Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!
Psalm 100:2 (ESV)
Series: Hands and Feet
A few months ago we began the series “Hands and Feet” with the following questions: “How do you walk in faith so that it encourages, empowers, ignites passion, and helps equip others in their walk with Jesus?” And, “How do you put your faith into action?” We hope that over the past few months our messages have helped you understand the way Jesus taught us to do this, how Paul encouraged us in the Book of Acts, and how our everyday lives display an extension of our faith. There is no one way to do this because we are all created uniquely with gifts purposed for us and for His kingdom.
To be an extension of faith in Christ, you must actively put your faith into action by living out its principles. This includes practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer and study, serving others with compassion, and sharing your faith with those around you. We deepen our faith through personal commitment, which allows us to be more visible examples of Jesus’ teachings. This would be impossible on our own, but we are not alone. God sends His Holy Spirit to those who have received Christ as their personal Savior. He leads us, guides us, and helps us in every aspect of our faith walk.
Over these months, we’ve discovered that our actions speak loudly to those who may not know Jesus. Let’s pause to reflect on all the ways we demonstrate our faith—the way we live out our beliefs. We have explored the importance of praying in unity with our church family—the body of believers with whom we worship. We have looked at the act of baptism as a public statement of our faith, and how we can show compassion, love, and sacrifice to those in need. Just as Paul boldly went forth to preach the Gospel of Jesus after spending years persecuting Christians for following Him, we too can turn our lives toward Christ and help others grow passionately toward Jesus.
Other ways of putting your faith into action that we have discussed are:
- using the gifts He has given us
- being mission-minded as we lead others to Christ
- positioning our hearts to pray for others
- standing strong in faith during adversity
There are so many ways to display our faith in Jesus to the world; we encourage you to find the way He is calling you to step forward. Jesus told us that following Him would not be easy, but we know that having faith in Him as our Savior, leads to eternal life with Him. This gift is priceless and given by grace alone. What a faithful God we have! Scripture encourages us that Jesus is coming again to gather His children to Himself. Will you be found faithful? Will Jesus marvel at your faith? In Matthew 25:31-33 (ESV) we read:
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.”
Jesus will separate His flock by placing those who know Him and follow Him at His right hand. This will be a glorious day for believers. However, for those who do not know Him, that day will not be a celebration. God knows our hearts, our thoughts, and He most definitely knows His sheep. Jesus goes further to explain how important our acts of faith are to Him in Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV):
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ (Matthew 25: 31-40 ESV)
Serving others in Jesus’ name is also serving Jesus. Every time you lend a hand, encourage, disciple, feed, clothe, show compassion, pray for, or extend kindness to another person, you are doing it for Christ. May we remember that we are all created in the image of our mighty God, and as image bearers we are called to faithfully walk out our love for Jesus. May you embrace opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ as you go about your daily tasks, and may Jesus welcome you with the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Holding Fast to Hope,
Jen
Scripture References: Psalm 100:2; John 10:14; Matthew 25:21, 31-40; Acts 1-28