“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
~ Romans 5:1-8
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.
~ Ecclesiastes 6:14
“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
~ Colossians 3:12
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
~ 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
~ Hebrews 12:1-3
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
~ Matthew 11:28
It is a wicked world we live in. But this world is not our home, it is our punishment. Never forget that. When times are evil, the wise stay quiet. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived into thinking that our flesh is what matters. Always point at Jesus, not at others’ sin. Be patient in learning the Word, persistent in putting into practice what you believe, and show perseverance even unto death, for the name of Jesus — the only name by which we are saved.
Note: Today’s paintings are: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s “Christ the Man of Sorrows”, (17th century); Jeff Hein’s “Christ Heals the Sick” (2012); Eduard Carl Friedrich Holbein’s “The Accomplished Pilgrimage” (1835); and a detail of Carl Heinrich Bloch’s “Christ at Gethsemane”. The header image is a detail from Corbert Gauthier’s “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” (2009).
Seeker of Truth 
You had me with the opening image Wendy. I was named for Daniel and I’ve always cherished that fact. This post is such a good reminder about the true journey that we are on, the only race that matters, the only goal worth pursuing. Thanks for sharing this and for coupling it with such beautiful imagery.
Thanks so much, Dan, glad you enjoyed it!
Wendy, as you will expect, I enjoyed the paintings. They move me. Question: I hear a lot of Christians condemning the flesh. I’m not saying we should exclusively satiate the flesh but I think there are things equally needful to the flesh in as much it houses the soul. The apostle James tells us, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”
I leave you to ponder on that Wendy. Thanks for the wise words.
I’m glad you liked the paintings, Tawia. “The Accomplished Pilgrimage” is actually a painting I’ve seen in person, and it’s truly a sight to behold. And Bloch’s “Christ at Gethsemane” is one of my favourite images.
As to your question, I’d first like to add a verse to what you quoted. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James is speaking here of faith — which as you know, I’ve defined in a previous post as putting into practice what you believe. Faith requires an action. If someone wishes someone else good tidings, and then leaves them with bad tidings, that person is a hypocrite. If I wish someone be warm and well fed, but see that they are sick and starving to death, I would be a hypocrite in offering my good tidings without DOING something to help heal and feed that person. James is giving an example of faith and actions working together in unison to show that faith alone is useless. Therefore, we learn that faith is not just what one believes, but faith is what someone does (practices) as dictated by what they believe.
Many people give to charitable organizations to feed and clothe hungry and naked flesh, calling this “faith”, and they’re not wrong. But is this faith of God? Well, in Jeremiah 5:4, God says that the poor are those who do not know God nor understand what He wants of them. God also says that to be naked means to be without the white linen robes of righteousness — Revelation 3:18, 19:8). So is God talking about clothing for one’s flesh and food for one’s belly? Even the wicked operate in a faith of sorts, but that does not make the wicked right with God.
The Lord is concerned with our minds and hearts, not our flesh. It’s not a matter of our emptying our pockets of what God has given us to survive, but James is talking about our sharing with others the wisdom which God has shared with us, so that others take hold of salvation and live in spite of everyone’s guarantee that flesh and blood will perish, and cannot enter the kingdom of God — 1 Corinthians 15:50. Which is precisely what I try to do here on my blog.
Remember, there are TWO sides to wisdom. Keep that in mind when reading Matthew 25. Pay close attention to verse 44, it’s an eye-opener, and one that God’s sheep should take to heart.
Exactly Wendy, and James was quite clear and literal: “…notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are NEEDFUL TO THE BODY.” He was obviously speaking of the practical application of faith. Needless to say, if one does not eat for 6 weeks, one will certainly die and it doesn’t matter one’s religion. So aside faith, good food and good wine is also needful to the body.
There is a very old song in my native language that says,”Anyone who claims he loves God but does not show any love for or does not contribute to the betterment of humanity is a bloody liar.” These days there are too many idle “believers”.
Also consider another quote from James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
Enjoy the day, Wendy. I saw the video of you sawing the wood and driving the tractor. That was nice.
Hi Wendy you have a really nice post! As a seeker of truth myself feel free to visit my online book here called,
The Sign of Jonah at;
http://www.pmary65.wordpress.com
Sincerely – William P
PS. See section 26 for the relevance of Daniel’s prophecy.
Thank you, William, I’ll take a look!