Our Action

How Do Action and Faith Fit Together?

Actions Mean Little Without Faith

[And Abram believed Adonai and Elohim declared him righteous because of his faith.] -- Genesis 15:6. Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was believing in YHVH, not his actions, that made Abram right with Elohim -- Romans 4:1-5. YHVH credited righteousness to Abram because of his faith. We too can have a right relationship with Elohim by trusting Him with our life. Our outward actions; witnessing to others, prayer, good deeds, keeping Torah; will not by themselves make us right with YHVH. A right relationship is based on FAITH; the heartfelt inner confidence that YHVH is Who He says He is and does what He says He will do. Right actions follow naturally as by-products.

Faith Naturally Leads to Action:

[Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to Elohim. Don’t just say: -- We’re safe; we’re the descendants of Abraham. That proves nothing. YHVH can change these stones here into children of Abraham.] -- Luke 3:8. Confession and a changed life are inseparable. Faith without works is lifeless -- James 2:14-26. Yeshua’s harshest Words were to the respectable religious leaders who lacked the desire for real change. They wanted to be known as religious authorities, but they didn’t want to change their hearts and minds. Thus, their lives were unproductive. Repentance must be tied to action or it isn’t real. Following Yeshua means more than saying the words; it means acting on what He says.

There Must be a Genuine Faith Behind Actions:

[But I warn you; unless you obey YHVH better than the teachers of religious Law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!] -- Matthew 5:20. The Pharisees were exacting and scrupulous in their attempts to follow their Laws. So how could Yeshua reasonably call us to a greater righteousness than theirs? The Pharisees’ weakness was that they were content to obey the Laws outwardly without allowing YHVH to change their hearts or attitudes. Yeshua was saying therefore, that the quality of our goodness should be greater than that of the Pharisees. They looked pious, but they were far from the Kingdom of YHVH. Elohim judges our heart as well as our deeds, for the heart determines our real allegiance. Be just as concerned about your attitudes, which people don’t see, as your actions, which are seen by all.

YHVH Uses the Actions of Faithful Believers:

[If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?] -- Esther 4:14. After the decree to kill the Jews was given, Mordecai and Esther could have despaired, decided to save only themselves or just waited for YHVH’s intervention. Instead, they saw that YHVH had placed them in their positions for a purpose, so they seized the moment and acted. When it is within our power to save others, we must do so. In a life-threatening situation, don’t withdraw, behave selfishly, wallow in despair or wait for Elohim to fix everything. Instead, ask YHVH for His direction and act! YHVH may have placed you where you are [for just such a time as this.]

Believing YHVH’s Word Will Lead to Obeying His Word And Laws:

[And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself.] -- James 1:22. It is important to know what YHVH’s Word says, but it is much more important to obey it and keep to His Commandments. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behaviour and attitudes.

When is More Required Than Prayer?

Prayer Should Never Be Used to Avoid Action:

[Then Adonai said to Moses, -- Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!] -- Exodus 14:15. Elohim told Moses to stop praying and get moving! Prayer must have a vital place in our life, but there is also a place for action. Sometimes we know what to do, but we pray for more guidance as an excuse to postpone doing it. If we know what we should do, then it is time to get moving.

Obedience Overcomes a Sense of YHVH’s Absence:

[Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel: If you are really serious about wanting to return to Elohim, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only YHVH; then He will rescue you from the Philistines.] -- 1 Samuel 7:3. Sorrow gripped Israel for twenty years. The Ark was put away like an unwanted box in an attic and it seemed as if Elohim had abandoned His people. Samuel, now a grown man, roused the people to action by saying that if they were truly sorry, they should do something about it. How easy it is for us to complain about our problems, even to YHVH, while we refuse to act, to change and to do what He requires. We don’t even take the advice He has already given us. Do you ever feel as if YHVH has abandoned you? Check to see if there is anything He has already told you to do. You may not be able to receive new guidance until you have acted on His previous directions.