[lead dropcap="yes"]It's often in the wake of a great tragedy that we become soberly aware of where we stand in our faith. It is in times like this that our beliefs and actions that stem from those beliefs are tested.[/lead]While our nation tries to make sense of the recent series of tragic events we have endured, Pastor Rich encouraged us to put our faith into action with a message entitled, “Faith and Deeds.” The book of James charges believers to work out their faith through actions in their everyday living.

Faith & Deeds

Faith and deeds go hand in hand. For our faith to be put into action we need to make sure we are focused on the right believing. Our good deeds spring from the right belief system of God’s love for us first. Hence, our salvation is not based on good works but on the belief in a good father that will give his only son, Jesus for us. But the result of that salvation should be displayed through good works that show we are growing in our faith.

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.James 2:15-17

Right believing leads to right livingRich Wilkerson Jr.

Pastor Rich gave us two thoughts to inspire us in putting our faith to action:

1. LOVE THE PROMISE GIVER MORE THAN THE PROMISE ITSELF

Our faith journey entails different seasons in life and for that reason, God gave us promises to give us hope in the trying moments that might cause us to doubt in a present situation. However, we must be careful that in our striving for God’s promises to be revealed in our lives, we don’t forget the promise giver along the way. Let’s love the giver, and not the gift.

2. KNOW YOUR POSITION OUTWEIGHS YOUR PRACTICE

Sometimes it can be difficult to see how God is working in our circumstances because we view ourselves from the wrong position. We may not always live up to the practice of our faith, and sometimes, we might even stumble in our faith walk. But we must remember this faith journey isn’t about being perfect but being aware of the position we have in Christ. When we align our thoughts with what God says about us in His word we will see amazing things happen in our lives.

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