For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake 1 Peter 1:18-20

How many of us have heard people say ‘I am a good person. I go to church on Sundays, give to the poor and don’t do bad things. I am faithful‘? In the countries that I have lived in and visited, I have seen a number of good deeds and a great number of church goers. I have had complains of Christianity within the church from various numbers of people. Within the church, you will find very ‘spiritual’ people, who are also ‘busy-bodies’ always ready to serve and give an answer to all your problems. Yet deep down, they are hallow and void. Others have tend to put their material things first, always ready with gifts for the church and anyone in need. However, when you look at their lives, hairs stand at the back of your neck. I am not exaggerating anything here. We have pastors extorting money from the people. Rather than serving the people, they give conditions as to how they people should pay them for their services, such as building them a house, buying them a car or providing them with something extravagant. Is this really what it means to be a Christian? 

My heart aches for our churches these days. Christianity is being turned into a profitable market. When Jesus flocked the sellers in the temple, he didn’t flock them because they were doing the wrong thing. They off course were doing the right thing, but with the wrong motives. They were selling animals for sacrifice, but they had turned that goal for profit. That offended Jesus. 

Now if we as Christ’s followers who are called to love start exchanging the reason for Christ’s coming for money, what becomes of our mission then? Our salvation was not bought with gold nor through good deeds, but was because of ‘his great mercy that he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time‘ 1 Pet 1:3-5.

We are called to be Holy in all we do, because God is Holy. Our salvation is seen through faith. Understanding your salvation enables you to carry out deeds of love, not material deeds. Your faith and actions need to be in accordance with each other. Abraham’s faith went with his actions James 2:21-22. 

You might be the best person that everyone loves and adores, because you feed the poor, give clothes to the naked and take care of the sick. If you have no love of the father, you toil in vain. You cannot buy your way to heaven through good deeds. As hard as this is hard to believe, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you, Away from me, you evil-doer!’ Do not become a good deed person and lose out on your salvation. 

Many people enter mission work not because they have been called into it. A pastor is paid by the church, and it is the congregation that maintains his upkeep. Who would not want such a life? We see many false preachers without an ounce of salvation or spiritual led sermons that stand on the pulpit and give words rather than wisdom. A person called by God to serve in that line of duty, will not need his Bible to preach, but the Holy Spirit within him will give the words. When God calls you to do your work, he goes with you and leads you. You are connected with him and people can feel the spirit moving in the service. Speaking to people rather than with people will tell you who you are. Let your actions be in accordance with your faith in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t matter whether you do good, but if you have no salvation you toil in vain. Even if you have salvation and work as if you are forced into it, you toil in vain. Your service should be to God alone not for men to see it.