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Beliefs and works

What good is that if he does not do anything? Can just believing save him?

James 2,14

Do you believe in Jesus? Yes

Do you support the weak? Yes

Are you engaged in the community? Yes

Then you are a good Christian!

False!

The text from James was not about spectacular doings, but about quite normal daily things.
The text is about your belief and the way it affects your behaviour.

It is about your relationship within the family, within your school, in your career, in the group or in the community. If your belief does not go together with your daily deeds, if your friends wonder „what? He wants to be a Christian but he is always telling dirty jokes, lies to his friends and, and, and…“then a few other (positive) things are not much help.

The belief must be transferred into deeds. The belief must have effects. The belief must have an effect on something in your environment. Think about the example of Zacchaeus or Paul of Tarsus. Belief turned their lives inside out. Paul: From persecutor to follower and then proclaimer. Zacchaeus: the biggest rascal and liar in town gave back everything that he took and much more and lived henceforth with Jesus in his heart. The other people were very surprised.

Take a little time to think self critically about your beliefs and your doings!

Does it work – or not?