Believers

One of my favorite verses, which always seems to hit me hard is James 2:19:

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."

What I like about this passage is that it points out just how easy it is to believe in God, and yet faith without action is worthless. James drills this point home all throughout the book. Before diving into the religious stuff, think about faith without action in a different “light.”

Suppose Einstein believed wholeheartedly that he had the solution to electricity. Suppose he put some thought to it, maybe tinkered with the idea a bit, and concluded that his findings produced enough evidence that he had figured it out. Now imagine him sitting on this belief, never testing it further, let alone telling anyone. How foolish would that have been?! I'm sure you know where this is going...Faith without action is meaningless. You believe in God? Great! You and the demons have something in common. You believe in God, and take the next step by acting on it, now you're doing something meaningful.

In America, despite the rage of post-modernism and the growing sentiment that there is not one absolute truth, it is still common for an adult to believe in God. In fact, according to the Harris Poll for 2009, 82% of American adults believe in God. Furthermore, 75% believe in heaven, and 73% believe that Jesus is the son of God. Based on these findings, it would appear that nearly 3 out of 4 American adults believe in arguably the 3 most essential roots of Christianity. And yet, how evident is Christ in America? Sure we have a bunch of churches, street preachers and cross necklaces, but how often do you find someone who will tell you flat out, the reason for his or her earthly existence is to serve God daily through a relationship with His son, Jesus Christ. That 82% just got a lot lower. Buy why is this?

It is my opinion that humans will often do as much as needed, but not much more. We settle for B and C grades when a little more effort would result in an A. Of course this isn’t true across the board for everyone in every instance, but in the case of doing what is necessary to get to heaven, most are looking for the bare minimum. The problem is that most people don’t even know what the bare minimum is! Let me elaborate.

The way I see it, everyone who believes in God, or apparently 82% of Americans, falls into one of three groups.

Group 1- a person who was told that to gain eternity in heaven you need only to believe in God and strive to be a generally good person. Going to church on holidays is preferred. The problem with this group is that what said person thinks is the bare essentials aren’t in fact biblically supported. Call this the ignorant believer.
Group 2-a person who knows what is needed to get a ticket to heaven, based on what the Bible says, but simply does not act on his or her supposed relationship with Jesus. The problem with this mindset is that although the knowledge is in place, the action does not follow. Call this person the lukewarm believer.
Group 3-a person who, like group 2, knows what is required based on what the Bible says, and it is evident that he or she puts this faith into action. This person is fulfilling what God has designed us to be; a living sacrifice. Call this person the authentic believer.

I do not have statistical analysis to back this up, but from observation and living my whole life in America, I would venture to guess that most believers fit into group 1 or 2. In any case, we will all be held accountable to the truth. And the truth, as outlined flawlessly in the Bible, is that faith without action means nothing to God. By action, I’m talking about laying selfish desires aside and seeking God’s will for our lives. It’s not just about going to church, following the rules, or reading our Bible, it’s about adapting a lifestyle that is in accordance to Jesus Christ’s. For many, this requires too much lifestyle change, and generally speaking, we don’t like change. But when the prayer of salvation is uttered, and faith becomes action, one is inclined to live this way, out of pure love for his savior. It is a phenomenon left better experienced than explained with words.

It appears people have no problem agreeing to the easy part of Christianity-believing in God. But ask a "believer" to act on that, which is 99% of the deal, and folks are less willing. Call it apathy. Call it a lack of urgency to discover our creator. Call it the product of our era. Whatever the case, we cling to our selfish desires. Because who wants to live the only 80 years on earth they get for an invisible God? Doesn't sound like much fun, right? If you haven't tried it, maybe that’s your mindset. And besides, did life come with an instruction manual demanding we find out why we're here, what to do, and where we go next? Was this attached to the umbilical cord? No? Well then why not live based on what feels good? Don’t over complicate this life thing, right?

These questions are probably worth asking, but at the same time, they are excuses that lead to an unfulfilled life. We have a purpose, as destined by God from the beginning of time, and we will all be held accountable at the end of the day. How is this fair? Because God is so evident, that to ignore him all throughout life is a sin worth eternal punishment. Not convinced? Well if I could explain why the Bible is flawless, and why Christianity represents absolute truth, then I’d be a millionaire by now. The short answer is that I know my faith to be true not just because it makes more sense than the alternatives, but because I experience the truth daily. I invite you to realize this truth too, not just through believing, but by living out your faith through action. It all starts with a prayer. The Holy Spirit takes over after that.