15 January 2023
Two-Minute Features | 22 January 2023 | 08 January 2023

Trying to Live By Our Performance for God (TMF:2010)

Friday, January 20, 2023
Peace to Live By: Trying to Live By Our Performance for God (TMF:2010) - Daniel Litton
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       I know firsthand, because in the past I used to spend time helping others with the attitude, “Look how great I am for taking time to help this person for a couple of hours. Yes, I am totally awesome.” You see, though, if this is our attitude, what happens? Well, after we’ve done whatever good work it was, then the good feeling we got about ourselves from doing that good work fades over time. A week later, we may feel empty inside of ourselves because, in doing that good work last week, we had attributed to ourselves that we were a worthy person because of what we did. Now that the work has faded, we are back to feeling like we aren’t adequate. We are basing our worth off of what we do for others, which isn’t coming from a right heart attitude. All of us in the faith—all of us who know Jesus—should do good things for others based on the fact that we really want to. We do it cheerfully as Paul said in another book when he was discussing money. You see, we aren’t ranked in our lives in God’s eyes based on what we do for him or for others.

Our Faith is Demonstrated by Our Works (TMF:2009)

Thursday, January 19, 2023
Peace to Live By: Our Faith is Demonstrated by Our Works (TMF:2009) - Daniel Litton
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       You can’t just have faith, and you can’t just have works. Neither will do independently of one another. James tells us we need to have both—that our faith in God is demonstrated by our works. Like the Good Samaritan did in Jesus’ story, he quickly and willingly helps the person struck down in the roadway, expending time and even money. But Jesus didn’t make the guy doing it have a begrudging attitude. He didn’t put that in there. Giving assistance to others doesn’t require great effort, or going against their will. Now, sometimes people in the lower levels of inner-self can help others so they feel better about themselves, but that’s not a valid drive to help another. If we are doing that, then we are insecure and something is wrong inside ourselves. I know firsthand, because in the past I used to spend time helping others with the attitude, “Look how great I am for taking time to help this person for a couple of hours. Yes, I am totally awesome.”

The Reverse in Having Works Without Faith (TMF:2008)

Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Peace to Live By: The Reverse in Having Works Without Faith (TMF:2008) - Daniel Litton
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       This whole concept of faith versus works isn’t about appearances either. There are all kinds of ways people can ‘have works’ in theirs lives. One doesn’t have to be a Christian to show that he or she can demonstrate works. People can be a part of another religion, a humanitarian, charitable, kind to others, giving, a helper of the homeless, a philanthropist, a do-gooder, a Good Samaritan. All of these attitudes, these ways of helping others, can be demonstrated no matter what a person’s creed is. Perhaps this is seen more today in our world then in James’ world. I mean, after all, whether it is done on behalf of another religion, or even out of the belief that a person, in and of themselves, is inherently good without God, whatever we see, lots of people are demonstrating good. They have works. They just aren’t in right relationship with the God of the Universe, and that matters greatly.  You can’t just have faith, and you can’t just have works. Neither will do independently of one another.

Discussing Faith & Works Together, Part 3 (TMF:2007)

Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Peace to Live By: Discussing Faith & Works Together, Part 3 (TMF:2007) - Daniel Litton
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       So, we might re-phrase the sentence from James in this instance, “Show me your doctorate apart from your practice, and I will show you my doctorate by my practice.” You see, if the first psychologist doesn’t use his degree, if he doesn’t have a practice or use it in some other way, really, the degree is dead. It is there. He obtained it, but it isn’t in official use. The second psychologist also has a doctorate and a practice, so she uses her degree in what she does with her life in order to try to help people. In other words, our faith in Jesus Christ isn’t displayed but something obtained in the past, but rather it is shown forth by what we do with that faith we have obtained. It, like the word of God, is living and active. It is shown before others. The doctorate has a manifestation in life work. This whole concept of faith versus works isn’t about appearances either. There are all kinds of ways people can ‘have works’ in theirs lives. One doesn’t have to be a Christian to show that he or she can demonstrate works.

Discussing Faith & Works Together, Part 2 (TMF:2006)

Monday, January 16, 2023
Peace to Live By: Discussing Faith & Works Together, Part 2 (TMF:2006) - Daniel Litton
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       Let me try to provide an example here, an illustration, for us to better understand what we are talking about in this section. I’ll take the example of two psychologists. There is first a practicing psychologist, who practices day in and day out in counseling people to try to help them with their problems. Now let’s pretend for a second that this person is not using his doctorate and doesn’t have a practice—doesn’t try to help people. Instead, let’s say this person works in a factory building cars. If this person were to say, “I am a psychologist. I have a doctorate in psychology. I am a doctor,” and yet didn’t do anything with that schooling, another practicing psychologist might respond, “Well, you have the qualifications to be a psychologist, but you’re not a currently practicing psychologist.” The other psychologist would be correct in that response. So, we might re-phrase the sentence from James in this instance, “Show me your doctorate apart from your practice, and I will show you my doctorate by my practice.”