Monday, December 11, 2006

"Jesus is a verb"

I was listening to the radio yesterday and a song with the title, "Jesus es un verbo, no un sustantivo" came on. I'd never heard it before and although most of the song was the usual "I'm a good person, so God won't send me to hell will he?" the title got me to thinking--"Jesus is a verb, not a noun". Obviously the name Jesus is a noun, but the point is being like Jesus demands action.

There are many Christians to whom Christianity is something you say, not something you do--as the old saying goes they talk a good religion. They may be very knowledgeable in the Scriptures, even be able to teach eloquently, but if they don't put into practice what they know it does them little good. And rather than bringing others to Christ they tend to run them off with their hypocrisy and selfrighteousness. Matt. 7:21 comes to mind here, "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven." To put verse 22 into our language, "But Lord I preached many sermons, taught many Bible classes, set many people straight on the Bible and yet I'm lost. How can this be?"

The age old battle between salvation by faith only and salvation by works still rages among us today. Must we study the Bible and stand for the truth? Without a doubt!! But God also demands that His children act--demonstrating our love for one another, for the lost, even for our enemies. Love can only be shown by our actions!

Jesus is a verb, not a noun. What He taught He himself put into practice. May we ever do the same.

Tol

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