This entry is full of Bible verses, so get ready! At one of the Bible studies I attend we are going through a book titled “Se hizo hombre” (“He was made man”) by Pable Hoff. Last week, the leader said something in regards to the topic that night that really hit me: “La prueba de nuestra fé se muestra en nuestra obediencia,” which translates to “The proof of our faith is shown in our obedience.”
The beautiful thing about it, though, is that when we obey, we are not trying to earn God’s approval. Though we may sometimes struggle to believe it wholeheartedly, He loves and accepts us just as we are. We cannot do anything to earn God’s love, or salvation, on our own. Perhaps the most frequently quoted scripture in regards to this is Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
But what about what James has to say on the matter? James 2:14-17: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” At first glance, that almost seems contradictory. We’re saved by faith, not works, but faith without works is dead?
This next part is key. John 14:15-21 says: “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
Faith is what saves us. If we have faith in God, we will love him for who He is and all He has done. That seems to follow naturally. If we love Him, we will obey His commands. In short, faith leads to leads to love, which leads to obedience.
What, then, does God command us to do? When asked by the Pharisees which commandment was most important, his response was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). You can’t love your neighbor if you are only focused on your own needs and desires. Truly loving them will result in taking action of some sort to show that love. That action will be different for everyone, and it can change from day to day. It could be helping out with disaster relief across the country or world. Volunteering in your local community where you see a need. Even speaking a simple word of encouragement to a friend or coworker who is having a bad day. Those actions are not what save us by any means, but we do them because we love the Lord and want to be obedient.
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