If a man has work to show, his wages are not considered as a favor but as his due; but when a man has nothing to show except faith in the one who justifies sinners, then his faith is considered as justifying him. And David says the same: a man is happy if God considers him righteous, irrespective of good our deeds
Do you consider yourself a good person?
The surprising thing is that God does too. Even though at times we may not be His favorite, because of sin. Many Protestant denominations stop here and say that all a person needs is faith to be saved. Nonetheless, this is only part of the story. We are all sinners, but the surprising things is that God still loves us, because He created us. We are not insignificant in His eyes. One of my relatives when he was a child asked his grandmother, ” Am I being good? ” This was the innocent child trying to be good. It is hard to be good all the time. Irregardless, God loves you!
James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also, faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Faith is working for God and knowing it is the right thing to do. If we have faith, we are not looking for wages or riches. We work for God and not ourselves. This is a sign of faith. However, not the only one. Faith is believing in God’s plan for our lives and not knowing the outcome. In between we work and pray for the Lord. We go to confession and pray some more.
One of my relatives will soon be homeless. She is a 78 year-old disabled woman and has a disabled son and daughter living with her. There is also a healthy 9 year-old grandson who lives with them. Government programs that offer hope, fail. I am not sure how this is going to work out but we have faith that God’s plan is working for them.
What about your faith?
We all need to strengthen our faith. We need to work at the State of Grace and work at the State of our Faith. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. Actually, it is clear. Taking a talking point from a Catholic Cursillo. “Work is as if everything depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on God, because it does.”
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Pope Leo XIV. Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace! The impossible could and can happen. (Saint Rita) Never deny God! Pray for justice for immigrants! Pray for justice for our President and all government officials!
