Obey What You Know

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” James 1:22

Some time ago my Pastor referenced James 1:22 during a sermon when he said “It doesn’t matter what you know about truth if you don’t obey it.” Later in his sermon he said, “Our enemy doesn’t care what we know, he just wants to keep us from obeying it.”

I’ve been thought a lot about this. The enemy doesn’t really care if I know truth as long as he can keep me from obeying what I know.

Then this week I was speaking with a woman and shared 1 John 2:29 which says “the righteous, practices righteousness.” We talked about how as children of God we will be known by the fruits of our good works. (John 15; Col 1:9,10)  In other words people should be able to tell I am a Christ follower by the way I live.The things I do, say, watch and all of my life should show others who I followed.

I hate it when my own words convict me. When sermons of the past come up to haunt me. Well maybe not really hate, but seriously? I was talking to someone else. My words were meant for her, not me. Right?

I could not stop wondering, in my search for more knowledge of God have I neglected doing what He has called me to do? I have neglected to be obedient to what I have already know?

I am not speaking here of my individual calling, but the calling upon all believers. I am talking about God’s call to go and make disciples? Seriously,  How many Bible studies do we need to attend or how many Sunday School lessons do we need before we go and make disciples?

What am I waiting for? More training? Am I waiting for the church to go? Am I waiting for them to say I can go?

Jesus spent three years teaching and training His disciples and then sent them out. He told them to go teach and make disciples of all men. He sent them out to preach the gospel and baptize to the nations. And Jesus has already said for me to go, I don’t need to wait for the church.

I have the Spirit in me. He promises to lead and give me the words to speak. Maybe for now I should just go and teach the truth I already know. Yes I am sure there is more I can learn, more I need to know, but seriously if I just go tell what I already know about Jesus I bet God will use it.

I bet He can use you too if you just go and tell what you know…lets do this together! Let’s not worry about what we do not know. Let’s just do righteousness, live righteous, and teach what we know is truth.

I need to stop allowing the enemy to keep me from what I know I should do because I think I do not know enough….or that I am not enough. Jesus called me. He will equip me… He has already equipped me. I need to just go and be obedient to what I know.

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