To most of us, churchgoers; coming to the church
services is one way for us to show that we are active members of such church.
However when outside of the church service, do we still keep ourselves active
in expressing our faith? Or we simply keep ourselves quiet about it and simply
go along with the worldly deeds of our unbeliever peers.
The brother of Jesus, James, reminds us in his
epistle that faith must be accompanied with works -- "For just as the body
without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." --James
2:26. There are two separate phrases in this verse which are correlated with
each other as the former refers to the church and the latter to its member.
Being member of Christ's church does not start and
end in coming and leaving the church service. Membership starts on the day of
your salvation, the time you accepted Jesus as your Savior and repented on
your sins; and ends in eternity with Jesus. Our physical death will not end our
goal for eternity, it is only an end of our physical bodies but it continuous
until Jesus has return and judge the world. Therefore, in everything we do, comprehend,
think, and feel; it must exhibit our faith which Jesus established in our
hearts. The faith that God gave us as a result of His salvation must support
the fulfillment of the law of God and not to break it. The church that breaks
the law of God does not bear the Spirit of God which he also leaves in us to be
our guide and our power to advance all the good works God asked us to perform.
But being a member of the church is not a guarantee
of eternity because every person has to work on its own salvation. Church of
Christ has already established to bring every soul inside of it. But once you
are in, every member needs to exercise the faith that they accepted, a visible
faith that is lighted up and is giving light especially in darkness.
The faith does not just believe God and knowing
Jesus, it has to be accompanied by works acceptable to God which is
righteousness. As a clue in James 2:19 says "You believe that God is one;
well and good. Even the demons believe that - and tremble with fear."
God
bless everyone!
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