Yes it is true that faith without works is dead, but let us not forget love, for without love those works are nothing as well, as spoken in 1Corinthians 13:1 - 3
"1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing."
It all starts with love. Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. We are commanded to love God first and foremost, and then to love others. Those are the two greatest commandments. Let us remember, they are commandments and not just suggestions. If we have a problem with loving others, if we find it hard or nearly impossible, then it is up to us to ask God to help us to love them. For without God's love working in us, then it is truely impossible to love others the way that God would have us to. If God gives us a burdon for others and works it in us to love them, then the works that are required to keep our faith alive will come automatically. If you love someone with the love of God then it would be nearly impossible to just let them slip away into hellfire without wittnessing to them first in one way or another. But remember, not everyone is called to be an evangelist, or a pastor, or even a teacher. We can effectively wittness to people if we show that we are truely set apart by Christ, and live our lives as we are called to live. Just living a Godly life and making sure everyone knows you are different because of Jesus Christ, is wittness enough. Those who preach and "win souls" are not the only important people where wittnessing is concerned. They are merely those who are reaping, but there are others who are sent out into the world to plant the seeds, and still others to water the seeds. Going out and preaching to people is the method of reaping, but the problem is that there are too many labourers out there who are trying to be the reapers, and not enough people sowing and watering. With things working that way, it will make for a really lousy harvest. If one does not feel comfortable with, or does not know how to go about preaching, then it is possible that they were not called to do so. We need to make sure what we're doing for God is what God wants us to be doing for Him, and not just something we think we should be doing for Him. _________________ Shaun
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