Jason M. Alexandre, Voices Against the Grain Devotional Writer

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” –James 2:14-17

The preachers of time past used to say that “many souls are going to hell in a hand basket, but you are going to heaven all by yourself.” That could be interpreted as a sharp rebuke to Christians who know the truth and have found the truth yet are too caught up in themselves to share the truth by way of a spoken word and added example of action.

They are comfortable with what seems like the American ideology of not wanting to be bothered with anyone but instead, preferring to advance oneself by way of striving to increase their financial and material prosperity. This way of thinking demonstrates selfishness and a lack of concern for the material, but more importantly, spiritual welfare of others. “I think evangelicals need a social conscience about the people who are least defended and most vulnerable in the society. If Christianity is not that, forget about it.” – Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor

Are we simply persons who merely identify as Christians but have not yet exercised our faith through good works? Are you unable to produce fruit because you have taken no root? You recall that the Savior said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”-John 15:5 The truth is that mere profession of the gospel, without works, is not faith.

There is no way to show we really believe in Christ, but by being diligent in good works for gospel purposes and from gospel motives. I question in my heart a professed Christian who is not grieved by the dark spiritual condition of one who has not yet found Jesus. And I wonder how much time has that professed Christian spent with Jesus himself? For time spent with Jesus brings about a supernatural transformation within the heart and true believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of the whole heart.  A heart that then goes out of his or her way to alleviate the distress of a needy person.

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.-1 John 3:17-18

It is for Jesus’ sake that we choose to clothe our enemy, choose to feed our sister and choose to give to our brother. That is the grace of God in which we stand, having root to produce fruits.

There is no in between of these truths. We cannot and must not simply keep our faith to ourselves neglecting to live it out by good works. Live to God which will obligate us out of love to do everything for him and to him. That is my prayer for the world today that we would take root in Christ and produce that kind of fruit that brings about eternal consequences in the lives of others. Amen.

-Jason

Jason’s vision is for the gospel to continue to spread throughout the world and believes it is Christian’s responsibility to carry out this mission effectively. To learn more about the organization for which Jason volunteers, please visit www.HaitiChristianity.org.

Learn more about Jason M. Alexandre here.