A Note from Pastor Rich
January 9, 2000
What do you believe? Scripture tells us that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. There is a difference, though, between belief and faith. Maybe it would be better to say that there are different kinds of believing. James stresses the importance of this difference with what we might call living faith and dead faith.
James commended his readers for believing that God is One, but then went on to say that even the demons believe that-and they shudder at the thought. But their faith is dead; it is of no benefit to them whatsoever. But there is a faith that lives. It produces actions consistent with that faith. When a person becomes a Christian, we sometimes also call him a believer, which is to say that he is now in the family of God because of what he believes. But it is more than a recognition of the facts, it is personal ownership of them. It's no longer just, "I believe that there is a God," but now, "I believe I can have a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ, and that is exactly what I choose to do; I actively choose to please God rather than to please men."
My prayer is that God will cause us as a church to have a faith that lives. Not only do we believe all that He has said, but we are willing to actively pursue a life that is pleasing to Him. Let's worship the Lord by the decisions we make for Him everyday.
Your Servant,
Rich
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