Why? Day 3

Why do you do what you do? In your personal relationship with Christ or in your public worship in the church, you need to know why you do what you do. If you were to define your Christian life, how would you do it? Would you define it by what you do or by stating what you believe? In the Bible, James shows that you must do both.

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

To define the faith side I would like to show that our faith is in the absolute truths of God’s Word. For the discussion, we will use the term “principle” for what we believe by faith - the absolute truths of God’s Word. We will use the term “practical” to define what we do - our works. This year, I am planning a daily blog to address the absolute truths in God’s Word and ways we can work to apply those truths. Our day needs to be filled with Biblical principles and practical actions that do not violate these principles. What I have found over a number of years of ministry is that people do not know why they do what they do, neither do they know why they believe what they believe. I hope this exercise will help provoke thought. 

Day 3:

Biblical Principle - Absolute truth from God’s Word:

Satan is a liar and deceiver. Satan will make things look good and right. We need to not worry as much about what we are hearing as we should whom is speaking. Why do you believe what you believe, is it because someone you trust told you to believe it? If that person is not the Holy Spirit through the Holy Scriptures then please question it.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Why do I believe what I believe is true? It is because of what we know from God’s Word.

Practical - Works that apply Biblical Principle:

This section is for you to find a way to apply the truth in your life. I will try to give only one as example; there may be other practical ways. This is what makes the Christian walk so important and makes it important to have a deliberate purpose in everything we do.

Personal relationships allow us opportunity to interact with people during good times and bad. How many times do we give advice that sounds good but is a lie from Satan. How many times have you said to people, “Who am I to judge?” or “Don’t worry, it will all work out in the end?” Where do you find those principles in the Bible? They sound and look good just like the fruit in the midst of the garden but, are they true?

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Why do you give the advice you give? It should be from God’s Word and not a man-made philosophy.