knowing all the answers and having a perfect theology means absolutely nothing if I don't accept it and undergo a transformation because of it. I can have the whole Bible memorized, but if I'm not changed because of it my knowledge is ultimately worthless.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty and perserveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing"-James 1:22-25

It's foolish of me to examine myself in God's mirror (God's truth) and not change my behavior based on my findings.  I know I am a child of God.  I know the life Jesus desires me to live.   I'm discovering the ways I should approach relationships, materialism, the poor, ubelievers, outcasts.  God is very clear on many of these things.  He has spoken about how I am to live my faith out, and I am aware of this.  But does this awareness affect me?

"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that.  So also fiath by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."-James 2:15-17 

 We can express concern, quote scripture, and offer a prayer...we just can't take time out of our day or give somebody our day's wages or have our schedule interrupted...right?  We can speak Christianity, but do we live it? Seriously, if we know the gospel and can even comprehend a smallest amount of the the overwhelming love and grace we receive from God, you would think we wouldn't be so selfish (notice my use of we).

"It is possible for the cross to have done something for a person but not in them.  

As I arm myself with God's truth, I desire to live an active, tangible, outward faith. 1) Love God. 2) Love others.  God has called us to live this way.  However, this is where Christians start to get a bad rep.  As Christians we are sometimes seen as being hypocritical, selfish, anti-gay, anti-abortion, prude, judgemental people.  I, along with many others, am guilty of not acting with love and living out the gospel.  This is my new years resolution-to smoke what I sell.  Don't get me wrong-this is nothing that I can merit myself.  It is only with God's help that I am changed.  I desire to take action.  When God gives me directions and presents me with different situations I should act upon them.

Faith comes from God and every word that He breathesHe lets you take it to your heart, so you can give it hands and feetIt's gotta be active if it's gonna be aliveYou gotta put it into practice, otherwiseIt's about as useless as a screendoor on a submarine-Rich Mullins 

 It's so true!  Acting out our faith has got to be the best way to witness to people.  Jesus Christ is the greatest news ever!  Think of the possibilities-think of how many people we come into contact with daily.  People notice actions and forget words.  I can put on my cross necklace and purity ring every day, but that's not going to bring people to Christ.  I can't lead people somewhere I am not going myself.  I don't have to be a perfect Christian, but I do have to be walking that path.

Here's a clip from spoken word.  It kind of goes along with the topic of acting out what we believe and what we say.  When we look back to history we can see some of the really dumb things that Christians have fought over. (crusades, slavery...I'm thinking big picture) How could they read the same Bible as us, and get some things so wrong?  I sometimes wonder in 200 year what people would say about our generation of Christians.  Especially now, we face new questions of ethics and cultural movements.  As Christians we know God's word is truth...and the value of human life stems from being created in God's image. (James 3:9)   God has been involved in everybody's life, even in the womb (psalm 139).  As Christians, we should seek to find the worth in all people's uniqueness and circumstances and act in ways that demonstrate this.  I've been birthed into certain circumstances and have been shaped by society and experiences, but I know where my identity lies.  I should respond and treat others in a way that reflects my own knowledge of people's worth, God's message of grace, and Jesus' sacrifice.