WHAT IS THE WORK THAT GOD REQUIRES?

[tomdurst]

WHAT IS THE WORK THAT GOD REQUIRES?

John 6:28-29 English Standard Version (ESV)

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Many years ago I was on a tour through a historic cathedral in Mexico and saw people going down the rough cement isle on their knees saying prayers as they went along. How to find God and how to please Him have led people to do all kinds of things and in some cases do great harm to themselves and others. In some cultures human sacrifices have been offered in an effort to please the gods. The good news of the gospel is that in Jesus Christ we are fully pleasing to God and that none of our works can add anything to that. We need to be careful even in our spiritual practices that we aren’t doing them with the motivation of earning merit points with God. I love to spend time in communion with God as that time is very precious and is my source of power for living each day. I don’t do it in order to gain favor with God but because I’m enjoying living in the sunshine of His love and hunger to experience ever more of His Presence. No matter how long we’ve “been in the way” we still need to remember that it is only through Jesus Christ that our best works, devotions, and prayers are acceptable to God. Our salvation is never of works lest any man boast (see Ephesians 2:8-10). We are privileged to come to the Savior just as we are but He doesn’t leave us that way. Through His love and acceptance we are transformed or “born again” and henceforth live differently than we did before. Instead of being centered in “me and mine” we have found a peace and joy that frees us up to accept ourselves as God’s child, part of His new creation, to love and serve others.

[Note: Of late I’ve been reviewing some of the gospel truths that have thrilled my heart over these many years and I’m sharing them with you with the hope that your heart will be as warmed as mine has been. The gospel as taught in the Bible has been greatly obscured in favor of politics, controversies of all kinds, and so many other things which I prefer not to dwell on. I try to dwell on the positive and say as little as possible about the negative. TD]

I invite you to read WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH? which is on the link below:

WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH?