Message
Years ago, some Christian students in a particular university came to me and said, “We don’t know what is going on. Those of us who are in the fellowship are always the ones failing.” I replied to them, “This might be because, at the time you are supposed to be studying, you are in the fellowship.” They said, “Is it not written that the Holy Spirit will help us?” I responded, “Thank God for the Holy Spirit, but the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will remind you of the things you have learnt. However, if you do not learn anything and end up failing, after He chastises you, He will comfort you.”
Beloved, to walk in God’s blessings, faith must go hand-in-hand with works. For example, in , Jesus came to Peter, who had a boat and asked him to lend Him the boat for a while. After preaching from the boat, Jesus told Peter to cast his net into the sea for a catch. If Peter had not cast his net, he would not have seen the glory of God. If he had just said, “I believe you, Jesus. I know You can do all things,” and had refused to obey the simple instruction, he would have returned home empty-handed that night. Instead, he said, "At thy word – because You have spoken to me – I will do what You say." He took a step of faith and did the work of throwing his net into the sea. Then, he caught so many fishes that his net broke. People who add works to their faith experience ‘net-breaking’ miracles. Another example of someone in the Bible who added works to their faith is the woman with the issue of blood in . She did not just stop at knowing that Jesus carried the healing anointing, she forced her way through a large crowd just to touch the hem of His garment. The result was that she was instantly healed of a sickness she had suffered from for 12 years.
If you are not doing anything in line with the faith you claim to have, that faith is dead. You cannot sit in your house and pray for a job when you are not applying for any. Likewise, you cannot be trusting God for a visa to another country when you do not even have an international passport. Bring your faith to life by adding works to it; faith without works is dead.