Proverbs 3:27-35 NIV – Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
In King James the word ‘act’ isn’t even mentioned. The book of Acts is the only place in the King James that word act is spelled out. Maybe because King James was in the same era of Shakespeare when acting was seen as immoral, but who knows.
The word ‘act’ can be taken two ways. Act in a play. Do you act like you love someone? Or do you do kind acts for those you love? Do you ‘act’ only in front of other Christians, or do you do things like getting up at 2 am and take someone (who can never pay you back) to the ER without publishing it on fb or telling everyone. To ‘act’ in modern english means to fake it. Churches, Christianity and mankind as a whole is filled with actors.
Narcotics Anonymous and AA says to ‘fake it til you make it’. That statement helps me a lot as I navigate lfe . It’s a true and wise statement but not in the Bible. That being said, I fake it. I ‘act’ daily. I don’t really say how I feel, when asked. I ‘act’ like I don’t hear insults, or not tempted when offerred an ice cold beer in 106 degree heat. When people drop in (continuously) I act like I am happy to see them. I usually am not happy or recognize them at first, but I act like it. Within a few seconds, I am usually happy about the visit. If not, I continue to ‘act’ happy anyway.
Sometimes in life I get offended, or physically hurt by a friend. Never intentionally, but I want to react none the less. Mindfulness (being in the moment) USUALLY reminds me to respond in love, to reflect the image of Christ. I act like it doesn’t bother me. Was I honest? No. Did I ‘act’? You becha! But I preserved a friendship by biting my tongue in order to maintain them as friends. I am no longer angry, in pain, or hurt. Usually the sting only lasts seconds. So it’s worth it.
Acting is usually a bad thing though. Actions are usually good if they come from a good place. I believe there are 3 signs of having a saving faith in Jesus. Peace, joy and ‘act’ion.
Like I said, besides the book of Acts the word ‘Act’ isn’t mentioned in the KJ Bible. But the Bible is full of the ACTs of the Holy Spirit and of believers.
Individual actions mark a true believer. Not a big fan of coorporative actions. There is too much acting in groups. Not many genuine acts from the heart. Instead of showing off for God and His Angels, the temptation is there to show off for your pastor or fellow church goers. Corporate actions are scheduled group events. Actions from the individual´s heart are a lifestyle. You don’t need, or want, cheerleaders.
What are some actions to show a ‘saving faith’?
1. Speaking –
Romans 10:9: “If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”
When I really got saved, I made a vow. I told God that I was going to be a ‘silent believer’. A minute later, Jesus filled my heart with God’s Holy Spirit and I learned that there is no such thing.
Telling people your denomination, or that you have church membership is not evangelizing. Telling people that you sing in the choir or are an usher means absolutely nothing. If you are saved, you will evangelize. You tell others the Good News. I try to start by asking ‘Do you know the reason Jesus had to die?’ Or ‘do you know someone that keeps the 10 commandments?’
When you get saved you bubble over. Saving the whales, neutering dogs, civil rights, politics, dietary choices, your career or business etc. may still be important to you, but your passion is souls. The rear becomes shelved, or at least takes a rear seat. If you make an overly aggressive political stance, you loose the opportunity to share the Gospel. 1,000 years from now, Biden and Trump will be forgotten. What you do with the Truth of the Gospel won’t.
You can only be truly passionate
about Jesus, or you can be passionate about all the other stuff. I remember a church leader when I was seeking God. (Side note: there is nothing wrong with seeker friendly churches, better than being seeker ‘unfriendly’ by far.). I told him (this church leader) that yes I was seeking the truth but he tricked me into going to an Amway event. I thought he wanted to talk to me about Jesus. He just wanted to sell me some soap. It was so awkward. Wierdest thing about it was, he sermed more visibly excited about his business than about Jesus.
If you aren’t passionate about Jesus, you need to make it your priority. The more you know Him, the more passionate you will be about Him. You can’t serve two masters. You won’t be able to help yourself once you have a saving relationship with Him. Jesus is only logical Master to choose. You become filled with joy unspeakable, peace, a hope and certainty, and an overwhelming concern for the souls of those around you. You burn through your friends and family fast. You act out what you truly believe. Speaking, telling people about Jesus is an action. Confessing Him as well.
John 4:28-29 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
Speaking shows who you are. Not only what you speak but how you speak. Faith comes by hearing. 39% of Americans learn by hearing. Can’t hear the Gospel (Good News) if you don’t speak it.
2. Praying –
1 Thessalonians 5:16, which reads, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing
Pray all the time. Alone, in the spirit as well as outloud with others. I ask friends to pray and fast with me sometimes. Often, the reply is that they don’t feel led to. The correct verbage is that they don’t want to. The word ‘led’ just sounds more religious.
Pray silently in the spirit, non stop. Just Pray, it doesn’t matter. Pray out loud. Pray for others and lay your hands on the sick. Pray walking. Pray swimming, laying down and excercising. I find myself often praying in my dreams. I wake Winnie up. I love praying. 2 noteworthy things happened to me when I got saved. I suddenly actually liked being around children and I was continuously conversing God, although I never have heard His voice.
3. Going –
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
It doesn’t say ‘go’ to church to make disciples. It means go to your next door neighbor and be nice to them, and actually love them. Don’t act like you love them, (nothing creepier), really and truly love them. Don’t act! I have travelled the world. I never see people that live next door to a church congregate there. I never ever seen, that I know of, Christians developing a GREAT, CLOSE relationship with their unsaved next door neighbors. Never! Going to church to make disciples is self deceiving. The new Christians in the church are the pastor’s disciples. Discipleship classes to the new believers to help the pastor are great, but it’s not making disciples. The Bible commands us to go and make disciples yourself.
How do you go? Go to the same cashier every week. Does she even know you are a Christian? Invite her to church with her. Sit with her in church, not with your buddies in your click. Go to your work place and make disciples, don’t hang out with other believers. Do your co-workers even know that you are saved and they aren’t? Inviting them to church is great, but just telling them that you go to church does not tell anyone anything other than that you go to church. Wearing christian apparel or a cross means absolutely nothing. I saw a BOLO APB once put out by the police ‘be on the look out for serial armed robber wearing a ‘Smile! Jesus loves you!’ Tee-shirt. No joke!
Does your neighbor know you are saved and they aren’t? Or do you only mumble a quick hello then talk bad about them, behind their back? I think the correct word is, hissing. The base word for gossip in greek is slander, a base word for Satan.
Go to your next door neighbor and tell them the Good News of Jesus. Ask them if they know about it. Most people do not, you’ll be surprised. I met an older, american guy on a park down here. Sat on a bench with him waiting for someone. He asked me what brought me here. I simply told him that I got saved, read ‘GO’ in the Bible, jumped into my pickup and drove down to the mission fields of Nicaragua. He was a complete stranger. My appointment showed up and we politely parted ways. He wrote me a letter many years later saying he had no idea what I was talking about when I said ´saved´. But now he got saved too! Praise the Lord!!
Sometimes people said they’re not led to ‘go’. See above in praying. Not led means ‘don’t want to’ in ‘Christianese’
4. Loving –
Romans 5:5 because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Love! To have Jesus’ mad, crazy extravagant love is my only goal! I am being transformed into His image daily. Jesus’ crazy, mad love in my heart increases every day, for absolutely everyone. I spend at least an hour a day trying to make amends for all my social snafus that I made in my life, recently and even over the ages. Very rarely am I successful. But as I am a missionary, putting absolutely everything on the altar of service for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God often speaks to me in this following verse. Is it in context? Nope! But I obey Him anyways.
Matthew 5:23-24 says, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
If the offended are not willing to be reconciled, what next? IMHO Probably was never your brother to begin with, you’re free.
5. Repenting-
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out
First thing a saved sinner needs to do is to stop sinning and preach the Gospel with his lifestyle
‘ Evangelize, Evangelize and when all else fails, open your mouth’. St. Francis of Asisi
6. Doing –
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves
If i just hear something or read it, it doesn’t stick. I need to do it to remember it, to apply it to my life
Acting doesn’t reveal saving faith, but acting out of your heart does.
Love, Dean and Winnie
