4/6/17

ACTIVE FAITH Donald R. Fox


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ACTIVE FAITH
Donald R. Fox

When you feel bad physically or mentality, your activity level is reduced. The very fact that you are not active as you normally are has a tendency to make you feel “out of sorts”, “not up to par”. With this feeling we can also get a “little grumpy”. Know what I mean, bet you do! We all go through such periods in our life.

Active, activity is defined in part as: “functioning; working; causing action; normal power of mind or body; energetic action; liveliness; alertness...” Worst still is when a Christian without comprehending, understanding, they accept as normal non-activity. We set ourselves up as a Christian to fall into non-active passivity. Notice the following scriptures: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:14-17) “But will thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20) The conclusion is; that we must be active if we be a follower of Jesus Our Savior.

I know of Christians that are now aged, have slowed down, yet they are still actively engaged in works. They write letters of encouragement, they make telephone calls to those who are weak in soul and sick in body. They are still “functioning; working” active in what they can or able to do. Passivity, non-activity must not enter our Christian life.

Liveliness is found in the Word of God, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) You see, the Word of God is active, powerful, and energetic. Christians must produce this type of activity in order to remain true to the Word, because, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”