A Call to Action, that is what I would title this section. This is the final post in the 3 part series taking a look at the Christian walk through the symbolism of a 3 strand cord. This last section will focus on Action.The First strand talked about was importance of being in the Word, learning scripture and using it as the standard by which a Christian is to live. The second strand represented prayer, the importance of talking to God and cultivating a relationship with Jesus. This post will focus on the third strand, action.

It is a travesty not to grow in Christ. Salvation is not just saying a prayer and never thinking about it again. True Christians are representatives of God. Our thoughts, our actions, words they represent Christ. People will come to us for a drink, a lot of times without realizing that is what they are doing. We are to be fresh, not stagnant. We cannot be fresh or give fresh water unless we are filled daily.This is what the previous two posts discussed, how to be filled daily. But if you look in nature, the clearest, freshest water isn’t the ponds and lakes, but the rivers. That water which is moving. When you look at a river from any point along the bank, that area has water flowing into it and out of it, it is constantly moving. If it completely stops moving anywhere, the clearness and freshness of the water there will changes over time. The Christian walk is the same.

A believer needs to constantly have new life pouring into them daily as well as allowing that life to pour out of them. Now before anyone misunderstands, I am not saying works are needed in order to be saved. Salvation is by grace through Jesus only, no other way. However,salvation should lead to works. As our lives become more and more like Christ, so will our actions.

Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
we are created for a purpose, God’s purpose. James addressed the connection between faith and works in his teachings:

James 2:14-26

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith[d] save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”[e] Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.[f] 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.
20 Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. 23 So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,[g] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Let’s be careful here, if taken out of context this can lead to confusion regarding saved by grace or by works. I have heard some point to this claiming it proves the Bible contradicts itself. But for something to be a contradiction, then it has to be mutually exclusive. In other words, it is absolutely impossible for both things to occur at the same time. That is the meaning of a contradiction.

There is no contradiction in James. Remember to look at the context. James, chapter 2, has 26 verses: Verses 1-7 instruct us not to show favoritism. Verses 8-13 are comments on the Law. Verses 14-26 are about the relationship between faith and works. CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry) give a great explanation of this verse:

“James begins this section by using the example of someone who says that he has faith but has no works, “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14)  In other words, James is addressing the issue of a dead faith–a faith that is nothing more than a verbal pronouncement, a public confession of the mind, and is not heart-felt.  It is empty of life and action. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17, words without actions). Then he shows that type of faith isn’t any different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith that has words followed by actions. Works follow true faith and demonstrate that faith to our fellow man but not to God. James writes of Abraham and Rahab as examples of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.
In brief, James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alive, hence, “Faith without works is dead,” (James 2:20). But, he is not contradicting the verses above that say salvation/justification is by faith alone.
Also, notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul quotes in Rom. 4:3 amongst a host of verses dealing with justification by faith. James 2:23 says, “and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'” If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have used Abraham as an example. Therefore, we can see that justification is by faith alone and that James was talking about false faith–not real faith–when he said that we are not justified by faith alone.”

We do not serve a sleeping or dead God, He does not want a sleeping or dead bride.The world is stIll waiting for the reality of God, It is to be revealed through the church. How will that happen without the church getting off it’s blessed assurance and putting that faith into action? Looking around at Christianity today, especially in America, it is very reminiscent of a pond or are of standing water. There is a lack of fresh water pouring in and a lack of any water running out. It is covered in scum, has bugs and looks diseased. No wonder church attendance is declining.There is no life. The church was not mean to be an institution held within four walls. It is itself a living entity, the body of believers a whole representing the Bride of Christ.

(For more info on church attendance trends check out:
http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/139575-7-startling-facts-an-up-close-look-at-church-attendance-in-america.html )

If the river stops flowing, it’s not a river Why do we want more from God if we keep it to ourselves To enjoy what others don’t have? That is not the purpose of having God’s spirit. It is to be shared. The church was never meant to be thought of as a building. We, the followers of Jesus, are the church.

If you read through the Old Testament looking at the judges and the prophets, They were people of action. When the spirit comes on you boldness comes. Boldness demands action or else it isn’t bold. Doing things that are not normal. It is what God wants and expects from the church.

In the Old Testament the Ark of the Covenant was a symbol that represented the presence and glory of God. There were special instructions regarding it’s care and how it was to be handled. The only way it could be carried was special poles ran through rings and the priests carrying it on their shoulders. Do you catch the symbolism and meaning of that? The presence and glory of God is to be carried on the shoulders of men. At the cross the veil separating everyone from the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence was torn down. Everyone now has access to God’s presence through Jesus. However, the method of carrying that presence and the glory of God, Jesus, did not change. It is still to be carried by men. To carry something requires action.

The New Testament is also fun of examples of action, heck the birth of the church is described and detailed in a book titled ACTS. Jesus himself commanded His followers to a life of action,

Matthew 28:18-20

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of[f] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[g] I am with you always,[h] to the end of the age.”

The very last words of Jesus on this earth were “go”. Not sit and read, but go. Yes they were to continue seeking him, to wait on the sending of the Holy Spirit, but his command was to go. A call to action.

We as Christians have received His grace in order to share His grace, so if we have received salvation by grace. we are obligated to share His grace.If you have a desire for more, a desire to see revival, a desire to be blessed, then begin to share your salvation with other people.
Why do you want more if you are not going to give it away? A revival that does not effect other people, does not effect your society is not revival.

Acts 1 “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you you will receive power and you will be my witness”

We must take the church outside these 4 walls, taking it into the streets unashamed of being Crazy in love with Jesus. Paul asked in Romans 10:14:

14 But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
Paul stresses the importance of a Christians need to fulfill the last command of Jesus. Now this brings to my mind one of the more often asked questions by skeptics, but what about those who never hear about Jesus. This is a a topic I will cover in a later post in more depth, but suffice it to say we can rest in the assurance that God is a fair and just God. I mention here because of what it should do for a believer. It should light a burning fire in our hearts to do everything we can to make sure that there isn’t someone who has never heard of Jesus.

In closing, It is of no value to spend time in the word, spend time in prayer to get a manifestation of God and then go home and not shine his light. That is why I see this as 3 strands to make one strong cord: The word, prayer, and action. We must call out to God daily, we must study the word, but we are not to receive from God just for ourselves we must give it away. These are days of Action. Faith acts, faith does something Whatever God gives you, you are to use it ,put it into action. You want awesome things to happen, get where the action is, find someplace or someone who is needy and do something about it. An awesome man of faith and a dear friend of mine, Jeff Collins once said :

There are 3 kinds of people in church

Those who make things Happen
Those who watch things Happen
Those who say , “what Happened ?”

Let’s all be those who make things happen by giving away that which has been given to us, as the Lord has commanded. Go. This is your call to action.