A Commitment to Action

I know that it isn’t my actions that earn my salvation, but it might be through my actions that I lead another to theirs, so it is pertinent that I live out my faith more fully in my life.

Recently someone very close to me, who isn’t a Christian, expressed interest in coming to church with me. I’ve never been so elated. This truly is the best gift I could ask for this Christmas season. I pray, and would ask you to do the same, that the Holy Spirit works in her heart, softening it and molding it. I pray that this service can be a moment of realization, of awakening, of true understanding. I trust in the Lord that He will be working, and I’ve no doubt that it is He who even sparked the interest in her to attend service.

In light of all of this, I’ve come to a moment of realization myself. As aforementioned, I understand that salvation isn’t earned through actions, faith isn’t a set of rules that must be followed, rather it’s our repentance and our faith that right our estranged relationship with Christ.

Having been raised in a non-Christian home my life is in two parts, my life before my moment of salvation, and my life after. In the wake of my “new” Christianity (at about age 16) I’ve found myself messing up just as much as before my conversion.

However, as a newly defined Christian, those around me call me out on my inability to “practice what I preach.” As a response to this I’ve always become defensive against them. What I’ve come to realize though, it that while I may understand the abounding grace of our Father, non-Christians don’t. While I might understand that it isn’t through my actions that I attain eternal life with God, I must acknowledge that others don’t. And this is simply because they just don’t know yet. They don’t know the powerful love and grace of Christ, they don’t know the call to faith in the way I do, and they don’t know the unexplainable forgiveness of our Lord.

But now I’ve realized that it might be through my actions that they begin to see these attributes of our God. And if my actions lead them into a state of questioning, that ultimately leads them to a moment where their eyes are opened to the truly astonishing love of our Father, then it is more than worth it for me to ensure all of my actions align with the Lords qualities of love, forgiveness, and grace. I know that I’ve been saved, that my life will be lived in a way honoring to God, and that when I do mess up, fail Him, turn from Him, hide from Him, I’ll always be welcomed back to Him when I’ve realized I’ve gone astray. I know that I’m being called to minister this love with those who’ve yet to come to faith. And I know that my biggest challenge in doing this will be living my faith in a way that might lead another into a relationship with Christ. So, I commit myself to a renewed life of love, forgiveness, and grace.

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