Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago, I used to do a lot of bike riding. After school, I would normally pedal over to visit the neighbor, or make a wooden ramp and jump over some logs in the driveway. Back in those days, we would take handles off of an old motorbike, and mount them on our pedal bikes. Then we would attach playing cards with clothespins to the rear tire, to make the bike sound as if it had a really big motor. I even had one of those fancy little generators that ran off the back tire, and when you got going fast enough, the headlight would shine down on the road in front of you. But whenever you slowed down, or pulled over on the side of the road, the light would slowly begin to dim and then eventually fade away. It took a little bit of effort to keep that light shining brightly on the darkest of nights.
This reminds me of a Christian Life
In order to keep our lights burning brightly, we must activate our faith by turning away from sin, and bringing forth fruit that is meet for repentance. Remember that faith without works is dead, and to produce good works is going to require some effort on your part. In order to win the race of faith, you will need to get up, get motivated, and start running. We need to keep pedaling if we are going to keep our light shining brightly, just like the headlight on my old bicycle.
Matthew 5 ¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
In a camper, you might hook up a light to an inverter, but the inverter must be supplied with electricity in order to work. Just like peddling your bike, it requires power to shine. Likewise, we must humbly submit to the will of God, and be filled up with the power of the Holy Spirit, which illuminates our lives with obedience and good works. In order to keep our lamps burning brightly, they must be filled up with faith, because only through faith can we purify ourselves from sin, and shine with the light of true righteousness. True faith will result in obedient activities towards the Lord Jesus. The Christian faith is more than professing that you believe in God, it is putting forth the effort to please God. It is more than saying that you believe, it is living what you believe.
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James 2:17
Without effort, nothing gets done. To build a house, somebody needs to start pounding some nails. To fix a car somebody needs to start pulling a wrench. To eat a good supper somebody needs to start doing some cooking. In order to obtain eternal life, you will need to get to work too, because works of obedience are what perfect our faith.
James 2 ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. ²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
God is good, and those who claim to be His followers must maintain good works in their daily lives.
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” Titus 3:8
Titus 2 ⁶ Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. ⁷ In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works……..
1 Timothy 6 ¹⁷ Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; ¹⁸ That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; ¹⁹ Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Colossians 1 ⁹ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Good works are what define a genuine Christian.
Titus 2 ¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
¹⁴ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
To obtain a kingdom of light, we will need to walk in the light. Although each of us are sinners, we need to turn away from the old creature we used to be, and become a humble and obedient servant of Christ. Only then can we become truly righteous in our hearts.
Ephesians 5 ⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) ¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
But once again, nothing gets done in the Christian Life until you put your faith into action. It’s more than just hearing the teachings of God, it is about becoming a doer of His will.
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22
God’s blessings come upon those who do the things that He says.
“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:25
The more that we purify ourselves from sin, the brighter that we become.
“If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.” Luke 11:36
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;” Luke 12:35
To get across the pool, you need to keep on swimming. To get over the mountaintop, you need to keep on climbing. And If we want to keep our lights shining brightly, all of us will need to…
…….. Keep on Pedaling
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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