Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 (NLT)
I’ve noticed some believers develop a certain pride about staying “holy.” I hear things like, “Pastor, I’ve been married sixty years and never once cheated on my wife,” or, “I’ve always been honest and never broken a promise.” It sounds virtuous to say, “Nobody can hold a sin against me. Look at how well I avoided doing any of these wrong things my whole life.” While that’s good, the greater question is, did you actually live along the way? What did you do for the Kingdom?
The problem is that we often think to live “holy” means not to commit certain sins. But today’s verse reminds us that when we know the causes we should support, the risks we should take or the things we should do for others, and we don’t act, it’s sin—essentially missing the mark. God has more for you!
He looks at you and says, “I called you to the highways and the byways. I called you to use that teaching ability to reach kids and change their futures forever. I called you to volunteer on that team and touch countless lives for my Kingdom, but you just stayed ‘holy’ on the sidelines!”
You see, it’s when you put your hand to the plow and stay energized on the field of life that you feel alive. Life becomes amazing when you move beyond maintaining good behaviour and get up and run toward what God’s called you to do.
The Word tells us that faith without action is dead. Is it time you left the sidelines and got into the game? Move past all the things you aren’t doing and make a difference for God’s Kingdom!