January 18, 2011
“The man that believes will obey; failure to obey is convincing proof that there is no true faith present. God . . . gives faith to the obedient heart only.” —A.W. Tozer
Tozer’s remark is reminiscent of James 2: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
I have wondered about what I will call “nominal Christians,” who claim to believe in and trust God yet live like any other man or woman who has no profession of faith. Studies have shown that as a whole, Christians don’t live their lives any differently than nonbelievers. The divorce rate is the same among Christian marriages as the nation as a whole. Unethical business practices abound in Christian-owned businesses. Porn is prolific in Christian homes. The list goes on.
Doesn’t this pattern of professing one thing but living another give God’s name a bad rap? And what does it say about the church as a whole? Tozer was right. Faith is given to the faithful in heart and deed, not in word alone. If we love God, we will obey His statutes. Out of devotion, not compulsion.