How Do We Maintain Freedom?
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:25
When what I do flows out of what I believe there is freedom. Freedom from the fear of eternity in hell, knowing the security of my salvation is based on faith in the gospel of Jesus. Freedom from guilt, knowing when my conduct aligns with what I believe my conscious is free. Freedom from hurt, knowing the grace of God brings healing to my heart. Freedom from striving, knowing the Holy Spirit fills and empowers my soul to find sustaining strength for life’s journey!
James gives a very insightful, one sentence dissertation into the truth of the Christian life. He describes how the creed of what we believe is to define the deeds of what we do. As we look intently into the perfect law of the gospel, our continued gaze on God produces faith’s fruit of good deeds. And, as we continue in this lifestyle of loving the Lord and obeying the Lord we will be blessed in the very act of doing. The Holy Spirit ambushes us with blessings as we do good!
“Blesseth is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3
Do you take time to intently look into the things of God? You may possess faith, but does your faith possess you? Without the exercise of your faith applying what you hear and see, you only work against intimacy with Christ. Knowledge about God is like manure, you can store it up in the barn of your mind: proudly stacked, dried up and useless or you can spread it across the field of life and make other lives grow and flourish. Faith without works finds freedom elusive!
Best of all—you are blessed in the process of blessing others. The Lord prepares you to be a blessing in your “being time” and then He blesses you during your “doing time”. In due time others become infected by faith in Christ and the cycle of becoming a blessing multiplies, as the Spirit draws and makes disciples through your love and obedience. Never forget works follow belief. First, lay the foundation of faith in Jesus then build custom rooms of good works!
“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14: 10-12.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow my heart of faith to find freedom in You and to express my beliefs with my ever growing good works, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What act of kindness can I quietly do today to bless another?
Related Readings
Psalm 19:7; John 5:1-17; John 8:32; Galatians 2:4; James 2:12; Philippians 2:13; Matthew 5:16
