Showing the love of Christ

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:12-14 ESV)

In reading this passage this morning during my devotion it made me stop and think. What does it mean that my members are instruments for righteousness? I may be off here but I believe that God is referring to my actions when He uses the term members, things I do with my hands and feet, the way I walk, talk,  and treat others. Do you see this the same?

Think about this. Do you have faith that Jesus Christ is your Savior? What led you to that faith? It was the Holy Spirit workng through others and the Word. Now think about the people you care about, a sibling, a parent, a friend or colleague. Don't you want them to know that they too are under God's grace? Will they see the love of Christ if you constantly succumb to the temptations of the devil? Will not they better se the love by your actions?

I think the answer is clear. I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say "they say they are Christian but look at what they do ". What good is talking about Christ's love if we are not going to strive to act like Christ? Our actions are stronger than our words. What we do tells others more about Christ than what we say.

The family went white water rafting Tuesday with the church youth group and I am sure that the guides saw Christ in our group,  not because we took our Bibles and read to them. Not because they knew we were from St. Paul's Lutheran Church. But instead because of how we acted, how we treated them and others. That is how we can help to grow God's Kingdom while here on earth.

I pray that all of us this day will think before we act today. Will what I do show the love of Christ? We are human and sinful by nature so the answer will not always be yes. But let us all strive to have more yes answers than no.

May God bless you.