Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17). Speaking in reference to this verse, Dr. Warren Vanhetloo wrote:
” Is God more concerned about what we are or what we do? Does He judge our character more than He does conduct? Can we genuinely separate character from conduct? Most of us are more concerned about how we fit into our culture, what our friends expect of us, what might happen if we disobey civil law, etc. A believer is to be conscious of these, but his primary concern ought to be what he is and what he does as God judges it.
God gives clear contrasts in Galatians 5. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like (5:19-21). But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and such (5:22-23). The fruits of the Spirit are inner qualities, conditions that undergird our thinking and speech and actions.” Dr. Vanhetloo then commented on the first two graces mentioned in this list:
“Love is an inner concern to seek the best for others. Love sees failures, not to criticize, but to wonder how to aid and improve the needs of others. Love is willing to give to do good to any and all, deserving or not deserving, both to those who appreciate what we attempt to do and those who react against our efforts to do them good. Notice that love is always in action. It is always defined by something outward which results from an inward concern. Jesus taught a love lesson in His story of the Good Samaritan. What we do not only shows what we inwardly feel, it also manifests that the inner love is genuine.
Joy is different from levity. Christians have a true inner, constant attitude of rejoicing and appreciation. We also, like the unsaved, can laugh at a joke, be entertained by stories and music, make merry with our friends, etc., but such mirth is not the same as the deep-seated satisfaction we have as dwellers in Jesus, constantly rejoicing in His provision, His guidance, His mercy to usward. Nothing can change or dampen that joy, but we can fail to manifest it. We need to be conscious of our inner joyfulness and also to consider whether or not we are thought to be characteristically joyful or complaining in the eyes of others.
And so with all the fruits of the Spirit and characteristics of the new life we have in Jesus. The inner reality should not be subdued. The true inner life we have in our Savior should predominate in all our thinking and speaking. Others who live with us or contact us ought to realize that we are different because we have been changed by divine action, not by human self-improvement. Everything we say and do can be used by God for His purposes. All we say and do has influence on others. What we are in Christ should not be hidden under a bushel. We are to be living witnesses of His grace. We can be different because we are different, and we should be different. We have a new life in Christ and we are now to grow in Him and show forth His graces.”
