Your Life, Not Your Words

“Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town… Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done…”

Luke 5:14-16 (MSG)

          Read the full passage of Luke 5:12-16 in your bible. In this passage, a man sees Jesus in one of the villages and begs Him to cure him of a horrible skin disease. He says to Jesus, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.” Jesus responds, “I want to. Be clean.” Just like that, the man was healed of leprosy.

          Jesus tells him “Don’t talk about this all over town… Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” (MSG) He had been healed. And Jesus knew that everyone would be able to notice that right away. Not just by his appearance, but because of his “cleansed and obedient life.”

          What about you? Can people tell that you’ve been healed? Does your lifestyle exhibit someone who has been cleansed and is living obediently to Christ? If we have been changed and redeemed, I think people should be able to tell. In a world where words are becoming less and less credible, we need to make sure our actions line up to what we believe. Many have stopped trusting what we hear because we are so used to being lied to by the media, politicians, and everyone else.

          Isn’t there a phrase that says “Don’t believe everything you hear”? I think that is good advice. Even true statements are given out of context to bend them into what a person wants us to think. Words are often cheap. Don’t just tell people, show them. Some may listen to your words, but more will read your actions.

6.2.17

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