God wants us to be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving ourselves.(Jm1:22)  He tells us for instance that a man had two sons and he told them both to go work in the vineyard.  One son said he would go and didn't go; the second said he wouldn't go but repented and went.  Only the one who went did the will of God. (Mt21:28-31)  So it takes more than just saying things, making promises, and giving lip service to enter the kingdom of God.  From the compassion of the good Samaritan to going to your friend at midnight who because of your importunity will rise and make three loaves to feed another friend, God is more interested in the person who loves in deed and in truth than the person who is all talk but no action.  Unless we put the word of God into practice we are building our house on sand which, when the storm comes, will utterly destroy your house.

    Knowing the word of God is important, being able to confess it is important, but unless we put it into practice, not necessarily for what we will get out of it, but because God wants us to love our neighbor, we are not in the center of God's will.  Knowing the word of God brings with it great responsibility and great accountability.  If we think that doing the will of God is always easy or pleasant, without pain and sorrow, we do not understand the gospel.  Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is53:3) Stricken of God and afflicted.  So, thinking that salvation only brings with it health, wealth, and prosperity is not the gospel.  The road to the blessing of God is paved with trial, tribulation, persecution, and sacrifice before it is lined in gold.  Unless we align ourselves with the poor, sick, and rejected, not only our blood relations, we are in for a big surprise, for even the gentile loves his family.

    Read the gospels, especially Matthew and Luke.  So much of what Jesus shares has to do with action more than words.  Unless you put what Jesus says into practice, not only will it affect others but it also puts you at risk as well.  There are many things that happen in this world and God is silent.  Wars, disease, sickness, and poverty exist everywhere in the world and we wonder where is God?  Why is he silent?  So if in reading the word of God and hearing what it says, the Spirit prompts you do do something sacrificial and contrary to comfort and ease, do it and God can work through you.  But if you stay close to the fence and do not venture out into un-navigated waters, God's will is undermined and you are a hearer only deceiving yourselves.  He tells the man who buries his pound that he is an austere man, taking up what thou layest not down and reaping what I did not sow.  “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay before me.” (Lk19:12-27)  These are not comforting words to people who do not do what God wills they should do. 

    In short don't pay God lip service.  Don't turn the gospels into air by rationalization and unbelief.  If you do, you may not like the final verdict.

amen