I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. Acts 26:19
Paul is in the middle of a trial. After two years in prison, he is before King Agrippa, recounting his story and his defense. As he spoke, he mentioned that he told people they should prove their commitment by the things they do.
It’s easy to make a decision and not follow through. I wonder if we make it too easy to be a follower of Jesus. Come on, pray this prayer and get this thing done. It’s the most important decision you will ever make. I know you just stopped by for a cheeseburger, but how about you accept Christ right now, with little thought? The result is a life with no deeds. I mean, what if I proposed marriage with such little thought. Shouldn’t it be a well thought-out decision? When I meet people who have wrestled with the decision and made a commitment to Christ, I usually don’t have to ask them if they are a follower. It shows by what they do. There entire life is wrapped around the thought out commitment that they made. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.
I get tired of meeting people who talk about Jesus but don’t do much to prove it. Great debaters, fantastic theologians, poor livers. I get tired of wondering if I am a person like that. When I have to wrestle with doing something that I don’t want to do, it doesn’t take long for me to look at my heart. My actions tell the story of my heart. Some of the stories are great, some should never be written, never be read.
God, may my actions be the proof of a heart that is unreservedly following you. May my turning be made known by my actions. My heart is yours.
[tags]devotions, Bible, Journal, Acts, Jesus, heart, proof[/tags]