From the Morning Scriptures

[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.

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