Last Sunday night at our church, the Senior High group studied Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Pastor Jordan has been leading us through a series called “All of Jesus,” where we’re discovering the person and character of Christ throughout all of Scripture—both Old and New Testaments.

The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5–7, is the first recorded public teaching of Jesus. Years ago, while preaching through Matthew’s Gospel, I spent several weeks studying this sermon. Discussing this sermon with the freshman boys last Sunday, reminded me of a phrase I learned during my study years ago, maybe you have heard of it,  the “Say/Do Ratio.”

A man I used to meet for breakfast shared this idea with me. A Say/Do Ratio measures the reliability of a person by comparing the commitments they make (say) and the commitments they fulfill (do). Ideally, that ratio is 1:1—meaning your actions match your words. Your life demonstrates what you claim to believe.

Unfortunately, some people talk a lot but fail to follow through. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges that very mindset. He reminds us that faith is not just about what we know or say—the Pharisees were experts at both. In Matthew 5, He repeats the phrase, “You have heard that it was said…” followed by “But I tell you…,” each time raising the standard from outward knowledge to inward transformation to renewed, deeper action.

For example, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” In other words, you say, “Don’t murder,” but I say, “Don’t even harbor anger.”

The Pharisees tried to make salvation about perfectly following rules, creating a self-righteous culture where they were the “knowers,” “sayers,” and “doers.” But Jesus declared that salvation is not about making ourselves righteous, because that’s impossible. True righteousness is a gift from God that transforms how we live.

When we receive that righteousness, our Say/Do Ratio should reflect it. If we say we follow Jesus—if we proclaim He is our Savior and has forgiven our sins—then our “doing” should prove it.

The Apostle John wrote something similar in 1 John 1:5–7:
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

As we enter the holiday season—Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s—it’s a time to remember all God has done. We give thanks for His faithfulness, celebrate His gift of Jesus, and look forward to new beginnings. These next few weeks will offer many chances to live out our faith—through kindness, generosity, and love.

Let’s make sure our Say/Do Ratio reflects the light of Christ in all we do. May others see in our lives the living truth of the gospel we proclaim.