Mike loves to scuba dive. He bought a 1,500-page book titled Everything You Need to Know About Diving at Sportsmart. Every day at 6:00 A.M. Mike picks up his scuba book from his bedside table and devours it. He always reads with a pen in hand, so when he spots a sentence or paragraph that is really illuminating, he will underline it or put a star by it in the margin. On Thursday nights, Mike gathers with a group of friends at his apartment to discuss everything they have been learning about scuba diving. On Sundays, they put on a wet suit, diving mask, and oxygen tanks, and they head down to the beach. They love to watch the surfers ride the waves and especially enjoy watching the fishermen, who wade out in the water to catch fish.
If you approached Mike sitting on the beach with his buddies and asked, "Do you ever go scuba diving?" he might answer, "Of course, I go scuba diving every day right here in this book, Everything You Need to Know About Diving. And on Thursdays, we gather at my house to talk about the insights we've learned that week. And we also hang out here near the water every Sunday to get a closer look at the beauty of the ocean."
How many Christians do you know who are just like Mike? They read the Bible every day, huddle in a small group during the week, and put on their Sunday best to go to church. They know a lot about the Bible from reading it and hanging out with other believers, but there is no difference in the way they live. The book of James encourages you to put your faith to work.
Too many people sit and listen to the Word of God every week, but do nothing about it. Faith without works is no faith at all. It is dead. James said, "Don't merely hear the Word of God, but do what God is telling you to do."
God gives Christian singles a crystal clear commandment in 2 Corinthians 6:14: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers." In 1 Corinthians 7, He tells singles they are free to marry anyone they wish as long as the person is in Christ. The Bible gives no wiggle room for dating or marrying someone who is outside the faith.
So how can you discern whether someone is a true follower of Christ? The sure sign of a true believer
is someone who talks the talk and walks the walk; the works match the faith. Someone who loves Christ desires to be an active member of a church. The person also practices sexual purity in the relationship. The person produces the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The person serves you, listens to you, and treats you with respect.
Does this describe the person you are dating? Does this list describe you? As you read and study the Bible, be sure you are taking action on what you are reading. If you don't take action and do what the Word says, then you may become just like Mike, the wanna-be scuba man. Follow through on what God is telling you to do today, and by His Spirit, you will become more like Christ.
Further Scriptural Meditation
James 2:1425
Matthew 7:21-26
Luke 6:46-49
This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another . . . God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. --1 John 4:1012
But he doesn't reach down to help you. Instead your hiking buddy begins to eloquently intellectualize and verbalize his love toward you. He even begins to experience all kinds of wonderful, blissful feelings about how much he loves you and how much he will miss you when you fall to your death on the rocks below. He tilts his head ever so slightly, bites his lip, and says, "I love you so much. I'm just overwhelmed with loving feelings toward you right now."
Would you call that love? Of course not! You would most certainly call that something other than love--maybe cruelty, apathy, or hatred. Yet so often we define love as some nebulous emotion or sentimental words when in reality, love is so much more than feelings. Love is primarily manifested through action. Love is something you do.
Poets, philosophers, and theologians have tried to unravel the mysteries of love in an attempt to arrive at a precise definition. And certainly many wise things have been said about love. But to really understand love in its purest form, we must go to the Author of love.
First, it shows us that love is an action. Real love is not merely a thought, a feeling, or undemonstrated words; rather, it manifests itself through action. God demonstrated His love; God sent His Son. These are action words. True love isn't demonstrated until your hiking partner risks his life to extend a hand and pull you to safety. That's genuine love!
Second, true love is sacrificial. It includes some element of selfless giving, putting aside your own needs for the sake of another. When God gave up His one and only Son as payment for the sin of the world, He essentially gave up a part of Himself.
Third, this genuine form of love is transforming. True love is such that it has the potential to change others' lives for the better. Touching others with true love creates the opportunity for some kind of growth, change, or maturity. Back to our ultimate example, God loved us by giving us His Son. When you accept and embrace His gift of love, the result is transforming; you have new life, restored relationship with God, and access to the power that raised Christ from the dead. You are literally in a process of changing from the inside out.
That's what true love is all about. Ask God to help you love others with that selfless, genuine form of love. We challenge you to begin with your intimate friendships, especially your dating partner. Show the kind of love that seeks the highest good in him or her. Remember, love is a verb, so go out and do it!
Further Scriptural Meditation
John 14:2124
1 John 4:721
1 John 5:23