103: Faith vs Deeds | James 2:18

Is being a Christian about having deep faith or doing good deeds? According to the book of James, both! For the past several years, there has been this debate in the church about the Gospel vs. the Social Gospel. In other words, should we focus on sharing the message of Jesus dying on the cross for the world OR should we focus on feeding the poor and meeting people's needs? What a ludicrous debate! Simply look at the life of Jesus, our ultimate mentor and an example. What did He do? Both! How many times did Jesus teach people AND feed people? The feeding of the 5,000, the feeding of the 4,000, going to Zacchaeus's house. Or even when He was calling Peter to be a disciple, Jesus helped him catch fish. What about other needs? Most teachers and rabbis would sit in the temple and discuss the Scriptures. Jesus was considered a rabbi, and not a normal one. Why? Because this Rabbi walked through the desert meeting with people who had real needs. Then Jesus would heal them, talk to them, and feed them. In some occasions, Jesus even raised their children from the dead! Talk about meeting people's needs! So, should we have faith? Should we have good deeds and take care of the needs of others? YES and YES! We need both. Jesus did both. There is no this or that. It doesn't have to be a debate. We should live our lives in such as way that we are talking to others and caring for others. This paves the way to talk about Jesus. "Why do you care about me? I'm a stranger." And you can reply, "Well, I follow Jesus, and He is the ultimate example of Love." We need BOTH good deeds and deep faith in the Church today! About One Verse One Verse is a short, free podcast devotional designed to help you grow closer to God through less than 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Consistency trumps intensity. When it comes to working out, eating healthy, or managing our finances, consistency always trumps intensity. We reach our major life goals through small, purposeful steps taken daily. The same is true in our spiritual lives. I truly believe you will grow closer to God by spending just 5 minutes a day with Him versus cramming in an hour once a month. The One Verse Devotional is here to help take away the barriers of spending time with God. Now, during your workout, drive to work, or even shopping for groceries, you can invest in your spiritual life.   http://phosphorusproject.com/