My thoughts, especially of late, have pondered what Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." I, like many others, have rightfully worried that as: “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold”; (Matthew 24:12) that Satan would find a way into our church and into our congregation. There is so much occurring in our society that can create wedges or even rifts between God’s people. I am reminded of the apostle John’s warning: “My little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). What do our actions say? Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. (Proverbs 20:11). This morning as I considered what to write, these scriptures reminded me of a modern-day proverb, “actions speak louder than words”. Is this proverb true? Do actions really speak louder than words? God’s Word has much to say about actions and words.
In Matthew 21, Jesus uses a poignant story to illustrate how actions can speak louder than words. Jesus’ story is about two sons whose father told them to go and work in his vineyard. One said no, he would not go and the other son said yes. However, the one who said no changed his mind and went to work, and the one who had said yes did not go. Jesus ends the story with a question, “Which of the two did the will of his father? The son who said yes but did not follow through failed to love and honor his father.
Throughout scripture there is clear evidence that God puts priority not just on what you say, but also on what you do. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). It is important for all of us to look objectively at our actions, not just what we believe – but how our beliefs are manifested in our actions. Titus delivers a stern word about actions that contradict what is believed and said, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (Titus 1:16). This is known as hypocrisy – a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right and Godly but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs. Scripture has much to say on hypocrisy (consider Matthew 23:27-28; Mark 7:6; James 1:22-23).
James addresses “words and actions” by connecting it to faith; because it takes faith to obey God. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without actions is also dead (James 2:14-16, 26). It takes a lot of courage to objectively look at what one is “doing” and see if it is consistent with God’s Word, or if one is rationalizing actions that are not consistent with His Word. We won’t change anything if we don’t see the need. Seeing the need requires honesty and objectivity. What are my actions conveying?
Jesus said our behavior flows out of our hearts and that we do have the power over what is inside us — we have a choice. Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil (Matthew 12:33-35). The apostle Paul admonishes us in Romans 12 how to “make our tree good.” We do this by renewing our minds, why? Because our minds are not by nature God-centered and obedient (to Him) minds. They are by nature self-worshiping minds, influenced by our adversary. That is the natural spirit of our minds. This renewing begins with recognizing that our adversary wants to corrupt our minds little by little, getting it focused on self – on the physical. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). Our minds are the place of one’s intellect, reasoning, intentions and conscience; my behavior ultimately reflects what’s in my mind, and my mind is where true spiritual transformation must happen (Romans 12:2). The object of my regular thinking will determine how my days, years, and ultimately how my life plays out. Which is why we are told this renewing of the mind needs to be daily (2 Corinthians 4:16). Everything starts in the mind, what we think about is so critical (consider Philippians 4:8).
When people don’t think on these things, over time they will stop fearing God and looking to Him for direction and bowing to Him as those under authority. They lose their biblical grounding, they forget axiomatic truth, and they focus on the things of the flesh. This is exactly what is happening in our society and can very easily happen to us if we stop trusting in the personal promises He makes to us. People become vulnerable to anything and everything when they forget God’s promises or that moral center becomes eroded. This can ever so subtly affect us! We can begin to think God must understand our position and from that misconception begin to rationalize our actions. Rationalizing lets us make allowances for doing what God’s Word indicates we should not do.
One of the harder questions we must at times ask ourselves is - Am I rationalizing my behaviour? On the surface, our reasons for our actions being a bit out of step with God’s Word may sound logical and plausible, at least to us, but recognize rationalizing for what it is. God sees all, even the secret things of the heart (Proverbs 5:21, 15:3; Hebrews 4:3; Jeremiah 16:17, 17:10; Job 34:21). Our actions have the ability to reveal to us what’s in our heart, if we are objective in our evaluation. It’s worth taking the time to consider the question just asked. God’s Word is clear how He feels when our actions are not consistent with our beliefs. The apostle John reminds us; By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (I John 2:3-4). Titus adds, They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good (Titus 1:16). Jesus Himself pointed to what He did as evidence of who He was, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. (John 10:25) We must all look carefully at our actions, to see if they are consistent with God’s Word – giving evidence of who we are. Who are we?
We are the children of God: "The Spirit itself [that is, God's Holy Spirit] bears witness with our spirit [our individual human spirit], that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16-17). Can we start to fully grasp the significance of Paul's inspired statement? It explains why we are here, the very reason for our existence, why we were born. It gives meaning to our very life, the struggles and experiences we go through. Are our actions giving evidence of who we are to become? God is love – am I becoming love?
Even beyond our actions, we must additionally look very carefully at our motivation; God not only sees our actions, He knows the substance of our heart (1 Samuel 16:7). In Matthew, Jesus is giving instruction about the motivation behind what you do. He is establishing a principle that what you do is important, but why you do it is equally important. Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1). God knows some people act simply to create an image of who they are, this again is hypocrisy. They want people to applaud and appreciate them for what they do. While the actions appear good, they conceal the true inspiration behind them. Our motivations and actions must coincide with the fact, "We are the offspring of God" (Acts 17:28-29)
God's purpose is to make us fully like His son Jesus Christ! In Ephesians 4 Paul makes this clear. He explains that members of God's Church are to "come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Paul's comment in Galatians 4:19, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you," expresses the same concept in different words. It can be powerful to grasp the significance of what Paul is saying in explaining that we will have the fullness of Christ. We can become fully and completely like Jesus Christ, with His character formed in us. I am often awestruck when I try to fully comprehend that fact.
And as I conclude this pastor’s message, I am very cognisant that we live in very dangerous times and there will be many things occurring that Satan will try to manipulate in an attempt to separate God’s people. Let’s take time to carefully examine our actions as they can reveal if we are truly acting consistent with God’s Word. Let’s also, with great humility, ask God to help us see what our motivation truly is. The “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7 NLT; see also Proverbs 3:7). Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom (James 3:13). Sometimes the topics covered here or in sermons may take on a serious tone, that’s because we have such a priceless opportunity to be a part of the family of God! And Christ reminds each one of us “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).
Our society is steadily moving further and further away from God. We have many reminders in scripture. Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions (1 John3:18, NLT). All of our actions should clearly demonstrate we value, support and ultimately love God and our brethren – and we know this because we see that our actions are consistent with God’s Word. What a calling, what a responsibility, what an awesome destiny! “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13). "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! . . . Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:1-3). What do my actions reveal: “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right” (Proverbs 20:11).