What's Your "Do"?

What's Your "Do"?

by David Brenneman 

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:22-27 NASB 

Was listening to a snippet of a sermon this morning...if we think that when we stand before Jesus...and begin to answer as to why we ought to be allowed into Heaven and it starts with our saying "I" then we're answering wrong.  

Was also listening to someone speak of where our love is.  1 John 2:15-17 NASB "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever."

What do you do?  Not speaking about employment.  What do you do for Him who died and rose again, who took your place?

We also read "Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 NASB. 

Then there is:  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 NASB. 

What's your "do"?  Many people, attempting to motivate people, press you into figuring out your "why".  In Christ we already know our "why".  But what are we doing to promote that?  What are we doing in appreciation for all Jesus did for us?

I did this...

I did that...

I lead the Congregation...

I worked to get...

If I is your first choice of descriptions, you're in trouble. 

The only basis for entering Heaven is on what Jesus did.  Because of faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.   

It nauseates me to hear people reciting a litany of deeds they did before a Congregation as if reading a resume to convince them that their value was genuine in their service.  

We do what we do in Christ for all He's done for us.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Love NOT the world nor the things of this world.  

The end times will be marked with those who are lover's of themselves.  "I"-itis. 

When anyone's first go to is about themselves there's a problem. 

We read: "for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s." Romans 14:8 NASB. 

What we are to be doing, at all times, is living a life that points people to Jesus, not to our works and deeds.  Works, although maybe done for Christ, if done with wrong motives, are a waste of time, energy and effort.   

We're to do all that we do to the glory of God.  

Pointing people to Jesus.  

We save nobody. We live life that shines in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.  We know not who dies in the Lord or dies apart from the Lord. Only God knows who are His and who is not.  

"for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s." read that once more.

Our lives are not our own we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  

Are you spending quality time with your Savior?

Are you in prayer with Jesus?

Are you in your Bible?  

Do you have a problem concerning loving this world too much?  Are you after recognition from men rather than from God? 

Our world promotes self. The Bible promotes Christ in our place.

Is what you do about you?  

Or is what you do about Jesus?