Skip to main content

Work

             Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29) 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)

 Work: to perform or carry through a task requiring sustained effort or continuous repeated operations (Work Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster) 

Work has both a positive and a negative reputation within Christianity. In most (possibly all) other religions, if salvation can be gained or assured, it is done on the basis of works. You earn it. According to Paul, we aren’t justified by works, we are justified by faith. But Jesus said that the work of God is to believe in Him.

We’re supposed to work, and work hard, but it doesn’t produce salvation. It produces goods and services that benefit others and us. But we’re not supposed to lose sight of the distinction between the two.

I’ve been asked why I can’t “just believe.” I’ve heard others say they’ve been asked the same thing. The implication is that belief is seen as a condition or state. It’s like Yoda said, “Do, or do not, there is no try.” Except, Jesus said that believing (having faith) is work or requires work. Performing or carrying through the task of believing requires sustained effort of continuous repeated operations. Sometimes, the task is as easy as taking a piece of paper across the room. Other times, it’s more like carrying another person out of a burning building. Telling someone to “Just do it,” is both true and cruel. They do need to just do it but if they could just do it, they would.

Kindness has been said to be lending someone your strength. Rather than dismissing someone with a “just do it,” pray with them, for them. Lend them some of your faith. And keep praying as they repeat the act of believing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more