Is Our Faith Theory or Practice?

James 1:22

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

                This past week we have been watching a BBC series called Himalaya with Michael Palin. Michael journeyed from one end of the Himalayas to the other, encountering various groups of people along the way. The dominate religious forces in that region of the world are Hinduism and Buddhism. In one episode, Michael had a conversation with a prominent woman in a remote village. During their conversation, he asked her about her Buddhist faith. Her response was telling. She stated that Buddhism is not a religion so much as a way of life. Everything that they do is informed by their faith. Her words were challenging to me. Is my faith a religion that I keep in a corner of my life or is it a way of life that informs everything that I do?

                In Western culture, we have become experts are compartmentalizing our lives. We see different aspects of our lives as separate entities that do not necessarily affect one another. We separate our private life from our public life. We separate our work life from our family life. We separate our secular life from our religious life. It is not uncommon for us to act one way in one part of our life and act totally differently in another part of our life. Instead of an integrated life, we often live a segmented life.

                This raises a significant question for those of us who are followers of Christ. Is our faith strictly theoretical or is our faith practical? Is our faith just one segment of our life that we visit periodically or does our faith inform every aspect of our life?

                The Apostle James made it very clear that a theoretical faith is no faith at all. If our faith does not inform every aspect of our lives it is merely a nice theory. In fact, James takes it one step further. If our faith does not shape how we live our lives, then our faith is dead. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26)

                It is common for evangelicals to say that Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship with Jesus. That sounds great in theory, but it is hollow if it does not manifest itself in specific actions. Jesus challenged those who gave lip service to their faith by saying why do you call me Lord if you don’t do what I command you to do.

                If the Christian life is not a practical part of all that we do, it is nothing at all. The danger is that we begin to think that we have to “act religious” all of the time. That is not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is that our faith needs to inform all that we do, just as the life of a genuine Buddhist is guided by their faith. Therefore, we need to live our lives in way that glorifies God. As Paul says in Colossians 3:17, And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. In practical terms, this is more about how we live our life, not necessarily what we do.

                When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, He responded with a two-fold answer; Love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself. This two-fold commandment should inform everything that we do in life. We need to live our day-to-day lives in such a way that we are honoring God and valuing those around us. The New Testament is permeated with admonitions to show our love for God by the way we treat the people He brings into our lives. Therefore, we are commanded to be kind, compassionate, forgiving, merciful, gentle, self-controlled, joyful, helpful. As Paul states in Philippians 2:4, Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

                A genuine faith in Jesus Christ is pragmatic and practical. It shapes how we do what we do, whether that is preaching a sermon or fixing someone’s plumbing. If our faith is just a nice theory, it has no real power. But if our faith is active and practical, it has the power to change our lives and our world. Although we cannot agree with their view of life, we can take a powerful lesson from our Buddhist friends. Our faith cannot be just a religion, it must be a way of life.

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.