Being and doing

Read Matthew 7:26-27

“But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life,you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up,it collapsed like a house of cards.” (THE MESSAGE)

We sometimes hear of people assuring us that ‘being’ is more important than ‘doing’. They mean that we are not defined so much by what we do but by the sorts of persons we are. Activity is no substitute for character.

Fair enough-to a point. But it is also true to say that we can find out a lot about a person by observing what they do. Telling ourselves we are virtuous characters doesn’t amount to much if we do not go on to do some virtuous works. ‘Being’ is all very well,but if our ‘being’ is to have any value,it has to express itself in some ‘doing’.

Which is much what Jesus was saying to his followers. Have your beliefs,express your beliefs in words,but ensure those beliefs lead to behaviour. Otherwise the beliefs themselves are shown to be of little value and likely to be jettisoned when tough times come or when some other beliefs become fashionable.

The wonderful fact that we enter God’s forever family by means of his grace and not our own efforts does not negate the need to do good. The faith we place in his grace is meant to result in good works. We can’t enter heaven simply by doing good works. But nor can we enter heaven without doing them.

Blessings
David Reay