So why should we be faithful to God? Why choose friendship with Him over the world? Because God chose to enter into a relationship with us, fully knowing we would betray Him. Even after all the times we’ve walked away, made mistakes or said things we regret, God remains faithful.

God chose to send His Son, Jesus, to redeem what was already His. We were created in His image, but sin had taken us away. So, what did God do? He bought us back from sin and slavery with the blood of His Son. Jesus paid the price for our redemption. And, when you understand all that God has done for you through Christ, the pull of the world loses its appeal.

We have all been impacted by words. Words are powerful. James talks about the impact of words on our lives and others. We all carry hope and wounds from words said to us by a parent, coach, teacher or friend. And, at the same time, we too have the power to build up and destroy others with our words. James calls to us to live out our faith with our words. How we use our words - what we say, post, write and more - matters. As a disciple of Jesus, do our words reflect Christ? Have you declared Jesus with your mouth, and have you professed Him with your life?

Salvation only comes through faith in Jesus. It is Jesus who saves a person. It is not about what we do, it is about what He has done. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and then conquered death so we can have eternity with God. However, James will say that “faith without works is dead.” While works do not save us, our good works for Jesus are the evidence of our faith. Can people look at your life and see your faith in Jesus? Behavior always follows belief. Are we living out our faith in Jesus? Let’s renew our commitment to Jesus today and live every day for Him.