Demonstrating Love

If your husband said that he loves you, but doesn’t demonstrate that love by providing for you or doesn’t express that love in the giving of gifts or doing little special things for you, would you believe he was sincere in his love for you? You look to your husband’s actions to validate his love for you.

If you tell your children that you love them but fail to express that love in caring, nurturing and providing for their needs, will they truly believe that you love them?

We have an expression in this country, “Actions speak louder than words”. We would all agree that this is a very true statement. Saying you love someone and demonstrating that love through actions are two different things.

If we can understand this in the physical world, then why do we have trouble seeing it in the spiritual world? Jesus requires us to demonstrate our love for him by our actions, not just by our verbal assertion.

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. —John 14:21

After Jesus had risen from the grave he met with the disciples three times. At the third meeting Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." (John 21:15-17) Three times Jesus said this trying to stress to Peter that he must do something to demonstrate his love for Jesus. Just saying “I love you Lord” was not enough.

The same is true of our faith. If we don’t demonstrate our faith in Jesus through our actions, what good is it? The religious world has a real problem with this.  They are caught up in the false doctrine of faith only. They are not willing to admit that there are actions that must go with our faith for it to be validated. Their “sinner’s prayer” is a great example of this. In part it says, “I love you Lord, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Come into my heart and become my Savior”. How did they demonstrate their love for God? What actions proved their faith?  James says in James 2:17 “faith without works is dead”.  A demonstrated faith is required by God. 

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.-James 2:17

 Demonstrate your faith and love in the Lord not just by saying “I love you Lord, I believe in you”, back it up with action.

 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works—James 2:14-18