…Before your head hits the pillow…

Don’t Be Deceived Part 2

Last night I wrote about not being deceived about where our salvation comes from.  There is NO salvation apart from believing faith in Jesus Christ. NONE!  We cannot be deceived by the world who wants to say that as long as we live a “good” life we will go to heaven.

Our salvation does not come from anything we do, it only comes from the grace of God.  But let’s not be deceived about this either.  Once we come to the Lord, we do not have credence to live in any way we wish.  We cannot merely say, “I am saved and nothing can separate me from God so I can live any way that I wish.”  When we come to know Christ our lives and our actions must show that transformation.

The book of James is very convicting.  It says in James 2:14-17 that our faith cannot be divorced from good works, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

If your life is not showing good works then is your faith real?  That is a question each person must ask.

James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”  A person who professes belief in Christ but continues in his ungodly ways deceives his heart about his true conversion.

In Matthew 12:33-37 Jesus warns with these words, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

God expects transformation when He gives grace.  He expects action. He expects compassion for those in need and He expects us to alter our sinful ways.  James 3:11 tells us, “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?”

If you are truly saved you will WANT to do good works.  You will want to bridle your tongue!  Your life must be a testament of your redemption.  Your life must become each day more and more like Christ.

If you believe you are saved but continue in unrepentant sin, you are deceiving yourself.  How can you be thankful for the sacrifice of Christ and continue using profane language?  How can you be overjoyed about your redemption and continue doing things that you know are wrong?

Let’s not be deceived.  Good works will not save us, but a lack of good works testifies to our salvation or our attitude about our salvation.  This does not mean that we will not slip, because we will.  This does not mean that sin might creep into a corner of our life, because it could.  But this does mean that every day we must work to become more and more like Jesus.

We must desire to care for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  We must look for opportunities to put our faith into action.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  James 1:27.

So don’t be deceived in this either.  A true believing faith will be followed by good works.  A true believing faith will be followed by a transformed life.  Don’t be deceived.