I Thessalonians 1:3 – “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love…”
Today I wish to expound upon three aspects of the work of God. The theme of Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians is the work of God. Much is written in this epistle regarding Paul’s work among them; their work in the kingdom of God; and most importantly, God’s work in His people.
One of my favorite verses of scripture is as follows:
Psalm 118:23 – “This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”
This verse deals with Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone, being rejected by the Jews. Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 21:42 and Mark 12:11. In each instance, He was showing the Jews how they would be rejected by God and how that God would turn to the Gentiles. Can you imagine how hard it was for the Jews to conceive of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to take the chief cornerstone away from them, and use it to build a Gentile church? How is something of this magnitude going to be done? “This is the Lord’s doing!” God is going to do it! Whether Israel approves of it or not, God is going to do it! Whether Israel supports it or not, Jesus told them, “God is going to do it!”
Let’s get something straight! There are some things that will happen just because God is going to do it! I know for a fact that man-made global warming will NOT destroy our planet! It is predestined that God Almighty is going to burn this mess to a pile of ashes! For all you “green” people out there who think you’re saving the planet by riding around in a bullet shell, I’ve got news for you! Your efforts to save the planet are all in vain! God is going to destroy this planet and no legislation will stop Him! God’s going to shut the liberals down and shut the atheists up, and there’s not one thing that any world leader will do about it! “This is the Lord’s doing,” and it cannot be stopped!
I would like to look now at three aspects of the work of God.
God’s Work FOR Us – Grace
First, I would like to look at what God did FOR us. When we speak of what God did for us, we are speaking of grace. Man is lost hopelessly – so hopelessly that no effort on His part can save Himself. I am still amazed how people who have been in church for years testify that they are going to heaven because they have been faithful. Friend, no amount of faithfulness on your part will take care of your sin, or of the penalty of death that results from it.
God sent His only begotten Son into the world. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, took my sins upon Himself as though they were His sins. He was whipped, beaten, mocked, spit upon, crucified, and separated from His Father for my sins. The only way I could have ever paid off my sin debt is to die forever in a lake of fire! But Jesus took my sins and yours upon Himself. He did this so we need never to die the second death. Calvary is God’s work FOR us. Christ did upon the cross what no man could do for himself. Christ satisfied the wrath and justice of God completely. Grace is God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Calvary is the grace of God.
God’s Work IN Us – Faith
I am amazed at how many ministers in various denominations have no clue concerning Bible salvation. Some think that getting sprinkled as an infant contributes to the salvation of the soul. Some think that being saved from sin is the result of a person’s willful cessation of sin. While I believe strongly that God’s people are called to holy living, I believe just as strongly that salvation is not “cessation from sin.” You can cease from all your bad habits and start doing good and righteous things and be as lost as any man has ever been. Some think erroneously that salvation is the product of being baptized “in Jesus’ name.” Some think that salvation is composed of repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and being filled with the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues. None of these things are correct.
I discussed the subject of salvation with a man recently. This man was of the opinion that we are saved by keeping the moral law of God. He describes salvation as “trusting Jesus” AND “ceasing from sin.” I asked the man this question: “If you were in the Philippian jail and the jailer came to you and asked, ‘What must I do to be saved?’ what would your response be?” I never got an answer. Because in the word of God, Paul and Silas WERE in the Philippian jail. And the jailer DID ask, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas gave a clear, concise response. Their response was not, “Get down on your knees for an hour and if you feel better, thou shalt be saved.” They did not say, “Quit your sinning, and thou shalt be saved.” Neither did they say, “Be baptized,” or “Be baptized in Jesus’ name and thou shalt be saved.” What Paul and Silas answered is echoed throughout the New Testament – “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
Believing, or having faith, is the work of God. Believing is not your own work of any kind. When you believe on Jesus Christ to be saved, you are not DOING anything; you are rather trusting fully what Christ HAS ALREADY DONE! Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is not merely believing that God exists; or believing that Christ died on the cross. Devils believe these things, and tremble at the thought of them! Yet no devil is saved. Believing is fully trusting Christ to save you based upon HIS WORK upon the cross. We have faith because God gives it to us. The man who has faith cannot boast of his faith; for he has no faith, unless God graciously bestows it to him. Notice:
Ephesians 2:8, 9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Notice how Paul words this – “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and THAT…” What is “that”? The context teaches us that the word, “that” refers to faith. We are saved “through FAITH, and THAT not of yourselves.” Paul is teaching plainly that the faith to be saved does not dwell within us. It is given to us by God! Paul goes on to say, “It is the gift of God!” Romans 12:3 teaches us that God has dealt to every man “the measure of faith!” Trusting Christ fully to save you is not your work; it is the work of God! You are simply trusting what Christ has already accomplished FOR us!
John 6:29 – “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
God’s Work THROUGH Us – Good Works
We previously looked at Ephesians 2:8 & 9, that salvation is by grace (God’s work for us – sending Christ to die upon the cross) through faith (God’s work in us – trusting Christ’s work upon the cross). Now, I wish to examine these verses once more, but this time let us look at them along with verse 10:
Ephesians 2:8-10 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
After we are saved by grace, through faith, we are then created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works. The best evidence of genuine salvation is a change in one’s living!
Make no mistake about it – we are justified in the sight of God by faith, apart from works altogether.
Romans 3:21 – “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.”
Romans 3:28 – “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Galatians 2:16 – “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Galatians 3:11 – “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
Clearly, the Bible teaches that we are justified, or declared innocent, completely by faith, and completely apart from works. But, let us look at some verses in James 2:
James 2:14 – “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?”
James 2:17 – “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
James 2:24 – “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
Now, let us notice a couple of things. Galatians 3:11 states that NO MAN is justified by works of the law in the sight of God. James 2:24, just as clearly, states that by works a man IS JUSTIFIED, and not by faith only. There is a simple, clear, Biblical explanation for this.
The passages I gave you in Romans and Galatians deal with us being justified in THE SIGHT OF GOD (Galatians 3:11). James 2, however, deals with us being justified in the SIGHT OF MAN (James 2:15, 16, 18). When a man places his faith in Jesus Christ, he justified in the sight of God instantly, even before God sees the first good work. God does not need to see a good work before He knows we have faith, for He can see our heart! Our fellow man, on the other hand, cannot see our faith; he can only see our works! Therefore, to be justified in man’s sight, we must prove our faith by having good works! Make no mistake about it – the passages in Romans and Galatians deal with justification in the sight of God, and we are justified in His sight without any works whatsoever.
Galatians 3:11 – “But that no man is justified by the law IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
James 2, on the other hand, is not about us showing God our faith; it is rather about us showing MAN our faith:
James 2:15, 16 – “If A BROTHER OR SISTER be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”
In these verses, James clearly states that claiming to have faith without works will in no way profit A BROTHER OR SISTER!
James 2:18 – “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: SHEW ME THY FAITH without thy works, and I will SHEW THEE my faith by my works.”
Again, it is clear here that the subject is not about showing God our faith; it is about being justified in the sight of man. “Shew me thy faith without thy works,” Paul says, “and I will show thee my faith by my works.” When James 2 is put in context, there is not a single contradiction with Romans and Galatians whatsoever.
We are completely justified in the sight of God by faith, apart from works of any kind. But it is the will of God for God to work THROUGH us! He wants us to submit to His work so that we might show the world our faith. Genuine faith in Christ makes a person a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17). Genuine faith in Christ will make a change in the life, mind, and heart of an individual. The best way to show your faith by your works is to let Jesus Christ do the living in your life. When this is done, Christ will work the work of God THROUGH you!
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
This is the key – “…nevertheless I live; yet NOT I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME!” When we let Him live, there will be an abundance of good works in our life – not to show God our faith; but rather to show man our faith, that they might see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven!
