The Christian Life Evidence Not Mystery

The Christian Life EVIDENCE not MYSTERY

As you look around you today you might feel as though you just stepped off a plane that landed in London.

You might see a replica of Big Ben that famous tall clock or you might spy the scenery of a street side cafe similar to what one would expect to see in London.

You also probably see some decor that reflects the thoughts of mystery or crime solving such as that which is famous in stories of Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yard and other detective type tales.

If you did not know by now the Vacation Bible School Theme is

The Great Kingdom Caper...Cracking the Character Code.

Now ...Detectives many times solve a mystery by gathering information.

They look for all the evidence they can find.

I want to be clear this morning in sharing with you that the Christian life is not to be a secret nor is it to be a mystery.... But rather the Christian Life must have EVIDENCE.

What reveals the mystery?

How does a super sleuth solve the mystery.....

By putting together all the EVIDENCE!

The Christian Life is clearly .... no mystery

If an individual has experienced a life changing transformation in Jesus Christ.... then clearly...The Bible tells us that individual will have the evidence of the Christian life.

SO it leads us to ask the obvious question this morning

“What is the EVIDENCE of the Christian life?”

The Christian life.... is certainly a life of faith.

No one would deny that the Christian life is a life full of faith but James told us to look for the evidence of our faith wich is works.

The Bible tells us that if we have true Christian faith there will be good works.

James 2:14-17

14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Clearly what the Word of God says to us is this!

IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

AND YOUR LIFE IS LOCKED INTO THAT FAITH

THEN YOU ....WILL....BE....DOING GOOD WORKS.

Salvation does not come through good works....

Salvation comes through faith but it is a faith that will naturally and without hesitation lead you to do good works.

The EVIDENCE of your faith is good works.

Can the evidence be found in your life.....OR

when God sees you does He see a mystery..... because your life lacks good works.

A few days ago ....Several of our the teenagers from our youth department ......assisted in helping a woman and her young children who were moving there belongings into a new residence.

They carried furniture,.... carried boxes,.... carried bedframes.... and even some appliances.

I was proud of our young people because I saw some evidence...I saw some good works.

I am convinced that too many church members and so called Christians have joined the ranks of hearers and have failed to produce the evidence of doers.

Look just back a chapter in James 1:22 James said “22 But prove yourselves doers of the word and not just hearers who delude themselves.”

What God is saying to you and to me is this

GIVE EVIDENCE..... Do good works testifying in action that your faith in me is real.

So the evidence of the Christian life is

Faith that produces Good Works

But also the Christian Life is a life of LOVE

What about the evidence of love. 1John 3:16

How many of you after a long hard day..... have looked over at your spouse and said something crazy like this...

”Honey, if you love me you’d rub my aching back.”

Now ...I am here to tell you a back rub is not truly the evidence of love.

But people desire not just a word of love....

but they want to see evidence of love...

*Its like the young man who was an engineer .....

he was sent to Ireland by his company to work in a new electronics plant.

It was a two-year assignment that he had accepted because it would enable him to earn enough to marry his long-time girlfriend.

She had a job near her home in Tennessee, and their plan was to pool their resources and put a down payment on a house when he returned.

They corresponded often, but as the lonely weeks went by, she began expressing doubts as to if he was being true to her or not ,... exposed as the young man was to attractive Irish ladies.