Our disconnect between faith and practice — belief and action — is a frequent topic in the New Testament. One of the most penetrating questions Jesus ever asked was “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Lk. 6:46). Jesus reinforced this question by sharing a parable about a wise and foolish builder (Lk. 6:47-49 cf. Mt. 7:24-27). The point of the parable is that we must not only hear, not also act upon the teachings of our Lord.
Where did we ever get the idea that we could separate faith from action? James was very clear about the issue, reminding his readers that “faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:26). Jesus scolded the church at Laodicea for their lukewarmness, encouraging them to repent (Rev. 3:14-22). How did Jesus know they were lukewarm? Aside from His knowledge about what was in the heart of man (Jn. 2:25), He could see their lukewarmness by their lack of good works (Rev. 3:15). Similarly, the church at Ephesus was rebuked for having left their first love (Rev. 2:4). Jesus told them that their repentance would be evidenced by their return to doing the deeds that they had done in the beginning (Rev. 2:5). The lesson for us is that God will not tolerate a continuing disconnect between what we believe in our hearts and what we do in our lives.
John Maxwell relayed the fact that, according to Wycliffe Bible translators, “in twenty of the world’s most primitive languages, the word for belief is the same as the word for do. It is only as people become more “sophisticated” that they begin to separate the meaning of one word from the other” (Talent Is Not Enough). Jesus said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36). The word translated “does not obey” is the negative form of the same word translated earlier in the verse as “believes.” Jesus saw a definite connection between “believe” and “obey.” So must we, if we want faith to make a difference in our lives. There is “no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
— Glen Elliott —