“In you, LORD my God, I put my trust. I TRUST IN YOU… (Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in ALL your ways submit to Him, and He will MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)) “SHOW me your ways, LORD, TEACH me your paths. GUIDE me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you ALL DAY LONG.” (Psalms 25:1-5)
“We know that we have passed from death to life BECAUSE WE LOVE EACH OTHER. Anyone who DOES NOT LOVE REMAINS IN DEATH (sin). Anyone who hates a brother or sister IS A MURDERER, and you know that NO MURDERER HAS ETERNAL LIFE residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US. And we OUGHT (opheilō: to be under godly obligation) TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.” (1 John 3:14-16)
In the New Testament “duty” is expressed by opheilō, “to owe,” “to be due.” This is not optional, as a Christian, we have an obligation to “lay down our lives” for one another. “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. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith BY MY DEEDS.” (James 2:14-18) OUR FAITH IN GOD WILL BE DEMONSTRATED BY OUR ACTION (what we do!)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham