Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

[Jesus asked] “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

—Matthew 21:28-32 (TNIV)

Here we see Jesus cut to the chase regarding the nature of discipleship. We show our faithfulness to Christ by our actions more than by our words. In a world that is increasingly hostile to Christianity, especially here in the West, it is especially important for those of us who call ourselves Christian to let our actions speak about what we believe. Otherwise, the enemies of the cross will be quickly jump on us with the charge of hypocrisy. But when our actions are consistent with our professed beliefs, we will be beacons of Christ’s light that will irresistibly attract others to him.

This, of course, means that we must bear the fruit of the Spirit, with his abiding help. This is faith made manifest and we must assent to the Spirit working in us. We must do our part to be bearers of the Good News to a world that desperately needs to hear it, even when it thinks it doesn’t.

Are you ready to be that bearer? If you are, go forth with confidence, realizing that you have God’s very Spirit working in you to help you in your work. This doesn’t mean you will be mistake-free; rather, it means that you will be equipped to do the work our Lord calls you to do and that is always sufficient for the moment.

These martyrs [Peter and Paul] realized what they taught: they pursued justice, they confessed the truth, they died for it. Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching and their confession of faith.

—Sermon 295

For too long we have thought of the Christian life as essentially either involvement in political, economic, or social concerns that wear us out and result in depression or activity which keeps the church intact and doctrinally pure. Our primary orientation cannot be an institution or some great cause or even other people, but first and forever to God. Unless our identity is hid in God we will never know who we are or what we are to do. Our first act must be prayer, Oratio. To be human is to pray, to meditate both day and night on the love and activity of God. We are called to be continuously formed and transformed by the thought of God within us. Prayer is a disciplined dedication of paying attention. Without the singleminded attentiveness of prayer we will rarely hear anything worth repeating or catch a vision worth asking anyone else to gaze upon.

—John Westerhoff III and John Eusden, The Spiritual Life

Christ not only set us free without demanding any payment for his services; he also equipped us for greater struggles in the future.

—John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 13

Paul did not say “bad” or “evil man” [in Romans 7:13-25] but rather “wretched man.” For having shown that this person contemplated the good with his mind but was drawn toward evil by the passion of the flesh, [Paul] presents him as more deserving of mercy than of punishment.

—Gennadius of Constantinople, Pauline Commentary from the Greek Church

Sin persuades [us] first, and when it has conquered [us] it takes control.

—Ambrosiaster, Commentary on Paul’s Epistles