But be doers of the word, and not hearers only… (James 1: 22)

One of the more controversial issues in the church is the faith versus works debate. I believe the book of James is quite helpful in this regard because it points out that our salvation should be evident by the way our faith works itself out and not by the way we add works to our faith.

God made His plan of salvation visible to the world when He became a physical man. If we want to share our faith with others, then we must also make it physically present to them. God became incarnate in Jesus, and as the Body of Christ, the church must do the same. We, as the church, are not called to pull out our wallet and show pictures of how much we resemble Jesus but rather to allow others to put their fingers in our wounds and see that we are His body.

If our faith is just cud for intellectual rumination then it remains a mystery to those who don’t know where to graze.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 18-20)

Through the Great Commission Jesus made it clear to His followers that it was time for their faith to hit the road. Sadly, the world tries to curtail this activity because it gets a bit nervous whenever it hears Jesus’ footsteps. We see this today in the judicial confirmation hearings which have scrutinized the faith of prospective judges. They seem fixated on denying the judicial passports of these nominees because they fear they will smuggle religious contraband into Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. The culture, in order to prevent Jesus from making a footprint in the world, encourages us to get our religious energy out by exercising our faith in the confines of our home gym. Heaven forbid the Body of Christ pop up alongside some citizen, open up the scriptures, and give them heart burn. The world encourages religion without engagement, and it is fine with Christianity as long as it leaves out the discipling, baptizing, and teaching. In other words, Christianity is OK as long as it practices the Great Omission.

True Christianity is not giving lip-service to God but rather being his hands and feet. Faith alone may save you, but it won’t save others. If you want to make a Christian footprint in this world then you must be willing to take a giant step outside your mind. 

You stare at me in disbelief
You say for you there’s no relief.
But I swear I’ll prove you wrong.
Don’t stay in your lonely room
Just staring back in silent gloom.
That’s not where you belong
Come with me I’ll take you where the taste of life is green
And everyday holds wonders to be seen.

Come with me, leave yesterday behind
And take a giant step outside your mind. (Take A Giant Step, by Goffin and King, One of my favorite Monkees songs.)

Photo by Zack Minor on Unsplash