Talk is Cheap

 

Matthew 21:28-31 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went. And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” 

 

I remember one of my adult Bible Study teachers stating that in a legal Contract Agreement for work or services rendered, the written document describing the amenities and signatures are not realized until the actual commencement of said work of services. Words, whether written or spoken, are qualified by doing what you say you were going to. The same is in the Christian faith. The word Christian is defined as a real disciple of Christ; one who wholeheartedly professes of his belief in Jesus Christ, believes in the truth of the Christian religion, and studies to follow the example, and obey the precepts of Christ as Lord and Savior of their life; a believer in Christ who is characterized by real piety, walking the talk. 

 

James 2:15-19 gives the example, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Author and Pastor Frances Chan states in his book “Crazy Love” that “the lives of many people that call themselves “Christians” in America lack manifestations of a vital and active faith. God doesn’t want us to have good Theology; He wants us to know and love Him. The thought of a person calling themselves a “Christian” without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd.”

 

In Mark 7:6-7 Jesus said, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.  And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Lip service never cuts it. Pastor Chan clarifies that “God wants our best, deserves our best, and demands our best. Our leftovers are not merely inadequate from God’s view point, they’re evil”. What scares me most are people who are lukewarm and just don’t care. How could we think for even a second that something on this puny little earth compares to the Creator and Sustainer and Savior of it all.” Jesus declared in John 14:15, 23-24, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. The one who does not love Me does not follow My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 

 

As a Christian, to deny yourself, take up your Cross and follow Jesus means to stand up and get off the throne of your life, repent and die to sin, and allow Christ to take your seat on the throne and be the Lord of your Lord, following, learning and obeying Him out of transformational love and gratitude. We must always seek the glory of God before my own, following the Lord in everything we do and everywhere He leads us. Jesus explains in Luke 6:46-49, “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, building your foundational faith on the Rock of your salvation.

 

Talk is cheap, but faith in action is of eternal value.

In Christ, Brian