As Christians, our beliefs should cause a response in our lives. They should cause a change from how we were before we became born again believers, submitting our lives to our Lord and Savior, Jesus, to how we are afterward. Our salvation is not dependent upon our works, as Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly explain, but would salvation and relationship with Jesus should produce fruitful works in our lives. Here are four main actions we do to be doers of the word and not hearers only. (James 1:22)
1. LOVE
is what Jesus said was the most important and second most important commandments from God. Jesus said the first and greatest commandment was, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matt 22:37) The first four of the 10 Commandments are summed up here. Jesus said the second greatest commandment was like the first, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) The remaining six of the 10 Commandments are summed up in loving others as we love ourselves. The message is so simple… Love God above everything else and with everything in you and love others as yourself, yet the execution is literally impossible without the Holy Spirit giving us the ability. Loving God as we want to, instead of loving God as He asks us to, is not showing God the love He deserves. It is the same as saying our opinions and desires are more important than God’s. Let our lives demonstrate that we love God more than anything and are Jesus’ disciples by the love we have one for another.
(John 13:35) (Matthew 5:43-45, 22:36-40; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 6:27-36, 10:27; John 13:34-35, 14:15-23, 15:9-19; Romans 12:9-10, 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13; Galatians 5:13-14, 22-23; Ephesians 5:2,20-34; Philippians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:1-3; James 2:8; 1 Peter 1:22-23, 2:17, 3:8-9, 4:8; 1 John 3:11-23, 4:7-21)
(John 13:35) (Matthew 5:43-45, 22:36-40; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 6:27-36, 10:27; John 13:34-35, 14:15-23, 15:9-19; Romans 12:9-10, 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13; Galatians 5:13-14, 22-23; Ephesians 5:2,20-34; Philippians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 2 Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:1-3; James 2:8; 1 Peter 1:22-23, 2:17, 3:8-9, 4:8; 1 John 3:11-23, 4:7-21)
2. LEARN
what the Bible says and means so that we know what to believe. Man is without limit on opinions of right, wrong, truth, lies, morality and judgments. God, by contrast, is the same yesterday, today and forever. God’s truth is eternal, correct, fair, loving, just, not from this world, full of wisdom, a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, and to sum it up, the most important truth that we could ever learn, because it will affect how we spend our time here on earth and where we spend our eternity. God said that He valued His word above His name, so we should do the same. This emphasis on the studying and teaching of the Word of God, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, is a defining characteristic of our fellowship and the Calvary Chapel movement, which we have been discipled in for over 25 years.
(2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17, 4:3-4; Psalms 1:1-3 Psalms 119:2,9,15-16,105; Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 55:8-11; Psalms 25:8, 32:8, 37:5 ; Proverbs 3:6, 4:11; Romans 10:8,17; Matthew 4:4; John 1:1, 6:63, 8:31-32, 15:7; Luke 11:28).
(2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17, 4:3-4; Psalms 1:1-3 Psalms 119:2,9,15-16,105; Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 55:8-11; Psalms 25:8, 32:8, 37:5 ; Proverbs 3:6, 4:11; Romans 10:8,17; Matthew 4:4; John 1:1, 6:63, 8:31-32, 15:7; Luke 11:28).
3. LIVE
what we have learned and believe from the Bible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said in Colossians 1:10, “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” We want to bring forth not the fruit of the flesh, “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) To be clear, we are all flawed people and continue to be sinners in need of mercy, grace and forgiveness even after becoming Christians. As long as Christians are in these sinful, flesh bodies we live in, we will be convicted and called by the Holy Spirit to repent from our sins and seek to live a life that glorifies God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Our goal is to allow God, through the power of the Holy Spirit to change us, affect us, transform us, uphold us, chasten us, and give us a mindset and heart from Jesus. We want to bear good fruit of the Spirit in our daily and lifelong walk with the Lord.
(Romans 1:17, 6:1-14,18-23, 8:1, 12:1-3, 13:13-14; Galatians 2:20, 3:11, 5:16,25; Ephesians 2:10, 4:1; Colossians 2:6; Titus 2:12; 1 Peter 4:8-10; 1 John 1:6-10, 2:8-10).
(Romans 1:17, 6:1-14,18-23, 8:1, 12:1-3, 13:13-14; Galatians 2:20, 3:11, 5:16,25; Ephesians 2:10, 4:1; Colossians 2:6; Titus 2:12; 1 Peter 4:8-10; 1 John 1:6-10, 2:8-10).
4. LEAD
unbelievers in the world away from a hopeless and lost life dedicated to self, false gods, or human philosophies and introduce them to the only One who can give them eternal truth and life. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Jesus also said in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Most of us were led to the Lord by the witness or testimony of another Christian. Some were given tracts with information about Jesus, salvation, our sin and need for redemption, heaven, hell, the love of God, etc. Others were shown scripture in the Bible and prayed for. In the end, while none of us can do the saving work of God, we are all called to share our faith, sow seeds of knowledge from the Word of God, and pray for God to bring the increase and effectiveness in an individual’s heart. (Mark 16:15; Romans 9-17; Matthew 9:37-38; Matthew 28:19-20; Isaiah 6:8; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-10; Isaiah 45:22; John 3:3, 16-17).
