What Matters

 Angel serves as an elder at Waymaker, a church that began thirty years ago.  He is one of the most faithful donors. If there is a men’s breakfast, count on him to be there. If the church needs workers for onsite repairs, he helps.  Often, the pastor calls on him to pray over the offering. He leads the security team at the church, but his team has a high turnover rate.

Some people at Waymaker wonder why Angel is an elder.  His judgmental observations and solemn demeanor are hardly attractive. He could be admitted into the Legalists Hall of Fame for all the rules he insists his fellow believers follow.  He is quick to point out flaws and exhort those he believes are straying with little attempt at understanding or compassion.  If anyone questions his thinking or actions, he is defensive and quick to rebuke them for disrespecting him.  Angel believes he will enter heaven because he keeps the law and is a good person. 
            
Damian is Angel’s coworker at Hudson Depot, where they work Monday to Friday. He will not find Jesus through him, and why should he? Angel has never mentioned Him.  Truthfully, he detests Damian’s vulgarity and the foul mouths of many of his coworkers, and besides that, he certainly doesn’t care for their unsavory behavior and worldly attitudes.  There is not much that anyone can do right in his sight.  He knows next to nothing about Damian and the other employees’ lives, families, hobbies, and so on.  He minds his own business and prefers that they do the same. He has no heart for the lost; therefore, his name is a misnomer. 
 
Meditation
Galatians 5:6--For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.
 
Often in his letters, the Apostle Paul warned followers of Jesus about their legalistic obsession and displeasing behavior. Paul reminded them that it was through faith in Jesus that they received salvation, made possible by His grace. The child of works and legalism is bondage and death. The child of faith is life worked out in love. 
            
Too many Angels alienate Damians by their hypocrisy and loveless behavior.  True faith recognizes that the grace God extended to us is lived out by the way we love Him and people.  Brennan Manning stated, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.”[1]    What matters is faith at work lovingly serving one another (5:13). “Faith is the divine destiny of free beings created for righteousness by holy love... not a second best; as if the absolute best would have been sinless obedience to instructions, correct attention to orders . . . “[2]
 
Inspiration
“Better a little faith, dearly won, better launched alone on the infinite bewilderment of truth, than perish on the splendid plenty of the richest creeds.”—Henry Drummond
 
©2025 Daniel York ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)
 
 


[1] https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/two-reasons-why-people-reject-christianity.html

[2] P.T. Forsyth in The Christian Ethic of War