Text: James 2:14-26.
What else do we speak of The Christian faith but of love for the Author is love. A profession of faith is meaningless without good works i.e acts of love (see 1 John 4:8,16; James 2:17)
The people of Antioch called the early disciples Christians because of what they saw in them. They reflected Christ. Christians should therefore show to the world who we are by good works (Acts 11:26; James 2:18b). Abraham showed faith by his work as he gave God his all (Genesis 22:12; James 2:21-23).
We must show these good works towards God and man in love by demonstrating love to God in obeying Him and doing all you can to bring men to Him. We should also show God’s type of love to others by using all resources at our disposal— clothes, shoes, food, money, vehicle, time, skills etc— to meet the needs of others.
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a, Apostle Paul describes true love.
“Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need.”
~Thomas Aquinas.
We are to note that God’s type of love is kind to the unkind, to love our enemies (see Matthew 5:43-47). God loved us, even when we were yet His enemies (Romans 5:8). Do not repay evil with evil and pray for persecutors like Stephen (Acts 7:60).
John the beloved showed that the perfect way we can love God is to obey His words (1 John 2:5). He further described God’s type of love as the PERFECT love in 1 John 4:17. This is the kind of love God expects from a Christian.
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
~James 1:27.
Shalom!
Gospel Academy 