By Rosemary Wayo
Tamale, Sept. 27, GNA – The Right Reverend Dennis Debukari Tong, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale, has urged Christians to depict their belief in God through pious acts towards others.
He said, “Belief in God must translate into good works that bring relief to others.”
The bishop, who was delivering the sermon on the theme: “The Proof of Faith,” said though the act of faith was abstract, treating people with respect and humility was a proof of its existence in a Christian’s life.
He stressed that faith that was not demonstrated through action does not exist, saying the “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
He quoted the biblical verse from the book of James 2:26, saying “as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead, hence, to proof our faith, we have to put it into action.”
Bishop Tong said Prophet Jeremiah also told the people of Israel what the Lord required from them as a religious duty “If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm.”
He said the words of the prophet were currently being addressed to this generation and had to be reminded that they could no longer dwell on words alone to portray who were in Christ.
The bishop said “Strangely, St. James does not write about prayer and fasting to be what God wants us to do, although these are important and paramount in our lives as Christians, he rather about relating to others, especially those who are not as fortunate as we are.”
The bishop reiterated “We all know that the marginalised in our society today are the poor widows and orphans. Specifically, these are mentioned as those who need our support. Believe in God must translate into action, the good works that bring relief to others.”
He said “We are also called to reform, change our way of life to suit the desires of God for us. It is also a way of appreciating what God has done for us when we share what he has given us with others.
Again quoting St. James 1:17, he said “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
He said the proof of faith included being appreciative to God, as the Samaritan leper in the Bible after receiving his healing and going back to say thank you to Jesus.
“James also tells us good religion lies in our relationship with others. It is about our social life and responsibility towards others.
Bishop Tong urged Christians to reflect on what God required of them and respond by changing their way of life to reflect their calling.
GNA