(The following is the June 10 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Acts 26 and pay close attention to verses 19-20.)

Paul summarized for King Agrippa a proper response to the gospel: “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance” (v. 20). Unbelievers must turn from sin, surrender to Christ, and prove the genuineness of their repentance by how they live the rest of their lives.

We should be consistent in what we say we believe and how we act. If we claim certain beliefs but act in ways contrary to them, people will rightly conclude that our actions reflect our views better than our words. For example, if we say we love everyone yet regularly treat people unkindly, we don’t actually love everyone. If we claim to love God more than money yet fail to support the work of Christ and his church, where is the proof that we love God more? If we subscribe to the biblical teaching that faith in Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation, do we tell unbelievers that? How firmly do we believe in the exclusivity of Jesus for salvation, and how much do we care about others’ eternity if we withhold the gospel?

None of us transforms from lost sinner to perfect saint overnight. Growing in holiness continues throughout this life from the moment of salvation until God calls us home. We will fall short, but failure is not an excuse to stop pursuing inward holiness that outwardly demonstrates transformation through our deeds.

We cannot earn our salvation by the works we perform since salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. But once saved, our lives should be a beautiful tapestry of thoughts, words, and deeds that consistently reflect a life radically changed by Christ.

If we are new creations in Christ, our works should show it.

Next Step:
Does your behavior properly reflect the repentance and faith you profess? Does something need to change for you to “do works worthy of repentance”?