Got Deeds? What Motivates Your Deeds?

It may be late, but here it is!!!
Read James 2:14-26
Title in NIV: Real faith shows itself by deeds.

Real and true faith leads to action motivated by love, acceptance and forgiveness. When you strive to have a real relationship with God and love your neighbor as yourself, He will place deeds on your heart as opportunities. You can choose to act on the opportunities or deny the Spirits' nudge. The deeds will benefit your fellowman and edify you, too.  This action through faith is the only true and real faith because it is done with motives of, like I stated before, love acceptance and forgiveness.

Abraham's faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made perfect/complete in what he did (vs. 22). A person is justified by what he does with his faith.  Kinda like the men with talents.  The men were judged by what they did with their talent not justified because they had a talent.

When you give your life to Jesus, you will begin to WANT/DESIRE to do good deeds. It will almost become a natural thought. Deciding to act on the desire is the hard part because time, fear, money, rejection, family get in the way.

Some deeds are motivated by fear.
Some deeds are motivated by 'what can this get me?...righteousness.'
Some deeds are motivated by keeping up with the Jones'.
Some deeds are motivated by following the rules.
Some deeds are motivated by tradition.
Some deeds are motivated by a holiday approaching.
Some deeds are motivated by selfishness.

Yes, people may be helped by these deeds, but only those deeds back by love, acceptance,  and forgiveness count to the Father. Deeds for the wrong reasons are like filthy rags (Is. 64:6) because our motives are wrong.

Challenge: Don't just look at the deeds you DO, look at the deeds you DONT DO and search out the motive.