Listen & Obey

James 1:22 (NIV?)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

When I think of the tragedies of World War II, I wonder what might have been different if the Church had responded differently. Many who thought of themselves as Christians actively participated in the Holocaust; many others remained silent as their Jewish friends and neighbors were driven out of their homes and sent to extermination camps. The Christians of our generation may not have participated in an ethnic cleansing like that, but we have turned a blind eye to a great deal of evil and injustice, such as the abortion of over 63 million babies since 1973 alone. God’s people really do matter in this world. When we stand up and tell the truth about what God says, evil is held at bay. When we capitulate to the culture, evil flourishes. James didn’t mince words when he wrote this passage: “Don’t just read your Bible, then close it and walk away,” he said. “Don’t just sit there and hear God’s Word taught and act like it doesn’t apply to you. If you really believe it, you need to act like it. You need to do what it says.”

THINK ABOUT IT
When Christians refuse to believe in biblical values, and when we’re not willing to stand up for them in our homes or the public square, we reject obedience to the authority of Scripture and our assignment to be salt and light.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, forgive me for when I have unresponsively read Your Word. From this day, I choose to honor You by not just reading Your Word but carefully listening to obey its counsel. I want to cooperate with You in such a way that You can trust me to be effective salt and light for Your purposes. In Jesus’ name, amen.