A Beautiful Gate

The letter of James states "I by my works will show you my faith."(Jm 2:18)  This simple verse should be in the mission statement of every Christian. To many times Christians use simple things like this verse to build fences. 

Fences can keep out those who seek the love of Christ. You worship wrong. We worship right. You don’t worship at all. Fences that keep out those that for some reason we have identified as lame or needy.

Every fence needs a good gate. A Christian's gate opens and allows all those who seek the peace and love of Christ to enter. A beautiful gate allows friends and others who need to enter.

Remember the story of the temple gate called the Beautiful Gate. (Acts 3:1-10)  A poor beggar is brought to this gate daily. He is left there to beg from the people going to temple. The temple goers duty is to support the poor crippled beggar through alms. The apostles Peter and John have nothing to give him but Christ. They give him the gift of Christ and that gift changed the beggar’s life forever. They took his hand, and gave him healing of Christ. 

The apostles opened the Beautiful Gate and the beggar entered walking and leaping and praising God. 

In this story, which type of Christian are we? Is our Christian faith like those who bring the beggar to the temple or like those who pass him by and drop a coin? These good people were living their faith. But they always left the beggar outside the fence. 

Maybe our faith is like the faith of the apostles, Peter and John, who bring Christ. It is a faith of works. 

When we bring Christ to others, we open the Beautiful Gate. In our faith and works we become the gate. In our faith, we walk and leap and praise God. The reason for our works is our faith in Christ Jesus. 

Sometimes, a fence is there but always have a welcoming beautiful gate.