MORNING MANNA 12-30-21
WORDS AND DEEDS
I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.John 8:37-40
The response that people have when they are confronted with the truth varies. Some people accept it gladly and are willing to make whatever changes are required. Others hear it skeptically, looking for hidden motives and meanings in the word. Still others reject it, refusing to listen because of what accepting the truth would require. Jesus saw all of these responses during His ministry. Most of the opposition and rejection to Him came from those who prided themselves on being the most religious and strict in their observance of the Old Testament Law. Yet despite their proud claim to be descended from Abraham, they did not follow his example in accepting the truth.
There is a great difference between saying that something is right and actually doing what is right. The devil tempts us to substitute words for actions and to rest on the accomplishments and deeds of those who have gone before us. None of that matters when God evaluates our lives. He does not care who our ancestors were or what they believed, but rather what we are and what we do. He is not impressed with our proclamations, but looks at our actions. Rather than resting on our laurels and thinking that we have arrived, we need to be continually obeying God and doing what He commands. Instead of comparing ourselves to other people and feeling superior, we must be holding up God’s truth as our standard of measurement.
It is not what we say but what we do that determines whether we are obedient to God. -Daily in the Word
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
