BELIEVER OR PHILOSOPHER?

Psalms 119:100-102 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. (101) I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. (102) I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.

This is the difference between a philosopher and a believer. The philosopher, from his lofty uncommitted all-seeing vantage point, acknowledges with his words the goodness and even advantages in certain virtues. The believer, humbly get down and without a word shows what he believes by the example of his lifestyle. The philosopher talk, the believer acts.

An important man was asked one day who he felt was the philosopher that influenced his life the most. Without hesitations this important politician said, “Christ, because He changed my life!” I can see virtue in wanting to acknowledge God in his life but was Christ a ‘philosopher?’ No. Jesus-Christ did not place the virtues of godliness on a pedestal to merely describe them for us. He was the very essence of the action; He was the heart of the ‘verb’ (alternate translation for “Word” in John 1); the full action in the being, the “I AM”.

One who keeps God’s “precepts” doesn’t just study and meditate on them. He doesn’t just acknowledge their wisdom and beauty while living a life estranged to them. One who keeps God’s precepts honors them; he applies their teachings to his life; he restrains his feet from the “evil way”, and he departs not from “judgment”.

Do we appreciate the virtues of God’s Word only exteriorly, in show, or are they part of our, dictating our every move? We need to decide today what we are going to be: a philosopher or a believer; a disciple or a friend.

James 2:14-21,26 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, (16) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (17) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (18) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (20) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (21)…(26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.