[Biblemat] A) IN WORD OR IN DEED

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Friday morn-
ing to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.  Here
is an article from my files:

IN WORD OR IN DEED

     "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
Him" (Col. 3:17).  This command covers quite thoroughly the
overt behavior and th covert behavior of people.  Whatever
the law says, it say to those who are under the law (Rom. 3:
19).  Since all are amenable to the law of Christ, people are
duty-bound to hear and obey His words.  "He who rejects Me,
and does not receive My words, has that which judges him --
the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day,"
Jesus said in (Jno. 12:48).  This statement answers once and
for all whether sinners are amendable to the particulars of the
law of Christ.

     Words are the essential vehicles of thought.  They are so
important that Jesus said, "For by your words you will be just-
ified, and by your worlds you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:
37).  It is not that words are sufficient in themselves to accom-
plish the will of God; for John says, "My little children, let us
not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 Jno. 3:18).  
Neither was John diminishing the importance of
words; for he penned the words of Jesus about speech and
its importance, and he, himself, used words effectively to 
teach truth.  Peter understood the importance of truthful
words, speaking to Jesus, "Lord to whom shall we go?  You
have the words of eternal life" (Jno. 6:68).  John said, "For the law was 
given through Moses, but grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ" (Jno. 1:17).  Paul's message to Agrippa
consisted of "the words of truth and reason" (Acts 26:25).
Wrongly used, words stir up anger (Prov. 15:1), incite riots
(Acts 19:25-29), seduce to immorality (Prov. 6:23,24), subvert
the hearers by false doctrines (Acts 15:24; Ti. 1:10,11).  Words properly 
used exhort (Acts 2:40), comfort according
to truth (1 Thes. 4:13-18), teach sound doctrine (2 Tim. 1:13;
Ti. 2:7,8), reprove and correct (2 Tim. 3:16,17), and make
known the promises of God (2 Pet. 1:2-11; Heb. 13:5,6).  Words are used to 
praise God (Lk. 2:14), and to blaspheme
(Mk. 3:28,29).  Words express the thoughts and intents of the
heart (Matt. 12:34).

     Deeds are the product of the thoughts and intents of the
heart (Matt. 12:35).  As by our words, so by our deeds we will
be judged (Rom. 2:5,6; Heb. 13:4; Rev. 20:12).  All of our deeds are done 
under the authority of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:
18).  This includes our occupational behavior (Eph. 4:28), our
civic behavior (Rom. 13; 1 Pet. 2:13-17), our family behavior
(Eph. 5:22-6:4), our primary obedience to the truth for salvat-
ion from sins (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38), and our worship and ser-
vice as believers in God (Jno. 4:24).  We must give preemin-
ent time and importance to our duty to God (Matt. 6:33); 
therefore, we must not allow other responsibilities to preempt
our worship and edification according to God's direction.  Anything that does 
not occur within the scope of Christ's aut-
hority is outside the behavior given by Christ for His people's
manner of life.  Our text makes this fact very clear.  It is not
satisfactory to substitute one part of obedience for another
(Matt. 15:3-6), or to justify one act of disobedience by point-
ing out that we have obeyed in another instance (Jas. 2:11; 1
Sam. 15:10-26).  We must be doers of the word in all of the
particulars that God has told us to do (Jas. 1:22-27).  We must not become 
weary in well-doing for in due season we
shall reap if we faint not (Gal. 6:1-10).  Our words and deeds
are ordered of the Lord; therefore, let us be obedient children
of God (Jas. 1:13-19).   ----------- Gilbert Alexander.   </HTML>
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